BootsnAll Travel Community

Ok, I officially LOATHE my job and I definitely do not want to do it for the rest of my life! So being that we have 3 paychecks in July (which means more money in the savings account), I've decided to walk as of August 1st.

Now comes the decision. DO I take my $6,000 and finally move to Vancouver and start a new life, or do I go back to Asia and travel?

I have $1,000 travel voucher that I won from work and my Chinese double entry visa is good for re-entry until August 28th. Once I'm there I can stay in China for a month, I think.

I'm a great believer in fresh starts - obviously have done it a few times in my life already. And squeezing in some traveling time between the 'old life' and the new one is a great way to get ready: forget the old crap, level out for the new one.

Why do you need the 6k to move? How much do you really need to make that step? Can you sell some things? What I would do is: sell everything that is not extremely dear to you, calculate how much you REALLY need when moving to Vancouver and then spending the rest for traveling. (Personally I usually leave the calculating part out...but that's me.)

Well I definitely don't need 6K to move. I had actually planned on selling everything, which would mean I would have more than the 6K.

I don't know why I didn't think of doing both?? Duh!! I think I'm more torn about where to go. Whether I go to Asia or do Central and South America instead.

There's something really liberating about starting out a new life with almost nothing. Travel, with a return trip to Vancouvern. Book a couple of weeks in a hostel there to get you started, and spend the rest of your bucks travelling.

That's my vote, anyway.

La

Solution: move to Vancouver by going east.

Where are you living now? If you are renting terminate the contract and put your possessions in storage for 3 months or however long you want. When you come back simply find a new apartment in Vancouver.

Here's what I would do.

(ooo hoo, I can just hear them now...)

I would take that 6 gs and head out on the road, for a little while. I'd sell all my stuff and plan to return, but to return to Van and not Calgary. I' apply for EI and get it and then get them to direct deposit, and then blow, trying not to eat into my 6 grand too much. I'd use the time out of the situation to gain some perspective on it.

Upon return to Van, I would phone up lmy Van bootie friends and start surfing couches while I figured out where I was going to go. I'd get sort of a small place,(which is easy since I have n o stuff, really to speak of. I sold it all ion Calgaryu, remember) then I'd keep trading up.

But first I would do the trip....Always the trip CG.

D

quote:

Originally posted by La Rosser:
There's something really liberating about starting out a new life with almost nothing. Travel, with a return trip to Vancouvern. Book a couple of weeks in a hostel there to get you started, and spend the rest of your bucks travelling.

Thats exactly what i would do....had planned to do....once you start a new job in Vancouver, you may not get away for awhile.

I ended up starting a new job immediately, its been a year and naturally I didnt get to leave the country yet. Finally going to do so in September...

How far does 6K go in China anyway??

quote:

Originally posted by CaesarRomanus:
Solution: move to Vancouver by going east.

Actually not a bad idea. It would be one way to do a RTW. Depending on how far I can go on 6K! lol

6K would last 6-12 months in China, easy. RMB compared to the CND dollar is crazy cheap.

congratulations on making that decision pam. i think whatever happens, it will be very liberating for you and that my friend is a great feeling.

Playing the Devil's advocate, I would suggest you take into consideration some of the following:
What is the job market like in Vancouver?
Are you bringing marketable skills or are you just another worker?
How expensive are rents in Vancouver?
Are you moving from Aberta or Newfoundland? The farther the move, the more costs involved.
Have you looked into finding a job long distance? If you have the right background, you might be able to work it out that you start after your journey.

If you don't have good answers to the above, and piss away your 6k traveling, then you will have extra stress in starting your life over.

If you have good answers to the above, then just plan on some travel time in between - but still have start up money saved.

quote:

6K would last 6-12 months in China, easy.

%#*%*$)^$%!

If I were in your position the only thing that would keep me from being knee-deep in pork fried rice by 3 August is tickets to Jimmy Buffett, but I've never been known as "the responsible one." If you move to Vancouver and get started in your new life, what are the odds you'll make it back to China later?

If I were you, I would teach English in China for six months and then travel around Asia feeding my face as much as possible with pork Satay on a stick as well as taking long afternoon naps with feral Australians.

My father worked for the same company for 46 years but in today's economy no one can count on that. If there's someplace you want to go...go. A job of some sort will be there when you get back.

I feel inclined to mention how high the cost of living is here. I don't know what your work situation is, what skills you have to bring, how many resources you have in the city such as friends/family. But I do know that this isn't the easiest city to start out in, and I would be worried to do it without a safety net of cash.

I was going to suggest to find a teaching job somewhere in Asia but Static beat me to it...

Anyways. You might also want to take a smaller trip and keep some money for your big move...

But whatever you decide, I'm sure you'll make the right decision for YOU.

Good luck!

Ditto what Static said, except for the pork part. Go take a working holiday in Asia. Have fun. Send postcards.

A