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Ask HN: Those who have taken extended time off, any advice?

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Re: Ask HN: Those who have taken extended time off, any advice?

#71

Post by cm2012 »

anm89 wrote: post #64
underyx wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah yes, the world's 45th most powerful passport. [0]: https://www.passportindex.org/byRank.php

This is a pretty dishonest way to present this IMO. I've been traveling for the last 10 years and my American Passport never got in my way, and in exceptionally few cases would anything have been any easier with the passport from the #1 country on the list. Yes a few times I had to fill out some extra paperwork. America has a VERY STRONG passport. This is a bimodal distribution where most of the passports in each of…

LOL at United Arab Emirates passport being preferable to the USA.

Re: Ask HN: Those who have taken extended time off, any advice?

#72

Post by chillpenguin »

I took a year off due to burnout. At about the 6-8 month mark I started getting anxious that I should be working again, and started feeling guilty about not doing anything.

In retrospect I wish I would have traveled or done something more with my time. Instead I just sort of chilled out a lot at home. I did try to get out more and go see live music, socialize, etc. Also I entered into a relationship which is still going on. So overall it was probably good for me, but my advice would be maybe to have a plan for what you want to do so you don't feel guilty that you are wasting time or being unproductive.

Re: Ask HN: Those who have taken extended time off, any advice?

#74

Post by dillondoyle »

underyx wrote: post #58
curiousgal wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the other hand he can actually take off and go wherever he wants thanks to his American passport.

Ah yes, the world's 45th most powerful passport. [0]: https://www.passportindex.org/byRank.php

It seems like this is hugely effected by covid ban right now. A large % of countries that are just enter - italy as an example - are counted as Red given the covid ban.

Re: Ask HN: Those who have taken extended time off, any advice?

#75

Post by austincheney »

I have taken 4 military deployments since entering the corporate world. The first one caused me to be away for 14 months, the second two I was away for a year, and the last one I was away for 7 months. For all my deployments (5 total) I have been married with children.

In this case the experience is a bit different only in that you separate from your day job AND everything else (wife, kids, pets, house, bills, commute... everything).

Aside from that it’s not as different as you would think and likely (unexpectedly) stressful for similar reasons: boredom, fixations on unimportant things, regrets, and so forth.

The best of those deployments was the one spent traveling around Afghanistan meeting interesting people, seeing the real world, and living life in a sleeping bag in hallways where I could find space. That was the most rewarding thing I have ever done. It was like a real life Life of Walter Mitty.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_Life_of_Walter_Mi...

If are going to take extended time off from work make it count, I mean REALLY count. What rewarding thing do you want to do that you will remember for the rest of your life? What are you willing to risk to improve yourself or somebody else?

Re: Ask HN: Those who have taken extended time off, any advice?

#76

Post by ncpa-cpl »

amacneil wrote: post #43
gary_bernhardt wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I second this advice, having done it. I flew one-way from Seattle to Dublin in 2010 with no plan beyond the first week. 25ish cities and 4.5 months later, I flew back. You'll figure it out as you go. But, a warning from experience: when you fly one-way to another country where you'll go through immigration, always pre-book travel OUT of that country as well, and have printed (on paper!) proof to show border control.…

Agreed on the one way flight and immigration. Just book a separate fully refundable flight out of the country, within the required time frame (most countries it's 90 days). You pay extra for fully refundable, but you're not going to use it so it doesn't matter. Luckily, the most skeptical country to enter as a "traveller with no plans" is the US, so if you're starting here you don't have anything to worry about. Many…

Requires a passport from a developed country though :(

I've tried the kiosks in the U.S. and Mexico and always get sent to an officer.

Re: Ask HN: Those who have taken extended time off, any advice?

#77

Post by amacneil »

splonk wrote: post #61
gary_bernhardt wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I second this advice, having done it. I flew one-way from Seattle to Dublin in 2010 with no plan beyond the first week. 25ish cities and 4.5 months later, I flew back. You'll figure it out as you go. But, a warning from experience: when you fly one-way to another country where you'll go through immigration, always pre-book travel OUT of that country as well, and have printed (on paper!) proof to show border control.…

I don't recommend that people do this without a high risk tolerance, but I've talked to dozens of immigration officers without proof of onward travel (I managed to fill all the regular stamp pages on my last passport). Probably half of them didn't even ask, and most of the rest of them immediately accepted that I was going to buy some ticket out in a week or two. Maybe I got lucky, but I think "American software deve…

You’re right. In my experience, proof of onward travel is usually required by the airline for you to even board the flight, not by immigration officers. I don’t think I have ever had an actual immigration officer ask to see proof of onward travel.

Re: Ask HN: Those who have taken extended time off, any advice?

#78

Post by hungryforcodes »

drstewart wrote: post #57
amacneil wrote: post #24

- "Try to take 3 months off maximum" - "structure your time off" - "Have goals and schedules" - "Arrange ahead of time for a role to return to" You are getting a very American perspective in this thread so far (possibly due to the time of day). I will counterbalance it. Advice: You're overthinking it already. If you feel like a long break in between roles, take one. Book a one way ticket to a place you've always want…

What specifically makes this an "American perspective" and not a Canadian one or a Japanese one or a Fijian one?

Those other countries know how to relax in their time off?

Re: Ask HN: Those who have taken extended time off, any advice?

#79

Post by hungryforcodes »

tppiotrowski wrote: post #3

Try to take 3 months off maximum. With my paid job I sometimes got overwhelmed and sometimes felt a lack of purpose. At those times I found solace in side projects and would even try to sneak in working on them at my paid job. A few of those projects were successful enough to quit my paid job for a few years. Since then I've turned to quitting my job first and then trying to start a side project. It's not the same an…

My rule is to try and take 3 months off MINIMUM. I find that it's only after three months that the 9-5 work habits fade away, and I become truly free to explore this unstructured time.

Re: Ask HN: Those who have taken extended time off, any advice?

#80

Post by jl2718 »

austincheney wrote: post #75

I have taken 4 military deployments since entering the corporate world. The first one caused me to be away for 14 months, the second two I was away for a year, and the last one I was away for 7 months. For all my deployments (5 total) I have been married with children. In this case the experience is a bit different only in that you separate from your day job AND everything else (wife, kids, pets, house, bills, commut…

Afghanistan was probably the best time of my life. Some people just come alive in that environment. That was me. I would do that forever if I could.
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