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Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?

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Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?

#141

Post by ThePhysicist »

john4532452 wrote: post #125
simonw wrote: post #9

After we got married back in 2010 my partner Natalie and I quit our jobs with the intent to travel the world for as long as we could get away with. We ended up starting a startup together in Morocco, applied to YC from Luxor in Egypt, got accepted, moved to Mountain View and spent the next three years running a startup before getting acquired. It kind of ruined the honeymoon! Natalie wrote up the full story here: htt…

What is this startup about? The company page is dead.

Making it easier to print conference badges I think (probably drastically oversimplified).

Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?

#142

Post by vmception »

anm89 wrote: post #72
dejv wrote: post #29

I traveled for five years or so. I was having great time, but I've probably overdid it for year or two. What worked well for me was quiting mixing backpacker circus with less known destination. It was fun to sleep at hostels, party with fellow travelers and have fun, but it gets old after while. I split my trips into 3 to 6 months chunks after which I just come back to one of my bases, recharge for a bit and then wen…

Yeah, I think going out to find yourself or being transformed is mostly a fools errand. I also don't regret my travels but didn't find any of that.

Its exploration and finding things you didn't expect that leave an impression on you. The common story is because it happened to people not looking for it.

If you go looking for things to leave an impression on you, it probably wont happen.

You’re in the company of people that comfortably go to Croatia Yacht Week, Ibiza opening parties, Cannes Film Festival etc. Not just wage workers taking an aimless break to say they travelled, or college students on their gap year.

Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?

#143

Post by scraft »

My partner and I took a year out for all of 2018 and travelled for 365 days, aged 34. We went to 21 countries during that time, the route:

UK India Hong Kong Vietnam Cambodia Laos Thailand Russia Mongolia China Tibet Japan Malaysia Indonesia Australia New Zealand Fiji Hawaii North America Chile Bolivia Peru Colombia Brazil

We saw many wonders of the world (from various lists) including Taj Mahal, Angkor Wot, Great Barrier Reef, Machu Picchu and Christ the Redeemer.

We drove coast to coast in the US (LA to New York via the South) over a month.

We took the Trans-Siberian Express train across Russia to Beijing (St Petersburg, Moscow, Kazaan, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, Lake Baikal, Ulaanbaatar, deeper into Mongolia and stayed in a Gerr and Beijing).

We also looped around China by train including going to Tibet via Xinning. Tibet is like nowhere else we have been in the world.

We spent a couple of weeks driving around New Zealand South Island in a campervan.

We did the classic backpacker route around South East Asia, traveling overnight on sleeper buses, visiting the tourist destinations, site seeing, going on a booze cruise party island in the middle of a site of natural beauty (Castaways), visiting temples, full moon party. All in all a bit of everything. We were at the absolute age limit of some activities and accomodation, where although they were willing to show some flexibility, you wouldn't want to be much older as the majority of people were about 20. At times we felt old and past it, but we were happy we went ahead and did it.

Whilst a lot of the trip we just planned and booked ourselves, small parts, like Australia, we went on an organised trip. It wasn't one where we follow a tour leader, instead we were given vouchers for accomodation and activities and transport that went from Cairns down to Melbourne and followed it ourselves. It included dolphin feeding, scuba diving at the great barrier reef, driving around Fraser Island on 4x4s and staying a couple of nights, going on a boat tour of the Whitsundays and seeing White Haven beach with the softest sand I have experienced.

We could have done a fraction of the amount of stuff we did, and seen more or each place. We could have recouperated more rather than end up exhausted. But it was one hell of a trip.

I worried about finding work when it was over, but had several job offers before I returned so that turned out to be a false worry!

Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?

#144

Post by nakodari »

keiferski wrote: post #41
tracer4201 wrote: post #23

I took a leave of absence for a year. I went to India for 3 months in 2016, then Pakistan for another 3 months, followed by Afghanistan for 1 month. Afghan and Pakistani people are by far the friendliest among any nationality. I ignorantly thought they are intolerant of all non Muslims, but it turns out they could teach us a thing or two in hospitality and kindness. I learned some Urdu and Hindi along the way. Pakist…

Really cool story. How did you deal with the safety issues in Afghanistan and Pakistan? Were they a real concern, or is that mostly overblown by the media?

You should not group Afghanistan and Pakistan together. Afghanistan is not a safe place to visit. Pakistan is absolutely safe as long as you don't visit the western tribal region. Land in Lahore, travel to Islamabad and then to Peshawar and northern areas. You will have a good time. Lots of tour companies also arrange the trips. If you're feeling more adventurous, you can visit Multan, Bahawalpur, and Karachi.

Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?

#145

Post by eric4smith »

Etheryte wrote: post #126
eric4smith wrote: post #83

Did not quit my job, but instead went full remote in 2018 (age 55 at the time). Still doing it, but the pandemic forced me to stay in one country for just about a year now. In that year I put down roots, got long term visas and maybe will spend another few years there while we see how things shape out this and next year. But ya, 2-3 months minimum in a place is what you need, with just a small backpack. Make local fr…

As someone following your footsteps a few decades behind, this is gold, thank you. One question, how do you handle work commitments with the uncertainty of travel? One of my best adventures is being stuck on an island for the night due to unforeseen circumstances, alas without much in the way of network connectivity.

I’ve never really had a problem with internet etc.

On travel days I let people know I’m offline.

I stay in Airbnb’s a lot and find a coffee shop backup nearby usually.

I have local SIM card when generous data plan when I arrive at the airport. This is good tor sharing with my computer in a pinch.

Asia has great internet - better than Europe, Australia or North America so that is rarely a problem.

Transport is generally reliable and effective and on time so one rarely will be away and offline for a while.

Being unavailable is truly not something that comes up on the radar more than a couple times a year.

(Unless you woke up naked in a drug induced stupor in a ladyboy’s room in Pattaya 2 days after an all-nighter) hahaha.

Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?

#146

Post by mattowen_uk »

john4532452 wrote: post #125
simonw wrote: post #9

After we got married back in 2010 my partner Natalie and I quit our jobs with the intent to travel the world for as long as we could get away with. We ended up starting a startup together in Morocco, applied to YC from Luxor in Egypt, got accepted, moved to Mountain View and spent the next three years running a startup before getting acquired. It kind of ruined the honeymoon! Natalie wrote up the full story here: htt…

What is this startup about? The company page is dead.

Looking on Wayback, It's a collaboration system that 'links up' people with similar skills and interests who attend the same events and conferences. Was acquired by Eventbrite.

Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?

#147

Post by Cro_on »

noname123 wrote: post #25

I'd love to hear concretely what you guys who traveled actually gained from traveling the world? Because I always hear that it's really exciting and you get to go to exciting places - but what exactly did you gain in terms of perspectives besides your instagram pictures and cocktail stories? I've never get beyond this superficial in hearing people's travel stories online and IRL. Maybe it's just me; but the idea of g…

It is absolutely worthwhile doing any of the immersion techniques you mentioned. Volunteer work would probably be the most important thing that you're missing. And I don't mean 'gap year help build a library' kind of volunteering, that stuff is implicitly pre-college, instagram stories and expat heavy. I mean exchanging a few hours of light work for bed and board (the language exchange is free). You can be pretty picky in most countries with sites like workaway or helpx, and probably find a little family to hole up with and do work remotely. And yes, you will find (single) people of all ages doing this.

EDIT: i see I'm supposed to say how traveling changed my life personally. pretty simple if you are me because studying language is my favourite hobby, and, as an amateur linguist, it is essential for my life satisfaction to immerse in something new every couple of years.

Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?

#148

Post by FlyingSaucer »

anonytrary wrote: post #103
dejv wrote: post #29

I traveled for five years or so. I was having great time, but I've probably overdid it for year or two. What worked well for me was quiting mixing backpacker circus with less known destination. It was fun to sleep at hostels, party with fellow travelers and have fun, but it gets old after while. I split my trips into 3 to 6 months chunks after which I just come back to one of my bases, recharge for a bit and then wen…

> Now, almost, 10 years later it just feel like it never happen, memories are fading fast as I went with settled life. Dang. As a nerd in his late 20s thinking the same, you make it sound pretty bleak, tbh. I guess it's just time for me to settle down, then go explore the world with my partner because that's what matters EOD.

I'm not OP, but as someone who traveled for a few years without the goal of 'finding myself' i actually found the experience pretty transformative to my character. Yes, Some of the more 'backpacky' memories do fade(might also have to do with the excessive drinking associated with it).

I still found that by immersing yourself in other cultures and ways of living you can gain more perspective about your own goals in life and your personal choices.

Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?

#149

Post by ungamedplayer »

noname123 wrote: post #90
ericmcer wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find travel/experiences is a terrible way to make yourself a more interesting person. Some people can tell a story about a drunken brawl in a foreign country and make it boring. Another person can describe getting coffee in the morning and leave people hanging on their every word.

This. When people talk about break-ups, you learn something about human nature like people's different attachment styles and each person's unique emotional vulnerabilities and their resilience in spite of it. When people talk about their careers and work stories and when you really listen, you learn about what people truly value (getting money vs. an academic pursuit, integrity vs. personal expediency); with travel s…

Maybe in this case, you could learn what they considered beauty.

Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?

#150

Post by vmception »

noname123 wrote: post #25

I'd love to hear concretely what you guys who traveled actually gained from traveling the world? Because I always hear that it's really exciting and you get to go to exciting places - but what exactly did you gain in terms of perspectives besides your instagram pictures and cocktail stories? I've never get beyond this superficial in hearing people's travel stories online and IRL. Maybe it's just me; but the idea of g…

I’ve gained perspective that I can get into important rooms because of my background, easier than I can in my own country. It makes considering to fight for inclusion in my home country seem to be a waste of my life and that I can choose causes to spend energy on without feeling like I was neglecting an obligation to my gender or heritage or race/ethnicity.

I’ve gained perspective that there are a mixture of political systems in countries that have redeeming benefits and seem more advanced than my home country. This tells me that I don't have to subscribe to the limiting choices presented to me, by people in my home country. Or perhaps that there might be an opportunity to inspire the people in the future.

I’ve gained in depth knowledge of obscure regulations in obscure autonomous regions that I find useful.

I’ve gained perspective that I can be seen as more desirable in some places for dating, hook ups, I can be accepted by families readily as an individual. In my home country, the go-to is to make this as awkward as possible, and it has been nice and endearing to understand how and why this isn’t the experience everywhere.

It helps me really resonate with the concept of going where you are treated the best, and building a life where that is possible. This has been a overwriting of the indoctrination of tying my identity to my national, even its currency, which is now absurd to me.

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