I sort of got stuck in Scandinavia and woke up one morning 20 years later with a wife and 3 kids.
That is some serious ellipse ! Made my morning. Care to tell us more ?
Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?
121–130 of 461 posts
Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?
#122I'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…
But you don’t know what you want to do, until you experience it. And you experience so many new activities when travelling. Like food. There is so much good in different countries that you will not get at a dozen restaurants of the same country.
People actually treat you differently if your travelling in their country. They are a lot nicer to you, and want to show you around, and include the unique parts of their culture.
Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?
#123Earlier quoted context omitted.
You have a very stereotypical view of what "traveling the world" is, so it's not surprising that you're dismissive. > If you want to immersed into a culture, wouldn't you want to commit to learning the language and go to your local city's meetup for that language - instead of going to a foreign country with a phrasebook. Meet-ups are not even remotely comparable to actually being there. This is especially true for no…
So far in some of the comments. I've gotten the same answer, "it changed my life!"; "I heard some new stories from the countries I stayed and it changed my perspective!"; "and I'm different from people back home now!"; and a subtle swipe that OP is dismissive and maybe "small-minded"; and I love it and appreciate your guys feedback! Allow me to share my experience of being immersed in American culture for 25 years as…
>Just my humble opinions, most human beings have remarkably similar values across different culture
China, a country that idolises Americanism.
America, a country that is Americanism.
Take this from a New Zealander (a country that has mass immigration from China and a fanciful view of America), if you were to go to South America and stand on the street of a town in say Colombia, you might wonder if we were the same species.
Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?
#124If you're this guy, not very well: https://www.onceuponasaga.dk/blog
Spent 9 years traveling to every country on earth by land/sea in a single, continuous journey. 6 left to go, and they got stranded in Hong Kong for one year and counting now.
Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?
#125After 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.
Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?
#126Did 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.
Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?
#127I'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 taught me that I never want to leave my home again. I'm happiest sitting in front of my computer.
Feels good to have "been there, done that" so I don't need to worry about what-ifs.
Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?
#128I travelled a bit before I started working in earnest. Or rather, I lived in Russia, Japan and China for a few years, only travelling a little bit within the countries.
Anyway, it was great, well worth the few years I spent. Learning languages, getting experiences, making friends, these things stay with you forever.
Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?
#129Doing this since 2012. Summary: nothing is perfect, but it's wayyyyyy better than having a job.
* if you have enough savings.
Jobless people I know would kill for my stressful 9-5 dev job.
When you don't have money, that becomes your biggest worry.
Re: Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?
#130If you have even the inkling that you might want to do this then you absolutely should. Opportunities and projects and ventures will always be there. Your youth will not.
You can't say that with certainty. The opportunities of today aren't guaranteed to sit there waiting for you, or to be replenished in the future. And while it's true that all of our youths are fleeting, that doesn't mean that chasing a romantic image is a must-do for everyone who's considered the idea.
Opportunities change and adapt even as you execute them. To say the same opportunity won't be there in 12 months is a fact, to assume no opportunities will be there is not. So why be attached to an ideal?
Travel when you are young, healthy and have a permissive visa status.