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      07-31-2015, 04:28 PM   #23
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I'm sure I'll get flamed for this, but whatever. The biggest problem with this is you have to live like a poor person. I read it cost him $60k over 3 years, but the cost is actually much steeper. The opportunity cost of not working, saving, etc at his youngest years. The same money saved for retirement would be worth $3,000,000 in 40 years. Yeah, yeah...live while you're young, but he's starting over when he gets back. Cool experience, but now it's over and reality is back. He has plenty of time to save and I hope he does.

As I was saying, $60k is super cheap for that many countries and 3 years. He probably had to stay with random people and eat street food. Of that $60k, over half is probably transportation including airfare. I spent over $20k visiting Tokyo and Caymans. I spent another $7k in Nepal. Obviously, his method is fine if you're the kind of person cool with that kind of bare bones and potentially dangerous travel.

I'm sure he had a wonderful time, but he really had to rough it a lot of the time. He even mentions getting robbed in the video. Some would argue you can only experience the country traveling this way...it's personal preference.

I'm not hating on this...good for him to do it, but it takes a certain kind of person to leave everything behind for 3 years to take a trip by yourself. With no one to share it with, it's a little empty. You meet your wife and you're like, "oh, I've already been there alone."

I'd be much more in favor of taking a nice trip a couple times/yr and doing it right. Then you spread it out and can really enjoy each place.

The positive is he did get to tick off all these places at a young age.

The negative is he probably had to rough it, did it alone, and is probably essentially broke now.

Last edited by BayMoWe335; 07-31-2015 at 04:34 PM..
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      07-31-2015, 05:19 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BayMoWe335 View Post
The biggest problem with this is you have to live like a poor person....The opportunity cost of not working, saving, etc at his youngest years...Cool experience, but now it's over and reality is back.

I'd be much more in favor of taking a nice trip a couple times/yr and doing it right. Then you spread it out and can really enjoy each place.

The negative is he probably had to rough it, did it alone, and is probably essentially broke now.
THIS!
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      07-31-2015, 05:32 PM   #25
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There is nothing wrong or right about any of this. Some like to travel and that to them is living. Sometimes I prefer to live very humbly (only eat cheap street food when I'm hungry). Other times I want to splurge and eat Kobe steaks at Spago in Maui. I actually prefer to eat simply when I travel and experience more of the culture than spending lavishly. Again, to each his own.

A guy at work originally planned on taking a few months off to travel. He decided to continue the trip and ended up going for a whole year. He went to S America, then Africa, then Europe, then India and SE Asia. That is one hell of a trip. Even if I were to die after that, I think I would still be happy having lived and experienced that.
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      07-31-2015, 05:42 PM   #26
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Originally Posted by globalScientist
I "may" know something off the top of my head, but this job market is so large I won't know all the different ways, but I know a few...
I've worked for the Air Force for 15 years, as an officer and now a private contractor. Acquisition, space launch, intelligence, and satellite R&D. Getting burnt out of it though, and my contract is up in Nov. State dept. could be cool.

TizzKO: what kind of business did you run?
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      07-31-2015, 05:45 PM   #27
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Originally Posted by Delta0311 View Post
Pretty cool. There are only two types of people in this world.. You have those who live their lives and those who simply exist. This guy is actually living life.
"For the sake of making a living we forget to live." Saw that somewhere and it kinda stuck. This guy is definitely living his life. Good for him..I'm definitely envious.

I guess if I sold my F80 and bought an Accord I could do the same too.

Maybe, just maybe.
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      07-31-2015, 05:56 PM   #28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BayMoWe335 View Post
I'm sure I'll get flamed for this, but whatever. The biggest problem with this is you have to live like a poor person. I read it cost him $60k over 3 years, but the cost is actually much steeper. The opportunity cost of not working, saving, etc at his youngest years. The same money saved for retirement would be worth $3,000,000 in 40 years. Yeah, yeah...live while you're young, but he's starting over when he gets back. Cool experience, but now it's over and reality is back. He has plenty of time to save and I hope he does.
Staying in a cheap guest house in SE Asia is a completely different experience than staying at a cheap motel in the US.

That opportunity cost is high. I traveled when I was 30, when I got out of the Air Force. However, I'd been a huge saver and economizer my whole life and had quite a bit of money for my age. I realized I needed a break and that would ultimately be beneficial, but then had another realization: A coworker who was in his early 40's and healthy went swimming in a lake with a small cut on his hand. 4 days later he was dead- sepsis. A friend of a friend had a back ache one day. Turned out to be very far along bone cancer. Dead a month later. People die in car wrecks all the time. It made me realize I might be delaying gratification I might never get to enjoy. Saving for that high ROI when you're old is definitely not without risk- if you die before you enjoy it, your ROI is negative as you didn't get to enjoy much of the money you made. I did the trip, and now I live a more balanced life.

Quote:
As I was saying, $60k is super cheap for that many countries and 3 years. He probably had to stay with random people and eat street food. Of that $60k, over half is probably transportation including airfare. I spent over $20k visiting Tokyo and Caymans. I spent another $7k in Nepal. Obviously, his method is fine if you're the kind of person cool with that kind of bare bones and potentially dangerous travel.
My 5 continent, 20-stop ticket cost me $5,700. When you don't have to go out and back every time you want to go somewhere, you save a TON of money. You also don't stay at resorts...sometimes you stay in Bamboo huts. My cheapest lodging in Nepal was on an Anapurna trek. It was $1.60, and it was clean. Check out those crisp sheets, and the view was incredible...




Quote:
I'm sure he had a wonderful time, but he really had to rough it a lot of the time. He even mentions getting robbed in the video. Some would argue you can only experience the country traveling this way...it's personal preference.

I'm not hating on this...good for him to do it, but it takes a certain kind of person to leave everything behind for 3 years to take a trip by yourself. With no one to share it with, it's a little empty. You meet your wife and you're like, "oh, I've already been there alone."
Never got robbed or in a fight. It would be difficult to do 3 years solo. I'm sure he made a TON of friends (even more than I did- I have friends all over the world now), but it'd be tough solo. I'm back and no longer with my travel partner. My girlfriend wants to go to a lot of places I've been to. Already repeated a couple destinations.

Quote:
I'd be much more in favor of taking a nice trip a couple times/yr and doing it right. Then you spread it out and can really enjoy each place.

The positive is he did get to tick off all these places at a young age.

The negative is he probably had to rough it, did it alone, and is probably essentially broke now.
That's actually better, but FAR more expensive, and most people don't get enough vacation to travel as much as they'd like. You also have to rush around everywhere you go to see as much as you can in your week or two. Long term travel is more like living your life in a variety of areas than a vacation.

Last edited by carve; 07-31-2015 at 06:08 PM..
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      07-31-2015, 05:59 PM   #29
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I think its awesome what he did, but I dont believe I would personally do it

I enjoy my work so don't need to run away, and thoughts of the opportunity cost would likely hinder the trip for me
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      07-31-2015, 06:42 PM   #30
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And I have little over 1000 sq feet hardwood floors to nail tomorrow why why whyyy...
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      07-31-2015, 11:31 PM   #31
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Originally Posted by carve View Post
I've worked for the Air Force for 15 years, as an officer and now a private contractor. Acquisition, space launch, intelligence, and satellite R&D. Getting burnt out of it though, and my contract is up in Nov. State dept. could be cool.
State dept has tech areas that could use your background. I am not sure if you need to take Foreign Service exam, but there are at least three types of jobs: emer comms (satcom), science officer and DoD. You could go straight IT but you require some basic certs which you probable would pass very easily - easiest and probably the most rewarding because of the travel. If I was in my 20s, this would be my choice, gift job.

Also, look up ESTH and State dept. There is also NGA but that's fairly specific.
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      08-02-2015, 03:08 AM   #32
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I don't know that everyone needs to take a world tour, but I think all people need to at some point before 35 travel to and spend more than a couple weeks in at least three foreign countries (areas) that's very different from their own, one of which must not be a "first world" country if one was born and raised in the "first world."

All the best.
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      08-02-2015, 03:50 AM   #33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Delta0311
Quote:
Originally Posted by Killramos View Post
I had a buddy who just did that. Young guy ( 24 ), nothing holding him down but a 1000 dollar beater car and some furniture. Industry is in a downtown and he just quit in the middle of a management meeting to the CEO. First step is a yoga retreat in Columbia and see where it goes from there.

While i think it sounds like an interesting thing to do i disagree with the concept that if you don't fuck off and hostel around the world for a few years you are "just existing" . Different strokes for different folks.

I know 100% that I wouldn't like living like that, but don't fault the people who do.

I have lived in 3rd world countries before, its not all its cracked up to be. I have grown to quite appreciate the comforts of modern civilization. Not to mention fast cars.
Living life means doing the things you love doing as opposed to slaving all day at some fucking job you hate and then coming home to miserably crash on the couch. Followed up by a call to a friend to complain about how your life sucks, yet not doing anything to change it.

Face it most people out there are in the existing category.
Lol. Millions if not billions of people would love to have the luxury of hating their job and crashing on their couch. If you think you are "existing" because of that.. Then majority of the world doesn't even exist. First world problems, I guess.
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      08-03-2015, 09:28 AM   #34
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Originally Posted by GlobalScientist View Post
State dept has tech areas that could use your background. I am not sure if you need to take Foreign Service exam, but there are at least three types of jobs: emer comms (satcom), science officer and DoD. You could go straight IT but you require some basic certs which you probable would pass very easily - easiest and probably the most rewarding because of the travel. If I was in my 20s, this would be my choice, gift job.

Also, look up ESTH and State dept. There is also NGA but that's fairly specific.
Hmmmm....I haven't done any comm or IT work, so that'd be a completely new field. Not sure how I'd get into that, but it could be interesting. Suggestions? Science officer would be interesting.
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      08-03-2015, 01:16 PM   #35
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Originally Posted by carve View Post

TizzKO: what kind of business did you run?
SEO and eCommerce/Dropshipping
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      08-03-2015, 01:41 PM   #36
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Originally Posted by AW335TT View Post
Lol. Millions if not billions of people would love to have the luxury of hating their job and crashing on their couch. If you think you are "existing" because of that.. Then majority of the world doesn't even exist. First world problems, I guess.
Oh fuck no I love my job..
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      08-03-2015, 08:09 PM   #37
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i would rather work really hard for three years, starting a solid financial base, retire early, and spend the rest of my life traveling to wherever i want for as long as i want.
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      08-03-2015, 08:16 PM   #38
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I would encourage everyone to get out and see something new. Even if its just a day trip to another city... seeing something "different" is always cool. Get out of your comfort zone and experience things.

Dackel
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      08-04-2015, 10:42 AM   #39
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Originally Posted by carve View Post
Hmmmm....I haven't done any comm or IT work, so that'd be a completely new field. Not sure how I'd get into that, but it could be interesting. Suggestions? Science officer would be interesting.
Yes, it is called an ESTH..


Environment, Science, Technology, and Health (ESTH) Officers Around the World=>
There are approximately fifty Foreign Service officers located in embassies around the world who focus exclusively on environment, science, technology, and health issues within our bilateral diplomatic relationships. They engage our allies on the full range of OES issues, such as, oceans and fisheries; conservation; protection of marine mammals and wildlife; water; cooperation on satellites and global positioning systems; bilateral science cooperation; health policy; environmental capacity building under our Free Trade Agreements, and climate change and renewable energy, among others. In addition, ESTH officers represent U.S. positions in multilateral fora at the U.S. Missions to the United Nations in New York City and Geneva, and at the U.S. Mission to the European Union. ESTH officers work closely with other USG agencies and support their efforts by raising key issues at the diplomatic level. They cooperate with nongovernmental organizations to raise awareness of ESTH issues, promote good environmental governance and public participation, and advocate the use of ESTH core issues to strengthen diplomatic relations.

http://careers.state.gov/work/foreig...eer-track-quiz
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      08-04-2015, 05:41 PM   #40
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Originally Posted by BayMoWe335 View Post
I'm sure I'll get flamed for this

The negative is he probably had to rough it, did it alone, and is probably essentially broke now.
I contract for many Megacorps (including BMW), one of them is a multi billion dollar senior living chain. People always say "who cares about money, you need to live your life to the fullest". I think everybody has a different fulfillment in life, so I try not to judge. I will say this though, during campaigns I see thousands of seniors getting turned away since they don't have any savings, SSI, etc etc. And they end up living on the streets or in tiny neglected room at a relatives home, then when they need additional care they are absolutely screwed. Over 99% of people under 30 neglect to think about their retirement, and only plan for an average of 3 months in advance.

I'm still not sure where I stand on all of this. Many of us try to justify traveling in a responsible way. However not everybody is lucky enough to have income that exceeds their bills. In the end, all of the unlucky senior citizens have it MADE. Guys my age won't even have SSI when I am ready to fully retire.

If this kid spent another few years saving and investing while also enjoying life in other ways, he would certainly be in the top 1% for his age, and free to travel a mere 2-5 years later and have the same experience, then come home and remain financially independent.

Just my confused 2cents.
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      08-04-2015, 06:44 PM   #41
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It's nice that I have a job where I enjoy what I do, get to work from home, and when I'm not home, get to travel to fun places. It's all about finding a gig that gives you the right balance.
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      08-04-2015, 07:27 PM   #42
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Nice find and great vid! All that videography would have been a distraction to me but appreciate that he had it to share

Did something similar on smaller scale when I was younger than him, but also did army, undergraduate and post-graduate and subsequently spent a lifetime traveling and and/or living 'abroad' in my line of work including some very 3rd world experiences. Agree as some have pointed out that you definitely take a hit financially - compound interest can kick your butt, but with the right will there is always a way and whilst I know I could probably be a lot wealthier now if I had taken an alternate path, I would not give up a single moment and really have no regrets (that and saving like a mad person has put me in a decent place!) = live for now and repeat!
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      08-04-2015, 08:05 PM   #43
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Nice thread! I am going to China in 4 weeks for vacation with my girlfriend. Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, and Hong Kong. So excited to explore the other side of the world!!
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      08-04-2015, 09:23 PM   #44
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SheaButter View Post
.

I'm still not sure where I stand on all of this. Many of us try to justify traveling in a responsible way. However not everybody is lucky enough to have income that exceeds their bills. In the end, all of the unlucky senior citizens have it MADE. Guys my age won't even have SSI when I am ready to fully retire.
i understand what you're saying, but i hate the term "lucky" when used in this context.
i have been told i'm "lucky" in the past because of what i have chosen to do with my life. i always correct the person and let them know it is not luck, and in fact, hard work.
semantics, i know, but i get mildly annoyed.
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