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  1. #1
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    ISO Tips, Tricks and more. International Travel

    Happy July 4th,

    Wanted to reach out to the BG family.

    I'm looking to travel internationally to get a different perspective on my life, priorities, money, etc. I've read plenty of blogs, sites, WWOOF, ideas, and more.

    Where have you gone?
    For how long?
    What'd you learn?
    Was it cheap? What could you do differently?
    Why'd you do it?
    Would you do it again?

    I'm 25, live in the DC area. Just to help with location.

    Thanks,
    Ceberoth

  2. #2
    The Shitlord
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    How much traveling have you done already in your life? The U.S. is pretty goddamn huge; plenty of places, people, and culture to be enjoyed stateside, too. You live in the Capital. Do any of the touristy shit there? Worth doing; it's touristy shit for a reason.

    Not raggin on your plans or anything, its just most people are overawed by the idea of foreign countries and forget we're all just people, and people are amazing critters no matter where they are.

  3. #3
    Shimmy shimmy ya shimmy yam shimmy ya
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    ISO Tips, Tricks and more. International Travel

    I'm probably the most traveled guy on BG having lived overseas for eight years across three different continents having visited dozens and dozens of countries. Did it first for the military, then for the government. I won't change those experiences for the world. You get a completely different perspective on life. It's hard to put it in words, I guess the most accurate way is that you realize NY/DC or the US in general isn't the end all be all. Not a very 4th of July thing to say I admit. My first year or two were very humbling experiences in South America.


    It wasn't cheap at first, but you eventually develop a skill set of adaptability. Towards the end of my time in Europe it wasn't uncommon for me and the wifey to just travel to a new country with just a backpack and a few euros on a whim.

    I would encourage anyone who had the means to travel the world. I can say 100% it's made me a better man and helped put me in the fortunate position I am in right now with life.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by BaneTheBrawler View Post
    How much traveling have you done already in your life? The U.S. is pretty goddamn huge; plenty of places, people, and culture to be enjoyed stateside, too. You live in the Capital. Do any of the touristy shit there? Worth doing; it's touristy shit for a reason.

    Not raggin on your plans or anything, its just most people are overawed by the idea of foreign countries and forget we're all just people, and people are amazing critters no matter where they are.
    Absolutely true. No disrespect to that. Been to Cali, Texas, Michigan, Florida, Maine, NY, VA, MD, PA, Washington, Georgia, a couple others.

    Really just looking take a leap of faith for who knows how long somewhere else.

    Canada, New Zealand, Australia are the first few that have been mentioned often. Open to other ideas and examples.

    Know very little about the rights and wrongs of traveling internationally tho.

  5. #5
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    Anywhere you'd recommened as a good 'start'?

    Amount of $ to start with?

    Housing? Work for housing? Housing sitting?

  6. #6
    The Shitlord
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    Go to New Zealand. See Hobbitton. Bang some hobbits. Find the One Ring. Conquer all of Middle Earth. Report back.

  7. #7
    Special at 11:30 or w/e
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    I do not have anything personal to add, but something my wife and I watched made me realize how much I want to travel once we both have our degrees and have money. While it's a bit old, it's a show called Departures. Seasons 1-2 is on Netflix. Really great watch about traveling and what it can do to a person physically and mentally.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ceberoth View Post
    Anywhere you'd recommened as a good 'start'?

    Amount of $ to start with?

    Housing? Work for housing? Housing sitting?
    I've spent a few weeks in each of China, Japan, Russia, Poland, and France. I'd pass on China again but all of the other countries were incredible experiences. Xno already covered how affecting it is on personal growth and gaining perspective.

    I have friends that have worked overseas long-term - two as english teachers in Spain, one as an au pair in Italy. You can also look into working at a hostel or with a travel company that does guided trips in Europe. It's hard to recommend anywhere specific - if you aren't bilingual then I would stick to places where English is a common second language if not first language.

  9. #9
    Shimmy shimmy ya shimmy yam shimmy ya
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    Singapore is another great option to expatriate to. Been there numerous times and it's an absolutely stunning city with a very inviting atmosphere. Almost everyone speaks English as it's one of the official languages, and the job opportunities are there. It's a slightly higher cost of living than the average metropolitan cities of the world, but as Moss said I would most certainly start off in a city where I speak the predominant language. Good friend lived there for a few years and stayed near the Malaysian border where the COLA was day and night compared to a 30 minute drive. Worked for a security firm who actively sought expatriates to hire.

  10. #10
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    Been a lot of places, not near as much as homie has but I agree with his sentiment.

    Places I've been:
    Europe
    UK
    Canada
    Mexico
    Costa Rica
    Caribbean
    Everywhere in this stupid country.

    Travel light
    Do basic research, learn the stuff that will keep you out of jail
    Be adaptable, you WILL get stuck somewhere.
    It gets cheaper the more you do it. You'll have a better perspective on places to stay, areas to stay.
    If you're going to travel a LOT, do research on FF programs, alliances, rewards CC's.
    Decide your level of pimp for your travel. I've been to the UK on a shoestring and done Italy like a boss.

    The best thing to do is just go. Planning forever gets stupid. Pull the trigger and get on a plane. Worst case scenario the SEALs come save you.

  11. #11
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    I've been in Korea for the past 6 years, roughly. Two years in Ulsan, and the rest here in Busan. I've done all of it as a student. First, I had to put in time to learn the language, and now I'm a year shy of getting a degree from Pusan National University. Also, I have taught English at varying levels for much of my time here.

    Because I traveled to be a student, I have had a wealth of experience just in the dorms that I have opted to live in. I've had roommates from Germany, Poland, Sudan, Iran, Hong Kong, India, China, Japan and Korea. Then I can add classmates and friends from Canada, France, Mongolia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. Getting to spend meaningful time with people from such diverse backgrounds has been invaluable.

    Obviously, traveling as a student is not a viable option for most people. However, my experience here does allow me to give some advice on international travel. It is very tempting when you are in a foreign place to try to find familiarity and comfort. However, your greatest experiences will be had in situations that are the furthest from what you are familiar with culturally. My mom came to visit me in Korea a few years ago, and I made it a point to not tell her what we were going to eat for each meal. I would take her to places that served all kinds of wacky shit because it was an experience that she would not get back in Providence, and she would never have selected things like raw octopus or grilled pig skin if she were selecting her own itinerary. She ate plenty of the Korean BBQ, and other expected dishes of course, but getting into the stuff that is less well-known is always the best.

    Finally, Zet offered a great piece of advice when he said to travel light. You need clothes, a toothbrush, and your phone (maybe). That is it. Don't bring a ton of stuff that you would normally use to fill your free time back home. You aren't going somewhere new to watch Netflix in your hotel room. The less you bring with you, the more you will be driven to find things to do in whatever spot you are visiting. Get out and explore whatever city you are in as much as possible.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Viq View Post
    I've been in Korea for the past 6 years, roughly. Two years in Ulsan, and the rest here in Busan. I've done all of it as a student. First, I had to put in time to learn the language, and now I'm a year shy of getting a degree from Pusan National University. Also, I have taught English at varying levels for much of my time here.

    Because I traveled to be a student, I have had a wealth of experience just in the dorms that I have opted to live in. I've had roommates from Germany, Poland, Sudan, Iran, Hong Kong, India, China, Japan and Korea. Then I can add classmates and friends from Canada, France, Mongolia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. Getting to spend meaningful time with people from such diverse backgrounds has been invaluable.

    Obviously, traveling as a student is not a viable option for most people. However, my experience here does allow me to give some advice on international travel. It is very tempting when you are in a foreign place to try to find familiarity and comfort. However, your greatest experiences will be had in situations that are the furthest from what you are familiar with culturally. My mom came to visit me in Korea a few years ago, and I made it a point to not tell her what we were going to eat for each meal. I would take her to places that served all kinds of wacky shit because it was an experience that she would not get back in Providence, and she would never have selected things like raw octopus or grilled pig skin if she were selecting her own itinerary. She ate plenty of the Korean BBQ, and other expected dishes of course, but getting into the stuff that is less well-known is always the best.

    Finally, Zet offered a great piece of advice when he said to travel light. You need clothes, a toothbrush, and your phone (maybe). That is it. Don't bring a ton of stuff that you would normally use to fill your free time back home. You aren't going somewhere new to watch Netflix in your hotel room. The less you bring with you, the more you will be driven to find things to do in whatever spot you are visiting. Get out and explore whatever city you are in as much as possible.
    How much have you been paying for tuition? I would like to move to western Europe or Scandinavia and a student visa seems like the easiest path. However, I fear the tuition costs would be prohibitively expensive and I don't want to hemorrhage all of my savings.

  13. #13
    Member since 2006 and still can't think of a title.
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    If you go to Australia, keep in mind the longest you can stay is 6 months. Dad's gf's son did 6 months there to clear his head after leaving a startup job where he made bank before starting his own company and loved it. But they are very strict on who they let in and how long. If you have any pets, you won't be able to bring them.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Moss View Post
    How much have you been paying for tuition? I would like to move to western Europe or Scandinavia and a student visa seems like the easiest path. However, I fear the tuition costs would be prohibitively expensive and I don't want to hemorrhage all of my savings.
    Tuition here varies based on major, but is a flat rate per semester regardless of credits taken. Humanities majors are cheaper ($1200 per semester for me in linguistics), and stuff like mechanical engineering is a little more expensive. Also, scholarships here are merit-based. Top 10% in each class get a free ride the next semester, and the rest of top 30% get a 25% discount. As a result, I haven't had to pay any tuition in over a year.

  15. #15
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    I did 9 days in Korea for about 2k total , now i had no hotel fee because i stayed with a friend but you dont need a hotel room in Korea. they have 24/7 bath houses that cost 10-15 usd to enter , you can shower etc in them and even sleep (lockers keep your stuff safe). travel is cheap by train and okay by taxi (avoid rush hour) , my flight was a steal @ 890, and if you plan ahead you can grab tickets to japan from korea for 1-150 round trip. i had 0 events planned when i got off the plane managed to see and do everything with no planning and had a blast doing so.

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