Just pulled the pin on work and moved overseas

[facePuncher7]

[EDIT] Cheers for all the well wishes and positivity, didn't expect so much [/EDIT]

I've been talking for some time about moving overseas and taking a year or so off work, but it always seemed like a bit of a pipe dream.

Over the last 2 years I've been working frantically, crazy hours and an unhealthy lifestyle, trying to do everything to get ahead.
This has led to me doing well financially and in my career, but my health tapped me on the shoulder about 2 months ago and have me a real scare.

In light of that, I dropped everything I was doing with work and said fuck it, I'm just going to go and do it. Why work yourself half to death if you can't make use of what you've created and earned.

I left a bunch of major projects (much to the displeasure of people in my company), handed in my resignation, ended my lease, off loaded almost all of my belongings and booked a one way ticket.

I am starting in Chiang Mai, have a visa for up to 9 months here if I so choose, but probably more like 5-6. Planning to go to Greece after to meet a side of my family I've only ever heard about.
The only possessions I have are a backpack full of clothes and my desktop work station (which was surprisingly easy to transport given how many people write horror stories online).

Anyway, if there is a moral to this story it is - don't take your health for granted, take the signs your body and brain give you and do something about it, it really is better to be poor and healthy than rich and broken.

I'm going to be travelling for at least a year I feel, and working on my own projects (programming/games) that I've wanted to for some time but kept putting off.

Y'all shertards is still my boy tho.

 

[TheLinguist]

Fantastic approach! Hope everything goes well for you, I spend at least two weeks out of the year in Phuket, the Thai people are very friendly, I’ve never been disturbed once whilst doing work in Starbucks or the coffee club, if you’re ever in Shanghai we should grab a brew and share manly sherbro stories

 

[Krixes]

 

[FierceRedBelt]

I don't have the balls to do it but I've often day dreamed of doing quite the same.

 

[HelloJapan]

Good for you. Chiang Mai, you'll see a million white people vlogging their "insights" to Youtube. Go to Kamala Beach if you can, nice place. Greece is rad to, loved it there.

Thailand is a blast, @Zer and I plan on starting a shelter for homeless ladyboi's, wanna invest?

 

[FierceRedBelt]

Good for you. Chiang Mai, you'll see a million white people vlogging their "insights" to Youtube. Go to Kamala Beach if you can, nice place. Greece is rad to, loved it there.

Thailand is a blast, @Zer and I plan on starting a shelter for homeless ladyboi's, wanna invest?

WTF @Zer that was our dream! Who is this ho?!

 

[TrueBias]

How much money does one need to do this? Or what can one do to live in these places for work?

I imagine doing it if the american dollar can go a long way in places but id still exist as a cheap bastard.

 

[HelloJapan]

WTF @Zer that was our dream! Who is this ho?!

Canadian factor...eh.

 

[bushman505]

Nice!!!!

I moved overseas planning on a year but things went so well I stayed overseas for almost 7 years. Gave me a yuuuuuuuge advantage career wise when I moved back to the USA. with the qualifications I gained from the overseas gig I was able to basically choose where I wanted to live and work. It was awesome.

Made a shitload of $$$ too.

 

[riitzni]

Much hespect. Too many people are living sheltered lives in a 9-5 and not seeing any of the rest of the world. We'd have less Trumps and Trumpkins if more did these kinds of things outside their comfort bubble. Check in on us.

How much money does one need to do this? Or what can one do to live in these places for work?

I imagine doing it if the american dollar can go a long way in places but id still exist as a cheap bastard.

It depends on your visa and the country. Some countries will let you get a job and some strictly forbid it because they know it's real easy to overstay your visa with money coming in. In short, countries like when you come by and drop a bunch of American money into their economy, they're not so keen on you staying and not paying taxes while soaking up resources.

As far as conversion goes, it's a matter of the country's stability and economy. Egypt for example isn't really a great spot for Americans at the moment but I speak basic conversational Egyptian Arabic and am already brown. The conversion rates on some things is ludicrous, especially with food prices as a lot of consumables come from right outside the city. I'm not exaggerating when I say you can get a three bedroom apartment for $200 USD a month, a pound of potatoes, tomatoes, onions for 15 cents, rice at like 30 cents a pound. Just by living within your means, cooking your own food and having a one bedroom apartment in the city center of Cairo you can exist just fine for under two hundred bucks a month. I have a buddy that works crazy hours in America and lives with his parents for about six months, I'm talking 12 hour days every day. He raises about three grand a month for six months and then takes off for literally years at a time.

 

[TheLinguist]

How much money does one need to do this? Or what can one do to live in these places for work?

I imagine doing it if the american dollar can go a long way in places but id still exist as a cheap bastard.

In terms of money, you would first need to calculate your personal needs,

rent: alone or house sharing? Location? Size of said House/apartment

Food and entertainment needs, whilst food in SEA is cheap, how often would you be eating out etc

Earning potential: dependent on the degree you hold, teaching English would be easy, getting a job from the ground floor? Not so easy, check local listings, and make an outstanding LinkedIn profile. You could work remotely if your current company would allow it. Having good connections in Asia can get you a very nice job too.

Visa are an issue too, for example if you come to China on a tourist visa it is illegal for you to work, you must have a work visa or residency visa, same goes for Japan

Personal experience: I came to China with $12,000 dollars 17 years ago, studied Chinese whilst translating remotely, I still live in China whilst having to visit different cities in China, Japan and Korea, I get paid vacations three times a year and get to go back to the states often.

What I don’t like: having to pay taxes to the Chinese AND the US

 

[Zer]

WTF @Zer that was our dream! Who is this ho?!

The more the merrier bro. Also it's cheaper if we're splitting each hooker three ways

 

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

The more the merrier bro. Also it's cheaper if we're splitting each hooker three ways

airtight

 

[bigkick]

Nice. Best thing my wife and I have done was to sell all our stuff and head overseas. Hope you have similar success.

 

[ObamaPhoneLady]

Much hespect. Too many people are living sheltered lives in a 9-5 and not seeing any of the rest of the world. We'd have less Trumps and Trumpkins if more did these kinds of things outside their comfort bubble. Check in on us.



It depends on your visa and the country. Some countries will let you get a job and some strictly forbid it because they know it's real easy to overstay your visa with money coming in. In short, countries like when you come by and drop a bunch of American money into their economy, they're not so keen on you staying and not paying taxes while soaking up resources.

As far as conversion goes, it's a matter of the country's stability and economy. Egypt for example isn't really a great spot for Americans at the moment but I speak basic conversational Egyptian Arabic and am already brown. The conversion rates on some things is ludicrous, especially with food prices as a lot of consumables come from right outside the city. I'm not exaggerating when I say you can get a three bedroom apartment for $200 USD a month, a pound of potatoes, tomatoes, onions for 15 cents, rice at like 30 cents a pound. Just by living within your means, cooking your own food and having a one bedroom apartment in the city center of Cairo you can exist just fine for under two hundred bucks a month. I have a buddy that works crazy hours in America and lives with his parents for about six months, I'm talking 12 hour days every day. He raises about three grand a month for six months and then takes off for literally years at a time.

Lol. TDS personified.

 

[Leonard Haid]

I've been talking for some time about moving overseas and taking a year or so off work, but it always seemed like a bit of a pipe dream.

Over the last 2 years I've been working frantically, crazy hours and an unhealthy lifestyle, trying to do everything to get ahead.
This has led to me doing well financially and in my career, but my health tapped me on the shoulder about 2 months ago and have me a real scare.

In light of that, I dropped everything I was doing with work and said fuck it, I'm just going to go and do it. Why work yourself half to death if you can't make use of what you've created and earned.

I left a bunch of major projects (much to the displeasure of people in my company), handed in my resignation, ended my lease, off loaded almost all of my belongings and booked a one way ticket.

I am starting in Chiang Mai, have a visa for up to 9 months here if I so choose, but probably more like 5-6. Planning to go to Greece after to meet a side of my family I've only ever heard about.
The only possessions I have are a backpack full of clothes and my desktop work station (which was surprisingly easy to transport given how many people write horror stories online).

Anyway, if there is a moral to this story it is - don't take your health for granted, take the signs your body and brain give you and do something about it, it really is better to be poor and healthy than rich and broken.

I'm going to be travelling for at least a year I feel, and working on my own projects (programming/games) that I've wanted to for some time but kept putting off.

Y'all shertards is still my boy tho.

How did you get a 9-month visa to stay in Thailand?

 

[Leonard Haid]

I don't have the balls to do it but I've often day dreamed of doing quite the same.

I doubt it's a matter of the size of your balls. Don't underestimate yourself. You've chosen not to do something like that for sounder reasons than you think. Maybe you'll do it later, when you feel deeper that it's your time to do it.

 

[Midnighter]

RIP @Dreadlock666

 

[Simian Raticus]

Good for you man.

I had a similar experience - too much work not enough living.

I quit my job earlier this year after reaching my limit.

I'm actually just north of you in Pai for a couple months training. It's nice here. It's kind of a mecca for fake hippy posers but overall the vibe is cool.

Chiang Mai has changed a lot since I was there like 9 years ago, in some ways that are not so good but it still has a lot of charm.

 

[Estemachine]

Without your health you have nothing, I'm happy for you, money, job, career you can always get those things back; time and memories will last a lifetime.