BootsnAll Travel Community

I have a couple of questions, a poll if you will - perhaps this should be 2 discussion threads, but I'm lazy :-)

1) If you are quitting your job to do a round the world, how long have you been working for?
2) Age? (if you care to share)
3) Current industry?
4) What you plan to do for procuring a job upon your return?
5) Do most people think you're crazy or are they jealous and still think you're crazy?

And the other part - I just turned down a job offer this morning, b/c while the money was quite lucrative (and I was doing mental math of just how soon I could retire - and yes, I'm 25), they wanted me to start ASAP (no time to take a vacation between jobs :-( ) and the hours would have been crazy. Have any of you ever made a difficult decision like this? Basically choosing happiness over money? I guess I'm just trying to remind myself (right or wrong) that I made the right decision...

1) June was 2 years (last day is aug 31)
2) 24 y/o
3) corporate communication
4) job? I'm honestly not thinking that far ahead. definitely not in the same field, tho
5) No one's called me crazy. I've been called brave and ballsy. I know I'm really just crazy though.


And I would say that flat out quitting my job is choosing happiness over money. Best decision I have ever made for myself, as far as I'm concerned. I don't want to let myself fall into the assumed school-work-family-retire-die track.

We, well Brian, is actually in the middle of making a difficult decision... We have been planning for the last year to take an RTW (starting december), and he had been planning on turning down the job offer he knew he'd get from his internship (also pretty lucrative)... only now they offered an overseas gig in like 4 places in the next 5 years.... that doesn't come around often and his boss said he'd only give us maybe 2-3 months after he graduates in december before he has to start working... or nothing. So Brian's probably going to accept this and I'm going to travel and take advantage of having brian in a cool foreign place :-) and if he's not happy, he'll quit and continue with the trip.

here's my details:

1) currently at 1 1/2 years
2) 24 y/o
3) IT support
4) uhm well the plan was to go back to school after the trip... I'm taking my GRE in September.
5) probably jealous/excited/or scared for my well-being

1) This will actually be the second time quitting the same job. First time was after 6 years. I then came back a few years later. Second stint will only be 1 1/2 years.
2) 38
3) Federal government/research
4) Really don't know. I have a teaching credential that I could use. Or maybe I just won't return!
5) Well, when I quit before the most common reaction I got from co-workers was "wow, I wish I could do what you're doing". To which I thought "you could if you really wanted to".

quote:

Originally posted by EMH:

"you could if you really wanted to".

Bingo

Well my answers may be a bit different as my RTW is planned for sometime next year but not set in stone yet...I still have to sell my house but first need my parents to sell theirs so (a)they can live with me while their new one is being built & (b)so I have a place to put my meager possessions I will retain while gone.
1) Current job three years in OCT so likely 3 1/2 by the time I axe it
2)28
3)Insurance
4)I honestly am not getting too worried about a job when I return, I am hoping something will spark my interest when I am gone
5) Well so far I don't think very many people are taking me seriously, my close friends think its awesome and that they can see me doing this but I haven't really broken the news in full to my family yet so we'll see.

I cannot say that I have some great job offer waiting for me to turn down but I do have a gf that I will be leaving (she has been told about the trip) and I am selling my house....but like my gf pointed out, you aren't happy where you are now and if this helps you figure out what you need to be happy then go.

1) I've been at my company for seven years now and planning to quit in a little over four more.
2) 28
3) IT Project Mgmt

4) Not sure yet. Four years is still a long way off, so anything could happen. I might decide to rejoin my current company, but it's more likely I'll try my hand at contract work or make a total career change.

5) I haven't told very many people, certainly not my coworkers. I won't be telling anyone at work until I'm ready to give notice at my job. My brother and the few close friends I've told are totally supportive and weren't surprised at all. My husband's initial reaction was that I'd gone crazy, but the idea is definitely growing on him now. We haven't really told our parents and other family yet - we're slowly easing them into the idea.

Regarding the question of choosing money or happiness....

I could write pages on this topic but I'll refrain. It's really a personal decision because only you can define your comfort level in terms of sacrifice for your travel goals. There's no right or wrong answer. The key is really about finding a balance between your short-term desires and your long-term goals. Even if someone else is willing to live under a bridge or work a miserable job to make their travel dreams happen, that doesn't mean you're less committed if you're not willing to go that far. It just means your balance point is in a different place, and there's not a thing wrong with that. I think you should feel fine about your decision.

1) Working in the industry for 10 years and at my current job for over 8 years
2) 30
3) IT Consulting
4) I don't know. I'll contact all my old co-workers and clients, as well as applying for various jobs that seem to pique my interest. I'm open to doing something outside of IT Consulting.
5) Everyone has been very supporting. Most say they could never do it but then I remind them that I'm no different from them other than I made the decision to go on the trip and they haven't yet. :-)

1) I've also quit the same job twice (in the UK). First time after 2.5 years and this time about the same I think. I also quit a job at home in Canada to head off after 3 years.
2) 30
3) Office Monkey for an ambulance service
4) Hopefulyl I won't have to! I'm working on a web business which, if things go as planned, I'll be able to work at from anywhere. But I've never worried about this. If I can get a decent job once, I can get one again after my trip.
5) I think everyone's used to it by now.

I'd always take happiness over money but I don't have any real responsibilities at the moment so it's an easy choice. Plus I'm not big into consumerism. But it's a personal thing and I'v enever been tempted with some amazing job that pays loads so it's hard to say. I think if you know you'll love the job it makes all the difference. If you'll be getting paid loads but will hate it, then that's where things get tricky.

1) Just over a year
2) 24 y.o
3) Government - Administration
4) We'll have to see when I get back... if I come back
5) most are jealous just jealous, a lot think I'm crazy because of the destinations (I really dont see why!) and some are jealous and think I'm crazy.

I prefer not to plan ahead so much, everything always works out, my highest priority is to travel while I can, you never know what might happen to you down the road.

1) I've been working here for 14 months. It is my first "career" style job out of grad school.

2) 25

3) Librarian

4) Go the usual library-job-hunt route. There actually is quite a bit of work in my industry, with supportive professional colleagues and lots of job hunting resources. We'll see how long I can tolerate the industry before going part-time and trying for a law degree.

5) Definatly jealous (but still a little crazy)! Actually, everyone - family, friends, co-workers - is being incredibly supportive of this venture. Most are just beamoning that they cannot come along.

I've chosen money over happiness and happiness over money. This trip is mine and my husband's choice to go for happiness and adventure over money, as we are very eager to travel and I am rather miserable at my current job. The job itself is good, but I am not the right person for it (I can honestly say that I've been bored to tears at my job on a couple of occasions). I tend to be a financially anxious person and giving up a paycheque, pension, and health benefits was a hard decision. But the rewards will be so much more valuable than what I could have gotten by staying.

That isn't to say that one must ALWAYS choose immediate happiness over a lucrative job offer. One must be weighed against the other, with each winning out at some point. Keep a good balance - otherwise I'd never work and would stay a university student forever!



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Geeks Abroad

I've been gone from my "real job" for about a year now.. and have picked up interim work along the way between travels.. but these are my stats from leaving my original "real job":

1) About 1 year
2) 24
3) Travel sales
4) No clue. I still need to figure out what I want to do. The only thing I do know: it will have nothing to do with sales! Im hoping I'll have an epihany while Im away, which will give my work life a little more direction!
5)None of my coworkers thought I was crazy. Most were fairly unhappy in their positions, and kind of looked at my escape in wonder/jealousy. Before and after I left, I had lots of "Wish I could do that.." conversations. Which leads me to believe that most people are too lazy/unmotivated/scared to change their surroundings, even if they are unhappy in them. I've been gone a year, and most of them are still there, still unhappy. Now whats the point of that?!

quote:

Originally posted by kforkelly:

3) Travel sales
4) No clue. I still need to figure out what I want to do. The only thing I do know: it will have nothing to do with sales!

Here, here! I work in travel sales as well and I am SO OVER IT. Once I leave this job I will never work in sales again!