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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?

#391

Post by bfirsh »

TheMagicHorsey wrote: post #359
bfirsh wrote: post #285

When I quit my job and went travelling I used this framework: 1. Go via land. You see everything in between all the places you should see as a tourist. You immerse yourself in how a place actually feels. You meet people who aren’t just trying to extract money from you. I cycled, because I like cycling, but any form of transport works. 2. My algorithm was something like “Go east. Stay somewhere if it’s interesting, un…

What was it like cycling in India? Did you feel safe? I mean from both the traffic and crime. I'm thinking about doing this at some point, but I get nervous sometimes when I see the traffic in the cities there. Maybe its not as bad on the roads outside the cities?

The traffic was wild. As you say, the traffic is less bad outside of cities, and if you avoid the busier roads. But even still, lots of trucks barreling down small dirt roads, weaving in and out of cows, and things like that.

I felt very safe in terms of crime. Subjectively I felt safe, but also objectively crime rates are low in India, I think. (Obviously hard to compare crime rates and I forget the exact metric I am basing this off.)

Even though my bike and laptop were probably a year's salary for somebody there, I never felt like it or myself were in danger.

Toward the end of the trip I remember being chased by a scooter honking at me and waving me down. He handed me my wallet. Turned out I had left the zipper on my bag open and my wallet had fallen out. He found it on the ground, saw me in the distance, and chased after me to hand it back. I had maybe $100 in cash in there (which is like $1000 adjusting for purchasing power) and of course it was all there.

Everyone in India is so kind and welcoming. There is no concept of personal space or privacy, but that also means everybody is your friend.

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

#392

Post by ballooney »

TheMagicHorsey wrote: post #359
bfirsh wrote: post #285

When I quit my job and went travelling I used this framework: 1. Go via land. You see everything in between all the places you should see as a tourist. You immerse yourself in how a place actually feels. You meet people who aren’t just trying to extract money from you. I cycled, because I like cycling, but any form of transport works. 2. My algorithm was something like “Go east. Stay somewhere if it’s interesting, un…

What was it like cycling in India? Did you feel safe? I mean from both the traffic and crime. I'm thinking about doing this at some point, but I get nervous sometimes when I see the traffic in the cities there. Maybe its not as bad on the roads outside the cities?

I have spent probably about a year in total in india over various trips, cities and rurally a bit of cycling though usually just for getting around locally. It’s much easier outside big cities, wrt traffic. It seems a bit easier in the south, too. I’ve never felt remotely worried about crime from a personal safety POV, but having something lifted from you on a sleeper train is not that unlikely (those steel-cable net bag things you can padlock to something to contain your bag are handy). It was never an issue in homesteads, and getting your washing done regardless of how sketchy a place you think you’re staying always just seems to work - you always get your clothes back and never anyone else’s. A bit like takuhaibin in Japan - accept it’s magic and just relax and enjoy yourself more.

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

#393

Post by Djvacto »

notdang wrote: post #276
lvturner wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You’d be surprised. There was a roaring trade in American coca-cola in Beijing because enough people wanted to avoid the local version. As a non-American, I couldn’t taste the difference, but the imported stuff was 3x the price. Another phrase I heard often was an irate “This would never happen in America!”

Usually I try to avoid American Coca-Cola and prefer Mexican Coca-Cola. If Mexican Coca-Cola is not available, I prefer not to drink it. While visiting US, I buy the overpriced Mexican version. And yes, the taste is different, even for Coca-Cola light.

From what I know, this is because the american coca-cola is sweetened with corn syrup, while in other countries it's usually cane sugar.

I'm not sure if the corn syrup thing has changed in recent years or not.

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

#394

Post by faceless33 »

meiraleal wrote: post #308
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 interacted with foreigners in a daily basis for the first time and got to learn how to speak english. Next, I found a remote job as a software engineer for an american company and have been travelling the world since then, for 5 years. I multiplied my earnings by 5x while having 10x more fun in life in a common day. That's a lot of personal gains.

Do you work at top company like faang?

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

#395

Post by xvedejas »

oakmad wrote: post #280
keiferski wrote: post #12

Absolutely worth it, however I'd offer a few short tips: 1. Try to stay in one place for a few months, minimum. If you can stay a year or two, do that. Jumping from city to city every week seems exciting at first, but it quickly makes everywhere feel the same. 2. To quote Lao Tzu, when your work is done, forget it. If you work remotely, actively disconnect at the end of the day. It's too easy to be constantly plugged…

> Try to blend in I agree whole heartedly. I'd gone one further and add "become a regular". Get coffee/beer/food from the same place every day and consider enrolling in a language/art/something short course. It's amazing who you can meet over the course of a month or two - I met a bunch of interesting people including my wife.

How do I do this? Specifically the clothing part. How can I best plan ahead to not label myself as a clueless tourist? I imagine my American standard of dress is too casual for most places, but beyond generalizations like that, I'm clueless.

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

#396

Post by LimaBearz »

symlinkk wrote: post #255
LimaBearz wrote: post #54

Taking a loose definition of "travel the world". Born and raised in the BA. In my mid 30's I left a FAANG type(specialized, highly compensated) employer, sold my home and bought a sailboat and moved aboard. Over that next year and half I spent it sailing the Pacific then ending up in Southern CA. I was going through a premature midlife crisis all based on the premise that "humans weren't meant to sit behind a desk al…

This seems extremely shallow. Yeah if you don’t have to worry about making money to survive obviously life is a lot simpler and less stressful.

You're eluding to a question that no one asked. It can be cheap or as expensive you want. You can buy a boat 5-10 grand that will get you to the Carribean from California, or you can spend 1 million to do the same.

Once you've left your expenses are food and maintenance. There are quite a few sailors living on 10K/y and living comfortably. It's not "cheap" but it doesnt need to be as expensive as people suspect

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

#397

Post by sequoia »

oblio wrote: post #138
hayst4ck wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep, dating apps didn't work great for me at all because I have the misfortune of being both unattractive and picky, but couch surfing hangouts work fantastically, especially for meeting local people. Walking around at least puts you in places where people can talk to you, occasionally they do. Wearing unique or attention grabbing things gives people an excuse to talk to you. I always choose trains and buses to trave…

> both unattractive and picky I know this is HN, but I do have to say: good luck! :-D

"Know thyself" self-awareness is a strength :)

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

#398

Post by redisman »

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.

I was in my 20's at the height of the travel bubble running around hostels and such and.. yeah. So many people "looking for themselves" but if you step back and look, it's just hedonism which will never make you happy long term. Partying with other young people who share some parts of your world view and lounging around beautiful places is really really fun for a while, but it's hardly a recipe for a meaningful life. I did certainly gain a lot from those experiences but I also am glad I didn't spend the next 10 years doing the same thing. My current version of it is to move somewhere for 5+ years - really shows you how shallowly you understand anything about a different country while traveling.

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

#399

Post by supernova87a »

hayst4ck wrote: post #174
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…

Of everything I learned and experienced in traveling one thing stands out above all the others: "self improvement is the primary good in your life" Traveling involves a lot of hedonism, and one day while traveling you suddenly realize you are on a hedonic treadmill. The first amazing meal you eat is life changing. The second one is about 50% as novel and good as that. Then you're comparing the next meal to 2 others,…

> - I experienced Hong Kong before china destroyed it.

I've just got to inject some skepticism on this point. This is such a knee-jerk opinion that's popular to parrot, because it feels right to say.

Maybe some small degree of it is true -- but you were able to come to this sweeping conclusion for all of Hong Kong, all of its people, based on your visit? I would question how in day to day life of people there (in working, living, buying, commuting, socializing), you came to this opinion. You saw something objectively changed? People upending their lives? How were you able to visit the city then?

Or were you just reading and regurgitating the news and stories told by the headline-grabbing people who thought this?

This is like if someone from Europe visited the US, and made the bold claim of feeling sorry for Americans because life had been fundamentally destroyed by the Trump presidency years.

I just don't buy these dramatic pronouncements. Not that I don't think China has damaged Hong Kong in some respects, but I just am skeptical that a short visit by some tourist can conclude some deep, fundamental change to a city's persona.

Your point about Shenzhen, I do believe though.

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

#400

Post by sequoia »

xvedejas wrote: post #395
oakmad wrote: post #280

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Try to blend in I agree whole heartedly. I'd gone one further and add "become a regular". Get coffee/beer/food from the same place every day and consider enrolling in a language/art/something short course. It's amazing who you can meet over the course of a month or two - I met a bunch of interesting people including my wife.

How do I do this? Specifically the clothing part. How can I best plan ahead to not label myself as a clueless tourist? I imagine my American standard of dress is too casual for most places, but beyond generalizations like that, I'm clueless.

You may not be able to do a lot of "planning ahead" but when you're there you can look at how people dress and emulate that. In some places it might mean buying tighter fitting clothes than you might wear in the states (some places in Europe a lot of men wear much tighter clothing & style their hair more than the average heterosexual man would in North America), or getting flipflops instead of sneakers or vice versa, seeing what sort of bags people carry. I wouldn't think of the goal as being looking exactly like a local so much as not wearing things that immediately peg you as an outsider, like if the adult men in that area uniformly use shoulder bags or briefcases & you're carrying around a backpack.

It can also have a lot to do with nonverbal and body language–observe how close people stand to one another, how much eye contact if any, whether people greet strangers & if so how, how people queue, etc.. It took me a while when visiting India to learn that people don't stand on line the same as they do in the USA. I put my bag down in an airport line to get out a document, and as the line moved forward, people just started going around me, because I was not immediately moving forward with the line. In the USA this would be considered very rude, but in India (at least in my limited experience) it was considered typical–the line doesn't wait for you, move it or lose it. I got with the program quickly after I learned that.

And this should go without saying but don't display expensive or flashy things (jewelry, cameras, possibly fancy cell phone etc.) in an environment you're not familiar with.

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