3 ms·

Savings. While in Germany, I had a good (tax-free) stipend and I was hoarding ~800 euros/month, for a year. Living in Asia was an amazing experience, but hones

by ced 16y ago

Savings. While in Germany, I had a good (tax-free) stipend and I was hoarding ~800 euros/month, for a year. Living in Asia was an amazing experience, but honestly, there isn't that much "adventure" to write about. I wasn't traveling, since that's expensive-ish. My primary goal was to do research in AI. That turned out to be quite challenging, with the lack of good libraries and peers, but the freedom to work on whatever I want made it entirely worthwhile. My next goal is to get a job, back in the West. Who wants to hire a physics grad school drop-out who spent three years roaming, with no portfolio and no professional experience? A drop-out who will surely quit once he has enough funds to start roaming again? Let's find out!

jacquesm 16y ago
Ok. Man I'm jealous ;) Not with the money, but with the trip :) If you have the time please write it up while it is still fresh in your memory, so that us 'armchair Asia goers' can look through your eyes.
- billpaetzke 16y ago
  I'm a programmer that saved up money, quit my job, and traveled around Southeast Asia for four months (in 2009). I blogged almost every day. I took some great photos, too. Have fun browsing my stuff... Top 100 photos: http://billpaetzke.smugmug.com/Travel/Best-of-Southeast-Asia-09/12402055_kqYWt#786525207_ZCpE5 http://billpaetzke.smugmug.com/Travel/Best-of-Southeast-Asia... Travel Blog: http://www.bp321.com/travels/ http://www.bp321.com/travels/ (I'm back in LA working, by the way).
  - quadhome 16y ago
    I did the same for a year and a half-ish. Oceania, Thailand, overlanded from Cape Town to Cairo, Europe, motorcycled through Central America, and now just started consulting in Sydney / Melbourne. http://travel.quadhome.com/ http://travel.quadhome.com/ is an incomplete tumblr of the first half with photo links to the second-half.
berntb 16y ago
Stay an extra year at the next job, then you might be able to get a job to do from a distance. If I lose motivation@work (got some allergy issues around where I am now), I'm thinking of sitting down a few months somewhere cheap with good weather (== sunny) and hack/read. A question: How do you find apartments to rent for 1-3 months in random countries, like e.g. India or Japan?
- ced 16y ago
  It varies a bit depending on the place. The most reliable way is just to ask young people (uni students ideally) on the street. Chances are, they'll be eager to practice their English, and will help you more than you need. I also try to learn the language wherever I go. That helps, obviously. Beware that India is a rough place to be for a lone foreigner. There's numerous anecdotes of people who come to India only to hop right back on a plane. Thailand or Turkey (Antalya) are safer bets, and the temperature is nice in the winter.
  - berntb 16y ago
    >>Beware that India is a rough place to be for a lone foreigner. Ah well, I have a half-Indian friend which could probably help me get started. I'm mostly worried about my peanut allergy; e.g. Thailand should be straight out. Maybe the rest of SE Asia, too. I had less problems in Japan than in Scandinavia, probably because people there cares about what they do. (Maybe East/West Africa, but that seems to be a bit too much criminality?) Thanks for the help! If I need a computer guy somewhere in Asia the coming years, I'll get in touch... :-)

by ced 16y ago

jacquesm 16y ago

Ok. Man I'm jealous ;) Not with the money, but with the trip :) If you have the time please write it up while it is still fresh in your memory, so that us 'armchair Asia goers' can look through your eyes.

billpaetzke 16y ago
I'm a programmer that saved up money, quit my job, and traveled around Southeast Asia for four months (in 2009). I blogged almost every day. I took some great photos, too. Have fun browsing my stuff... Top 100 photos: http://billpaetzke.smugmug.com/Travel/Best-of-Southeast-Asia-09/12402055_kqYWt#786525207_ZCpE5 http://billpaetzke.smugmug.com/Travel/Best-of-Southeast-Asia... Travel Blog: http://www.bp321.com/travels/ http://www.bp321.com/travels/ (I'm back in LA working, by the way).
- quadhome 16y ago
  I did the same for a year and a half-ish. Oceania, Thailand, overlanded from Cape Town to Cairo, Europe, motorcycled through Central America, and now just started consulting in Sydney / Melbourne. http://travel.quadhome.com/ http://travel.quadhome.com/ is an incomplete tumblr of the first half with photo links to the second-half.

berntb 16y ago

Stay an extra year at the next job, then you might be able to get a job to do from a distance. If I lose motivation@work (got some allergy issues around where I am now), I'm thinking of sitting down a few months somewhere cheap with good weather (== sunny) and hack/read. A question: How do you find apartments to rent for 1-3 months in random countries, like e.g. India or Japan?

ced 16y ago
It varies a bit depending on the place. The most reliable way is just to ask young people (uni students ideally) on the street. Chances are, they'll be eager to practice their English, and will help you more than you need. I also try to learn the language wherever I go. That helps, obviously. Beware that India is a rough place to be for a lone foreigner. There's numerous anecdotes of people who come to India only to hop right back on a plane. Thailand or Turkey (Antalya) are safer bets, and the temperature is nice in the winter.
- berntb 16y ago
  >>Beware that India is a rough place to be for a lone foreigner. Ah well, I have a half-Indian friend which could probably help me get started. I'm mostly worried about my peanut allergy; e.g. Thailand should be straight out. Maybe the rest of SE Asia, too. I had less problems in Japan than in Scandinavia, probably because people there cares about what they do. (Maybe East/West Africa, but that seems to be a bit too much criminality?) Thanks for the help! If I need a computer guy somewhere in Asia the coming years, I'll get in touch... :-)