6 ms·

I'm currently on a trip around the world, going over 1 year at the moment and loving life, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I've met countless 20-somethings d

I'm currently on a trip around the world, going over 1 year at the moment and loving life, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I've met countless 20-somethings doing the same, and a surprising number of mid-career professionals, and they're all European. I have yet to meet a single person in almost 2 years of international travel that is from the US and was willing to take a break in their career. I hope this American culture shifts towards Europe in the future. Americans are left out of this experience and cultural exchange, and seen as choosing to rather stay at home to toil over their bank accounts. The professional and personal benefits are more than adding 1 more year of your working life will ever get you, and besides, I want to see the change because I have a vested interest in finding a job when I come back.

whenwillitstop 10y ago
Can I ask what your career was before leaving? I've worked very hard to get to where I'm at, solving machine learning problems for a great company. But I really just want to quit and travel the world. Leaving behind all the effort I just put in seems like such a shame, I'm not sure if I could get back to where I am now. Where have you travelled? Are you going solo?
mdorazio 10y ago
The vast, vast majority of Americans simply cannot afford to take extended time off to travel internationally, and of those who can, the current job market is such that for those that return, the prospects outside of the tech industry are not good. Employers here generally do not look favorably on large employment gaps, and the social safety net is pretty sparse if you come back and need time to get situated again. Comparing European workers and American workers in this context is not very fair - the situations for each are quite different.
- hackuser 10y ago
  I think your other points are good, but I disagree here: > The vast, vast majority of Americans simply cannot afford to take extended time off to travel internationally It can be done very economically; students with almost no money do it, staying in hostels, taking trains, etc. I know one guy who worked his way through, at least to some extent. If you have kids and a mortgage, that's a different story.
  - aianus 10y ago
    Americans have student debt.
  - hiram112 10y ago
    It's actually very possible for Americans if they plan correctly. From what I've seen, only the salaries near London approach anything close to the typical six figure rates seen in the US. It should be pretty easy for any developer in the US to sock away several hundred thousand dollars by mid 30s. I did it. Simply continuing to live as I always have, regardless of raises, has made the most difference. Granted, children and marriage are two things that I'm very unlikely to do anytime soon, as I feel it is simply too risky in the US as a man. But yes there is something in our culture that impedes travel and long vacations like this. I have visited many places off the beaten path, and one thing I've noticed is that Europeans (especially Germans) really seem to get around the world - they prioritize it, while in the US I've only recently taken my first vacation in many years where I did not bring my work alone with me. I think the lack of job stability really makes Americans feel anxious about employment. One can lose their job here and be out the door in 30 minutes, no warning. There is absolutely no safety net for males in US society, and one trip to the ER without health insurance can screw you over financially. But like I said, salaries in the US seem really high, so it can certainly be done. In fact, I prefer this to the EU system as I am in full control of my life, and by saving more money that isn't taxed as much, it's possible to retire far earlier than engineers in the EU or elsewhere.
    - taurath 10y ago
      "Typical" 6 figure rates are in or near the 90th percentile of income. Cost of living in most places with those 6 figure salaries are in the 90th percentile too.
    - vonmoltke 10y ago
      > It's actually very possible for Americans if they plan correctly. From what I've seen, only the salaries near London approach anything close to the typical six figure rates seen in the US. After 14 years in Dallas I have never broken the six-figure barrier. I am only about to do so because I am moving to NYC. > It should be pretty easy for any developer in the US to sock away several hundred thousand dollars by mid 30s. I did it. I have only earned several hundred thousand over the course of my career. It would not be easy for me to save it even if I wanted to spend less on more immediate gratification.
- bogomipz 10y ago
  There are plenty of Americans roaming the planet just like the Germans, Australians, the Brits and the Japanese. I have met them in South East Asia, South America, India and Africa. There's no shortage of them. They were all taking sabbaticals or time off or whatever you want to call it. All of the places I just mentioned are relatively cheap to travel compared to Europe or the US.
- wallace_f 10y ago
  I spend about $20/day over the long run in my trip, and I find cash-in-hand jobs quite easily to keep me cashed up without really dipping into my savings. More importantly, I try to make a lot of friends, which helps more than being affluent.
yardie 10y ago
I've just returned to the US after 12 years abroad. I've met many Americans who are doing the same, traveling. What they do is save up, sell everything, then quit. Their social safety net is their savings account and, occasional, paid work as an English teacher. Since I've come back I make sure to include PTO in any salary negotiation. No point in making a lot of money if you can't take the time to enjoy it. My family has just done 2 years at sea. The gaps in employment were easy to explain.

whenwillitstop 10y ago

Can I ask what your career was before leaving? I've worked very hard to get to where I'm at, solving machine learning problems for a great company. But I really just want to quit and travel the world. Leaving behind all the effort I just put in seems like such a shame, I'm not sure if I could get back to where I am now. Where have you travelled? Are you going solo?

mdorazio 10y ago

The vast, vast majority of Americans simply cannot afford to take extended time off to travel internationally, and of those who can, the current job market is such that for those that return, the prospects outside of the tech industry are not good. Employers here generally do not look favorably on large employment gaps, and the social safety net is pretty sparse if you come back and need time to get situated again. Comparing European workers and American workers in this context is not very fair - the situations for each are quite different.

hackuser 10y ago
I think your other points are good, but I disagree here: > The vast, vast majority of Americans simply cannot afford to take extended time off to travel internationally It can be done very economically; students with almost no money do it, staying in hostels, taking trains, etc. I know one guy who worked his way through, at least to some extent. If you have kids and a mortgage, that's a different story.
- aianus 10y ago
  Americans have student debt.
- hiram112 10y ago
  It's actually very possible for Americans if they plan correctly. From what I've seen, only the salaries near London approach anything close to the typical six figure rates seen in the US. It should be pretty easy for any developer in the US to sock away several hundred thousand dollars by mid 30s. I did it. Simply continuing to live as I always have, regardless of raises, has made the most difference. Granted, children and marriage are two things that I'm very unlikely to do anytime soon, as I feel it is simply too risky in the US as a man. But yes there is something in our culture that impedes travel and long vacations like this. I have visited many places off the beaten path, and one thing I've noticed is that Europeans (especially Germans) really seem to get around the world - they prioritize it, while in the US I've only recently taken my first vacation in many years where I did not bring my work alone with me. I think the lack of job stability really makes Americans feel anxious about employment. One can lose their job here and be out the door in 30 minutes, no warning. There is absolutely no safety net for males in US society, and one trip to the ER without health insurance can screw you over financially. But like I said, salaries in the US seem really high, so it can certainly be done. In fact, I prefer this to the EU system as I am in full control of my life, and by saving more money that isn't taxed as much, it's possible to retire far earlier than engineers in the EU or elsewhere.
  - taurath 10y ago
    "Typical" 6 figure rates are in or near the 90th percentile of income. Cost of living in most places with those 6 figure salaries are in the 90th percentile too.
  - vonmoltke 10y ago
    > It's actually very possible for Americans if they plan correctly. From what I've seen, only the salaries near London approach anything close to the typical six figure rates seen in the US. After 14 years in Dallas I have never broken the six-figure barrier. I am only about to do so because I am moving to NYC. > It should be pretty easy for any developer in the US to sock away several hundred thousand dollars by mid 30s. I did it. I have only earned several hundred thousand over the course of my career. It would not be easy for me to save it even if I wanted to spend less on more immediate gratification.
bogomipz 10y ago
There are plenty of Americans roaming the planet just like the Germans, Australians, the Brits and the Japanese. I have met them in South East Asia, South America, India and Africa. There's no shortage of them. They were all taking sabbaticals or time off or whatever you want to call it. All of the places I just mentioned are relatively cheap to travel compared to Europe or the US.
wallace_f 10y ago
I spend about $20/day over the long run in my trip, and I find cash-in-hand jobs quite easily to keep me cashed up without really dipping into my savings. More importantly, I try to make a lot of friends, which helps more than being affluent.

yardie 10y ago

I've just returned to the US after 12 years abroad. I've met many Americans who are doing the same, traveling. What they do is save up, sell everything, then quit. Their social safety net is their savings account and, occasional, paid work as an English teacher. Since I've come back I make sure to include PTO in any salary negotiation. No point in making a lot of money if you can't take the time to enjoy it. My family has just done 2 years at sea. The gaps in employment were easy to explain.