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What do you put into exploration? Here in Northern Europe you're expected to do most of your traveling in your 20's, but we also have pretty decent vacations -

What do you put into exploration? Here in Northern Europe you're expected to do most of your traveling in your 20's, but we also have pretty decent vacations - so the solo / friend / backpacking type of traveling gets replaced with more family friendly stuff when you start getting kids. I have lots of friends in their late 20's / early 30's that still travel the world, many times a year. But they don't have kids, and their travels (outside summer vacation) tend to be shorter, as in long-weekends etc.

newswasboring 7y ago
It's not just about traveling. It's just one of the components. This guy was a teacher, musician, maker and now DL expert. And it doesn't seem like he is settled on that yet. He is still exploring what he wants to do. Changes his life to match his interests. I lived some of my life like that. Took some non standard paths. But it is getting increasingly hard for me to do this. Not because there aren't opportunities for me, but because it's getting unjustifiable to "society". And I know the usual line about "who cares what others think" in the west. Although it's logical in the west its not so in South Asia. Even if you don't care, your parents will and you will care for your parents. So it's inescapable. By Western standards I should be a totally free person, I am not married, don't have any debt, a high earning job which I'm bored by only 50% of the time. But these same things trap me. Single status leads to public derision in social gatherings (also friends get married and it becomes increasingly hard to be the only single guy in the group), my insistence on not taking on any debt means I live in a small rented apartment which it hard to be accepted in the society around me, a high earning job means I can never just quit because then I will have no social support due to it being a bad decision. As I write this, my (admittedly limited) understanding of how Western society works makes me think these would not be problems but my biggest assets.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- wigl 7y ago
  Not everyone has the privilege of living out a bildungsroman/Jungian heroic journey. You're right, you sound like you have all the assets including the desire, but perhaps it's not the same as it's not occurring during your formative years and without peer support. Thankfully, you seem be self-conscious enough to be living your life for your self, instead of with the aim of peddling a brand.
- TrackerFF 7y ago
  Let's be real here - and no, I'm trying to put this guy down: He was hardly a qualified teacher. Lots of young people up here go on voluntourism trips to countries in Africa or Asia to teach a couple of months. If you want to try teaching, you can do so locally; There are lots of options. Musician, sure, it's fun (I've toured in 4 different countries myself playing in band, though 15 years ago now), but it's hard to do full-time. DL expert would be to push it, there's a long way between being productive and being an expert. But I'm gonna be frank with you, doing all those kinds of things is possible here because we have a great welfare system. You can work, save aggressively, and do whatever you want. The unfortunate fact of life here though, is that a lot of entrepreneurs and indie developers (just to pick a few) are funded by welfare checks.
  - newswasboring 7y ago
    > You can work, save aggressively, and do whatever you want. If you think I can do that, I have definitely failed in explaining what the problem is. I have almost my post tax yearly salary as savings (apart from the investments and stuff), but due to the reasons explained in my other post I can't do shit.

newswasboring 7y ago

It's not just about traveling. It's just one of the components. This guy was a teacher, musician, maker and now DL expert. And it doesn't seem like he is settled on that yet. He is still exploring what he wants to do. Changes his life to match his interests. I lived some of my life like that. Took some non standard paths. But it is getting increasingly hard for me to do this. Not because there aren't opportunities for me, but because it's getting unjustifiable to "society". And I know the usual line about "who cares what others think" in the west. Although it's logical in the west its not so in South Asia. Even if you don't care, your parents will and you will care for your parents. So it's inescapable. By Western standards I should be a totally free person, I am not married, don't have any debt, a high earning job which I'm bored by only 50% of the time. But these same things trap me. Single status leads to public derision in social gatherings (also friends get married and it becomes increasingly hard to be the only single guy in the group), my insistence on not taking on any debt means I live in a small rented apartment which it hard to be accepted in the society around me, a high earning job means I can never just quit because then I will have no social support due to it being a bad decision. As I write this, my (admittedly limited) understanding of how Western society works makes me think these would not be problems but my biggest assets.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
wigl 7y ago
Not everyone has the privilege of living out a bildungsroman/Jungian heroic journey. You're right, you sound like you have all the assets including the desire, but perhaps it's not the same as it's not occurring during your formative years and without peer support. Thankfully, you seem be self-conscious enough to be living your life for your self, instead of with the aim of peddling a brand.
TrackerFF 7y ago
Let's be real here - and no, I'm trying to put this guy down: He was hardly a qualified teacher. Lots of young people up here go on voluntourism trips to countries in Africa or Asia to teach a couple of months. If you want to try teaching, you can do so locally; There are lots of options. Musician, sure, it's fun (I've toured in 4 different countries myself playing in band, though 15 years ago now), but it's hard to do full-time. DL expert would be to push it, there's a long way between being productive and being an expert. But I'm gonna be frank with you, doing all those kinds of things is possible here because we have a great welfare system. You can work, save aggressively, and do whatever you want. The unfortunate fact of life here though, is that a lot of entrepreneurs and indie developers (just to pick a few) are funded by welfare checks.
- newswasboring 7y ago
  > You can work, save aggressively, and do whatever you want. If you think I can do that, I have definitely failed in explaining what the problem is. I have almost my post tax yearly salary as savings (apart from the investments and stuff), but due to the reasons explained in my other post I can't do shit.