9 ms·

Absolutely worth it, however I'd offer a few short tips: 1. Try to stay in one place for a few months, minimum. If you can stay a year or two, do that. Jumping

Absolutely worth it, however I'd offer a few short tips: 1. Try to stay in one place for a few months, minimum. If you can stay a year or two, do that. Jumping from city to city every week seems exciting at first, but it quickly makes everywhere feel the same. 2. To quote Lao Tzu, when your work is done, forget it. If you work remotely, actively disconnect at the end of the day. It's too easy to be constantly plugged into the English-speaking media world and ignore what's right in front of you. 3. Try to blend in and adopt local clothing, culture, foods, etc. Read books by local authors, watch local films. A bit obvious, maybe, but I've met many people who insisted on only eating Western food, reading Harry Potter, and watching Netflix while abroad. At that point, why even bother traveling?

elyobo 6y ago
1. is a good point, but I wouldn't be too focused on it - just realise that it's ok to do that, so that when you find somewhere you like, or when you're tired from the go go go, you do actually stop and enjoy yourself. Eventually you'll feel like moving on and getting back to it. I've done three long trips quitting a job first (~20 months, ~12 months, ~6 months) and the first two had several month or more stops, and many week or more stops. A mix is good.
- tamiral 6y ago
  have you found that your life has changed after returning from your travels?
hayst4ck 6y ago
> Try to stay in one place for a few months, minimum. I second this. 2 months is the minimum amount of time per country, and 2 weeks per city if you expect to get anything more than a handful of good meals and a couple adventures out of a place. My better memories were all from places I stayed for over 2 months, and all have more to do with people I met than the place itself.
- aerovistae 6y ago
  > and all have more to do with people I met than the place itself. Did you speak the local language?
  - hayst4ck 6y ago
    Nope. Until you travel you don't even have the slightest clue what a privilege it is to speak English or be from America. Educated middle/upper class people everywhere except china (where there is almost no english at all) generally speak at the very least broken English, if not fluent english. That being said: One of the most interesting people I met was in china, and I'd say complex ideas were 75% communicated in english. Google translate or wechat translate supplemented the conversations. One of the other people I met was in Korea. His enlgish was probably closer to 50% and complex ideas almost certainly required a translation app. Great memories though. I would probably have a conversation mediated entirely by google translate once every other week or so, and google translate was generally good enough to get an idea of menu's or communicate to people with absolutely no english ability at all. Nearly all conversations I had in china were translated via WeChat. Traveling made me regret circumventing the language requirement in college so much.
    - checkyoursudo 6y ago
      > Traveling made me regret circumventing the language requirement in college so much. I can feel this. I did the opposite. Instead of circumventing the requirement, I studied 5 different languages, and then continued 2 on to relative proficiency. This has been, in my opinion, of tremendous benefit in living on and traveling to multiple continents. I had an advisor whom I admired who was competent in some 12 or more languages. I was so jealous. I guess I probably still am.
    - cpursley 6y ago
      Not to nitpick, please don't use the term "broken English".
      - 6y ago
vatican_banker 6y ago
How do you manage to stay long-term on a foreign country, immigration-wise?
- keiferski 6y ago
  Depending on your nationality, a lot of countries have flexible tourist visas. For example, Americans can visit Armenia for 6 months, Albania for 12 months, Georgia for 12 months, India for 6 months at a time (up to 10 years), and so on. In Europe, you also have many countries outside of the Schengen area, meaning that you can do three months in one then hop to another. E.g. spend 3 months in Berlin, then 3 months in Kyiv, then 3 months in Paris, then three months in Belgrade.
  - dopidop 6y ago
    I would be careful getting in and out of Schengen. That would probably work a couple of time. But immigration can refuse it without causes, too.
    - keiferski 6y ago
      Maybe in the future post-COVID it will be more strict, but my experience has been that it isn’t.
      - bluGill 6y ago
        Not being strict makes it harder. You can sometimes get in and out without the proper proof that you actually left (your passport isn't always stamped when you cross the border). Then when you do finally get someone asking questions you can't prove the dates and they won't let you in.
  - bluGill 6y ago
    Just make sure you get the right Visa. I have a work Visa for India, but I'm allowed to got to India for work reasons, I'd need a different Visa to be a tourist. Sometimes countries get funny about that.
Grustaf 6y ago
I agree with your points, just want to add: The best way to connect with the culture and people is to get a local job, or studying at a local university or at least taking courses. EDIT: Basically become an immigrant, even if it's only for a couple of months. Ideally don't plan your return, make your journeys open ended!
- dreen 6y ago
  I have a question to people saying "get a local job" What kind of jobs do you mean? Doesn't it look suspicious for a middle aged guy who looks from a different part of the world trying to get a job he clearly does not need? To clarify, I don't feel above any job, when I first emigrated 12 years ago I was cleaning toilets and working construction, but I had no qualifications and I didnt meet anyone fun. I am also a TERRIBLE waiter.
  - Grustaf 6y ago
    I’m thinking of restaurant work and similar. I don’t think you need to worry about that, in more exotic locations you will be so out of place anyway and they will have no way to judge if you’re rich or poor. And in any case people generally don’t care that much about others. And even when they do, just accept it, it’s pretty unlikely anyone will resent you.
  - alexdowad 6y ago
    > Doesn't it look suspicious for a middle-aged guy who looks to be from a different part of the world trying to get a job he clearly does not need? Not at all. If you can find a company which needs or wants an employee like you, whether it's due to your language and cultural background, or because of other skills which you possess, generally they'll just be really happy that they found you.
- chrisdhal 6y ago
  In some countries, such as Costa Rica, you cannot work legally (note: "legally") as a non-resident. They take it pretty seriously there.
gwd 6y ago
> A bit obvious, maybe, but I've met many people who insisted on only eating Western food[...] At that point, why even bother traveling? Whenever I have a guide (either professional or a local friend), this is often strangely a lot of work. Particularly the tour companies I've gone with in China insist on trying to get me a Western breakfast. If I wanted pancakes and sausage I would have just stayed at home and cooked my own! Give me the stuff you like. I may not end up liking it, but there's a pretty decent chance I will.
- DanielleMolloy 6y ago
  They are probably used to closed-minded arrogant Westeners whining aloud about not getting their cornflakes. Unfortunately. I also don't get people who won't at least try local customs like eating cooked fish on rice with green tea in the morning, but there are plenty of them. These people usually don't do well in really different countries and complain and whine and compare to home all the time instead of curious observing / understanding. Real travelling, which is about learning and immersing and broadening your mental horizon, and not about conquering some beach with your ass is just not for them.
  - katzgrau 6y ago
    I can't imagine a lot of close minded arrogant westerners doing a lot of travel to begin with. I think it's more likely that they want you to feel more at home. I was visiting an overseas team in Bangalore for a week and the team took me out to ... a steakhouse. Most of the team didn't eat beef but they wanted to take me somewhere they thought I'd like. I was appreciative of their consideration but ended up ordering the chicken, felt weird otherwise.
    - lvturner 6y ago
      You’d be surprised. There was a roaring trade in American coca-cola in Beijing because enough people wanted to avoid the local version. As a non-American, I couldn’t taste the difference, but the imported stuff was 3x the price. Another phrase I heard often was an irate “This would never happen in America!”
dencodev 6y ago
Your third point is maybe a little narrow minded. People travel for different reasons and long term travel can be stressful and uncomfortable for a lot of people, including myself. If I just spent all day in an unfamiliar country by myself where I know absolutely no one, I don't speak the language, I've been trying new foods for weeks, and I'm exhausted because I did 15 miles and 8 hours of walking today - yeah, maybe I want some comfort food and to watch some Netflix. It doesn't mean I'm not appreciating my travels. If anything it lets me appreciate my traveling more.
- keiferski 6y ago
  > only eating Western food, reading Harry Potter, and watching Netflix while abroad. I specifically wrote only in my comment.
  - wing-_-nuts 6y ago
    I'm with you on food, food is universal, but when I read a book or watch a movie I want it to be in a language I'm fully fluent in.
    - keiferski 6y ago
      Sorry maybe my sentence structure was confusing there. I meant for only to apply to Netflix and Harry Potter too. As in, it’s okay to watch Netflix on a trip, but not exclusively.
- gk1 6y ago
  Although this isn't the way I travel, I agree we shouldn't put down other travel styles. For some people the pleasure of travel comes from merely being in a foreign place.
biolurker1 6y ago
I love watching local TV stations for a bit to get the vibe
volkl48 6y ago
> 3. Try to blend in and adopt local clothing, culture, foods, etc. Read books by local authors, watch local films. A bit obvious, maybe, but I've met many people who insisted on only eating Western food, reading Harry Potter, and watching Netflix while abroad. At that point, why even bother traveling? Depends on the purpose/intentions of the travel. While I feel similarly about much of my own travel as you do, it's worth recognizing for many people, travel (or at least some of their travel) is not about having some sort of cultural experience or broadening their horizons. For many people, travel is simply about getting to relax on vacation in a setting they like that they can't get at home. ---------- Your average Brit on vacation in Spain is not there because they have any interest in Spanish culture or Spaniards. They're there because they wanted a warm beach and sun and couldn't get them in their home country. I'm reluctant to criticize too heavily that not everyone traveling is always doing so out of a desire for cultural enrichment. I certainly am not traveling with any desire for that in mind when I go visit a beach in Florida or a ski area in Colorado as an American.
- meigwilym 6y ago
  I agree with your point, but the OP is asking about people who go travel the world, not take two weeks in Torremolinos as a summer break.
- breakfastduck 6y ago
  This post is specifically about traveling the world while working though, not a relaxing beach holiday - so I think the advice is valid on that basis.
  - npsimons 6y ago
    On top of this, I feel that part of traveling is expanding one's awareness and empathy, something the world could use much more of. It really does give perspective to "walk a mile" in someone else's shoes.
- AdamN 6y ago
  Hmm, maybe it's an American thing but when I say 'travel' it really doesn't include a beach holiday. That would be called 'vacation' or 'a trip'. 'Travel', to me at least, implies some sort of cultural/sightseeing intent, even if it's just going to Paris for a visit to the Louvre and a few nice meals but talking to nobody.
oakmad 6y ago
> Try to blend in I agree whole heartedly. I'd gone one further and add "become a regular". Get coffee/beer/food from the same place every day and consider enrolling in a language/art/something short course. It's amazing who you can meet over the course of a month or two - I met a bunch of interesting people including my wife.
- xvedejas 6y ago
  How do I do this? Specifically the clothing part. How can I best plan ahead to not label myself as a clueless tourist? I imagine my American standard of dress is too casual for most places, but beyond generalizations like that, I'm clueless.
  - sequoia 6y ago
    You may not be able to do a lot of "planning ahead" but when you're there you can look at how people dress and emulate that. In some places it might mean buying tighter fitting clothes than you might wear in the states (some places in Europe a lot of men wear much tighter clothing & style their hair more than the average heterosexual man would in North America), or getting flipflops instead of sneakers or vice versa, seeing what sort of bags people carry. I wouldn't think of the goal as being looking exactly like a local so much as not wearing things that immediately peg you as an outsider, like if the adult men in that area uniformly use shoulder bags or briefcases & you're carrying around a backpack. It can also have a lot to do with nonverbal and body language–observe how close people stand to one another, how much eye contact if any, whether people greet strangers & if so how, how people queue, etc.. It took me a while when visiting India to learn that people don't stand on line the same as they do in the USA. I put my bag down in an airport line to get out a document, and as the line moved forward, people just started going around me, because I was not immediately moving forward with the line. In the USA this would be considered very rude, but in India (at least in my limited experience) it was considered typical–the line doesn't wait for you, move it or lose it. I got with the program quickly after I learned that. And this should go without saying but don't display expensive or flashy things (jewelry, cameras, possibly fancy cell phone etc.) in an environment you're not familiar with.
  - 6y ago

elyobo 6y ago

1. is a good point, but I wouldn't be too focused on it - just realise that it's ok to do that, so that when you find somewhere you like, or when you're tired from the go go go, you do actually stop and enjoy yourself. Eventually you'll feel like moving on and getting back to it. I've done three long trips quitting a job first (~20 months, ~12 months, ~6 months) and the first two had several month or more stops, and many week or more stops. A mix is good.

tamiral 6y ago
have you found that your life has changed after returning from your travels?

hayst4ck 6y ago

> Try to stay in one place for a few months, minimum. I second this. 2 months is the minimum amount of time per country, and 2 weeks per city if you expect to get anything more than a handful of good meals and a couple adventures out of a place. My better memories were all from places I stayed for over 2 months, and all have more to do with people I met than the place itself.

aerovistae 6y ago
> and all have more to do with people I met than the place itself. Did you speak the local language?
- hayst4ck 6y ago
  Nope. Until you travel you don't even have the slightest clue what a privilege it is to speak English or be from America. Educated middle/upper class people everywhere except china (where there is almost no english at all) generally speak at the very least broken English, if not fluent english. That being said: One of the most interesting people I met was in china, and I'd say complex ideas were 75% communicated in english. Google translate or wechat translate supplemented the conversations. One of the other people I met was in Korea. His enlgish was probably closer to 50% and complex ideas almost certainly required a translation app. Great memories though. I would probably have a conversation mediated entirely by google translate once every other week or so, and google translate was generally good enough to get an idea of menu's or communicate to people with absolutely no english ability at all. Nearly all conversations I had in china were translated via WeChat. Traveling made me regret circumventing the language requirement in college so much.
  - checkyoursudo 6y ago
    > Traveling made me regret circumventing the language requirement in college so much. I can feel this. I did the opposite. Instead of circumventing the requirement, I studied 5 different languages, and then continued 2 on to relative proficiency. This has been, in my opinion, of tremendous benefit in living on and traveling to multiple continents. I had an advisor whom I admired who was competent in some 12 or more languages. I was so jealous. I guess I probably still am.
  - cpursley 6y ago
    Not to nitpick, please don't use the term "broken English".
    - 6y ago

vatican_banker 6y ago

How do you manage to stay long-term on a foreign country, immigration-wise?

keiferski 6y ago
Depending on your nationality, a lot of countries have flexible tourist visas. For example, Americans can visit Armenia for 6 months, Albania for 12 months, Georgia for 12 months, India for 6 months at a time (up to 10 years), and so on. In Europe, you also have many countries outside of the Schengen area, meaning that you can do three months in one then hop to another. E.g. spend 3 months in Berlin, then 3 months in Kyiv, then 3 months in Paris, then three months in Belgrade.
- dopidop 6y ago
  I would be careful getting in and out of Schengen. That would probably work a couple of time. But immigration can refuse it without causes, too.
  - keiferski 6y ago
    Maybe in the future post-COVID it will be more strict, but my experience has been that it isn’t.
    - bluGill 6y ago
      Not being strict makes it harder. You can sometimes get in and out without the proper proof that you actually left (your passport isn't always stamped when you cross the border). Then when you do finally get someone asking questions you can't prove the dates and they won't let you in.
- bluGill 6y ago
  Just make sure you get the right Visa. I have a work Visa for India, but I'm allowed to got to India for work reasons, I'd need a different Visa to be a tourist. Sometimes countries get funny about that.

Grustaf 6y ago

I agree with your points, just want to add: The best way to connect with the culture and people is to get a local job, or studying at a local university or at least taking courses. EDIT: Basically become an immigrant, even if it's only for a couple of months. Ideally don't plan your return, make your journeys open ended!

dreen 6y ago
I have a question to people saying "get a local job" What kind of jobs do you mean? Doesn't it look suspicious for a middle aged guy who looks from a different part of the world trying to get a job he clearly does not need? To clarify, I don't feel above any job, when I first emigrated 12 years ago I was cleaning toilets and working construction, but I had no qualifications and I didnt meet anyone fun. I am also a TERRIBLE waiter.
- Grustaf 6y ago
  I’m thinking of restaurant work and similar. I don’t think you need to worry about that, in more exotic locations you will be so out of place anyway and they will have no way to judge if you’re rich or poor. And in any case people generally don’t care that much about others. And even when they do, just accept it, it’s pretty unlikely anyone will resent you.
- alexdowad 6y ago
  > Doesn't it look suspicious for a middle-aged guy who looks to be from a different part of the world trying to get a job he clearly does not need? Not at all. If you can find a company which needs or wants an employee like you, whether it's due to your language and cultural background, or because of other skills which you possess, generally they'll just be really happy that they found you.
chrisdhal 6y ago
In some countries, such as Costa Rica, you cannot work legally (note: "legally") as a non-resident. They take it pretty seriously there.

gwd 6y ago

> A bit obvious, maybe, but I've met many people who insisted on only eating Western food[...] At that point, why even bother traveling? Whenever I have a guide (either professional or a local friend), this is often strangely a lot of work. Particularly the tour companies I've gone with in China insist on trying to get me a Western breakfast. If I wanted pancakes and sausage I would have just stayed at home and cooked my own! Give me the stuff you like. I may not end up liking it, but there's a pretty decent chance I will.

DanielleMolloy 6y ago
They are probably used to closed-minded arrogant Westeners whining aloud about not getting their cornflakes. Unfortunately. I also don't get people who won't at least try local customs like eating cooked fish on rice with green tea in the morning, but there are plenty of them. These people usually don't do well in really different countries and complain and whine and compare to home all the time instead of curious observing / understanding. Real travelling, which is about learning and immersing and broadening your mental horizon, and not about conquering some beach with your ass is just not for them.
- katzgrau 6y ago
  I can't imagine a lot of close minded arrogant westerners doing a lot of travel to begin with. I think it's more likely that they want you to feel more at home. I was visiting an overseas team in Bangalore for a week and the team took me out to ... a steakhouse. Most of the team didn't eat beef but they wanted to take me somewhere they thought I'd like. I was appreciative of their consideration but ended up ordering the chicken, felt weird otherwise.
  - lvturner 6y ago
    You’d be surprised. There was a roaring trade in American coca-cola in Beijing because enough people wanted to avoid the local version. As a non-American, I couldn’t taste the difference, but the imported stuff was 3x the price. Another phrase I heard often was an irate “This would never happen in America!”

dencodev 6y ago

Your third point is maybe a little narrow minded. People travel for different reasons and long term travel can be stressful and uncomfortable for a lot of people, including myself. If I just spent all day in an unfamiliar country by myself where I know absolutely no one, I don't speak the language, I've been trying new foods for weeks, and I'm exhausted because I did 15 miles and 8 hours of walking today - yeah, maybe I want some comfort food and to watch some Netflix. It doesn't mean I'm not appreciating my travels. If anything it lets me appreciate my traveling more.

keiferski 6y ago
> only eating Western food, reading Harry Potter, and watching Netflix while abroad. I specifically wrote only in my comment.
- wing-_-nuts 6y ago
  I'm with you on food, food is universal, but when I read a book or watch a movie I want it to be in a language I'm fully fluent in.
  - keiferski 6y ago
    Sorry maybe my sentence structure was confusing there. I meant for only to apply to Netflix and Harry Potter too. As in, it’s okay to watch Netflix on a trip, but not exclusively.
gk1 6y ago
Although this isn't the way I travel, I agree we shouldn't put down other travel styles. For some people the pleasure of travel comes from merely being in a foreign place.

biolurker1 6y ago

I love watching local TV stations for a bit to get the vibe

volkl48 6y ago

> 3. Try to blend in and adopt local clothing, culture, foods, etc. Read books by local authors, watch local films. A bit obvious, maybe, but I've met many people who insisted on only eating Western food, reading Harry Potter, and watching Netflix while abroad. At that point, why even bother traveling? Depends on the purpose/intentions of the travel. While I feel similarly about much of my own travel as you do, it's worth recognizing for many people, travel (or at least some of their travel) is not about having some sort of cultural experience or broadening their horizons. For many people, travel is simply about getting to relax on vacation in a setting they like that they can't get at home. ---------- Your average Brit on vacation in Spain is not there because they have any interest in Spanish culture or Spaniards. They're there because they wanted a warm beach and sun and couldn't get them in their home country. I'm reluctant to criticize too heavily that not everyone traveling is always doing so out of a desire for cultural enrichment. I certainly am not traveling with any desire for that in mind when I go visit a beach in Florida or a ski area in Colorado as an American.

meigwilym 6y ago
I agree with your point, but the OP is asking about people who go travel the world, not take two weeks in Torremolinos as a summer break.
breakfastduck 6y ago
This post is specifically about traveling the world while working though, not a relaxing beach holiday - so I think the advice is valid on that basis.
- npsimons 6y ago
  On top of this, I feel that part of traveling is expanding one's awareness and empathy, something the world could use much more of. It really does give perspective to "walk a mile" in someone else's shoes.
AdamN 6y ago
Hmm, maybe it's an American thing but when I say 'travel' it really doesn't include a beach holiday. That would be called 'vacation' or 'a trip'. 'Travel', to me at least, implies some sort of cultural/sightseeing intent, even if it's just going to Paris for a visit to the Louvre and a few nice meals but talking to nobody.

oakmad 6y ago

> Try to blend in I agree whole heartedly. I'd gone one further and add "become a regular". Get coffee/beer/food from the same place every day and consider enrolling in a language/art/something short course. It's amazing who you can meet over the course of a month or two - I met a bunch of interesting people including my wife.

xvedejas 6y ago
How do I do this? Specifically the clothing part. How can I best plan ahead to not label myself as a clueless tourist? I imagine my American standard of dress is too casual for most places, but beyond generalizations like that, I'm clueless.
- sequoia 6y ago
  You may not be able to do a lot of "planning ahead" but when you're there you can look at how people dress and emulate that. In some places it might mean buying tighter fitting clothes than you might wear in the states (some places in Europe a lot of men wear much tighter clothing & style their hair more than the average heterosexual man would in North America), or getting flipflops instead of sneakers or vice versa, seeing what sort of bags people carry. I wouldn't think of the goal as being looking exactly like a local so much as not wearing things that immediately peg you as an outsider, like if the adult men in that area uniformly use shoulder bags or briefcases & you're carrying around a backpack. It can also have a lot to do with nonverbal and body language–observe how close people stand to one another, how much eye contact if any, whether people greet strangers & if so how, how people queue, etc.. It took me a while when visiting India to learn that people don't stand on line the same as they do in the USA. I put my bag down in an airport line to get out a document, and as the line moved forward, people just started going around me, because I was not immediately moving forward with the line. In the USA this would be considered very rude, but in India (at least in my limited experience) it was considered typical–the line doesn't wait for you, move it or lose it. I got with the program quickly after I learned that. And this should go without saying but don't display expensive or flashy things (jewelry, cameras, possibly fancy cell phone etc.) in an environment you're not familiar with.
- 6y ago