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Ask HN: I'm Tired of Hacking. What Do I Do? Please Advise.

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Re: Ask HN: I'm Tired of Hacking. What Do I Do? Please Advise.

#81

Post by RKlophaus »

yan wrote: post #36
mahmud wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I took a laptop and a digital camera with me and ended up hating them every step of the way. My first travels I did Africa and the middle-east, the second I did asia. In countries where I have "based" myself, anything more than 4 weeks; the laptop has been a good useful distraction. When you're shocked by a local culture which you have to deal with for extended survival (anything more substantial than a western-style…

That's beautiful. Are you still in the DC area? We should get a few people from HN for some beers.

You have inspired me to create a Hacker News meetup group:

http://www.meetup.com/Hacker-News-NOVA-DC/

Get on board if you live in the DC metro area.

Re: Ask HN: I'm Tired of Hacking. What Do I Do? Please Advise.

#82

Post by mikeyur »

uptown wrote: post #18

Get a: a) Girlfriend b) Dog c) A hobby that doesn't involve electricity Allow your job to become just one part of your life ... not what defines your life.

'Get a Girlfriend' isn't as easy as it sounds for everyone. I'd say get a dog to start with. I got a dog last September and I can't imagine getting rid of him now.

It just makes life more worth living. You wake up in the morning a bit happier because your dog is smiling and wagging his tail for you to go make him food. And it gets you outside more because he has to be walked 3+ times a day which helps give you a break from work.

Edit: My dog was laying in the sun and got too warm so he walked right in front of me and just flopped over. [pic] http://ul.mikeyur.com/public/sk/photo-20090527-184014.png

Re: Ask HN: I'm Tired of Hacking. What Do I Do? Please Advise.

#85

Post by potatolicious »

mikeyur wrote: post #82
uptown wrote: post #18

Get a: a) Girlfriend b) Dog c) A hobby that doesn't involve electricity Allow your job to become just one part of your life ... not what defines your life.

'Get a Girlfriend' isn't as easy as it sounds for everyone. I'd say get a dog to start with. I got a dog last September and I can't imagine getting rid of him now. It just makes life more worth living. You wake up in the morning a bit happier because your dog is smiling and wagging his tail for you to go make him food. And it gets you outside more because he has to be walked 3+ times a day which helps give you a brea…

I took care of my landlord's dog for a month while she was out of town, and on top of everything you've said, I found that it made me a much more effective person.

When you gotta walk the dog, you have to walk the dog - no ifs and buts around it, and it got me a lot more focused on what I should be doing instead of dicking around the internet all day, too lazy to do something productive.

Re: Ask HN: I'm Tired of Hacking. What Do I Do? Please Advise.

#86

Post by mahmud »

RKlophaus wrote: post #81
yan wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's beautiful. Are you still in the DC area? We should get a few people from HN for some beers.

You have inspired me to create a Hacker News meetup group: http://www.meetup.com/Hacker-News-NOVA-DC/ Get on board if you live in the DC metro area.

Nice! just replied to your email as well :-)

Re: Ask HN: I'm Tired of Hacking. What Do I Do? Please Advise.

#87

Post by pz »

uptown wrote: post #18

Get a: a) Girlfriend b) Dog c) A hobby that doesn't involve electricity Allow your job to become just one part of your life ... not what defines your life.

i would recommend a dog over a girlfriend. dogs seem a lot less demanding. although girl/boyfriends can at least let themselves out into the yard to pee.

Re: Ask HN: I'm Tired of Hacking. What Do I Do? Please Advise.

#88

Post by njoubert »

jokull wrote: post #45

Read "Scar Tissue" (Anthony Kiedis' autobiography)

I'd actually second this. He faced several periods of pretty intense change in his life, and he was battling his drug addictions, and his experiences are pretty ridiculous and very inspiring. Also, when it comes to living on a shoestring, this guy's got it down.

Re: Ask HN: I'm Tired of Hacking. What Do I Do? Please Advise.

#89

Post by J_McQuade »

caffeine wrote: post #40

If you play an instrument, then make music! It's time for you to join a band and hit the road, my friend. If you have a passport, as others have said, get the hell out of dodge. Get your shots though, you don't want to come back with broken kidneys. Have you considered attending Hedonism II? It's a lot of fun...

I can't recommend this first point enough - keeping a banjo next to my desk at all times has done wonders for my mental wherewithal.

It is impossible to feel frustrated while playing a banjo - FACT.

Re: Ask HN: I'm Tired of Hacking. What Do I Do? Please Advise.

#90

Post by Radix »

mahmud wrote: post #77
dataman85 wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think I would have come back if it wasn't for her You mean to stay you would have stayed abroad? Am little confused as you start talking about expats dying of preventable diseases immediately afterwords

Sometimes you see danger but its magnitude doesn't hit you until someone else points it out. I was 26-27, I had my vaccines done, I had some cash and I am African by birth, so none of these "problems" that Western expats were facing could touch me, it is my third-world and I will be fine! Yyyyyeah, nice try. My new girlfriend with a woman's common-sense was quick to point out to me the danger I was in. I had dabbled…

Reading your second comment in this thread leaves me wondering if it would be safe for an american to travel the same as you did. I had wanderlust a few years ago and reading your post makes me want to go wandering abroad again. I would go to South America, but out of curiosity, is Africa or the Middle East safe for Americans?

[Edited for better communication]

REPLY: Ah, so then in a sense, it isn't safe. It would be awful to go out the way you did but remain a tourist. :)

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