I'm sure this is a common question around here, but how do you guys come up with the money to be able to travel? Being a wageslave and using your one week vacation out of the year sounds like hell to me. Being self-employed, however, would be ideal, as you'd be able to set your own time and you could have multiple sources of income.
I just want freedom; I'm sure I'm not alone.
my job is actually pretty flexible. two of my buddies actually traveled throughout asia for two MONTHS and still had their jobs. it all depends on what you do too.
>>1089933
What is your job my friend?
Got a regular job, earn good money and on top of that I have 13 weeks of payed holidays each year (5weeks normal and I work 12min longer per shift to compensate for the rest) on top I can get up to 3 months of unpaid vacations every other year.
Could be worse.
>>1089936
What do you do man?
>>1089937
Social Pedagogue working in a special ed boarding home.
>>1089929
You have to understand that we all come from different backgrounds here. Some people sacrifice better paying jobs for ones that allow them to travel for example.
I'm lucky, I get contracts for around a year. After my contract ends I put all my stuff in my parents house and travel. When I come back I tell the HR folks to look for a new position for me and usually within a month I get another year long contract. My job is not stable however, there was one year about 3 years back where I didn't work for 2 months which really really sucked. But the other 4 years that I've been here have been really good for me. People constantly tell me that I should apply for a full time permanent position but I tell them I would then get 2.5 weeks of vacation and that's horseshit considering I travel a minimum of 4 weeks in that month I take off + take additional time off for shorter trips each year.
>>1089940
Yeah so just do that and you can totally travel, such a great and valuable contribution there bud
>>1089952
I just answered the question bro.
>>1089952
Don't be a dick.
Personally I'm an electrical lineman. I work whenever I feel like it and wherever there's work to be had. What I usually do is sign the books in my union hall, get placed on a job and work it until it's ether finished or I've had enough for whatever reason (shitty crew, bad hours, bad location, just bored of it, etc) and I save some of my paychecks each week. After a few months of work, I'm good for a few months of travel. As long as I pay my monthly dues and keep my hours up, I can do pretty much whatever I want.
Be advised though that if you take this route, you will spend 4 years as an apprentice and you will have no say in where you go or what you do until you become a journeyman.
>one week a year
American?/here in France everyone has month.
>>1089929
I've been working non stable jobs since I was 19. I did a working holiday in Australia, worked at a liquor store in New Zealand, worked at a hostel in Nicaragua, delivered pizzas, led tours for Trek America, drove an 18-wheeler for two years and my last job was working in an office. It was killing my soul so I'm using my CDL to go work in Alaska for the summer. From there, who knows. I'm a 27 year old single guy with no desire to have children or own a home any time soon so I think I'll just keep rambling.
I got my credit score up really good while I was a trucker and financed a chevy pickup truck. Its a brand new colorado at only $380 a month. In about 12 days I'm driving from Georgia to Alaska, should be amazing.
I think I'm gonna put a camper shell on it and make it my living space and kick it down to Mexico come October. I should be able to get pretty cashed up over the summer.
I tried for so long to be in the know of drop-shipping, blogging, all that stuff but I could never figure out the right path. In the end, I've never really been broke and I've been all over the fuckin world.
pic related
>>1089987
That sounds like more of a struggle than anything. You're still a slave to the dollar at the end of the day.
>>1089978
idk about one week for OP, but most of my friends and i who have just entered the workforce have two weeks. which is still shit, but what can ya do. i just stack my days with other holidays to get long weekends.
>>1089929
For now I'm freelance in publishing. As far as the schedule goes it's alright, but the pay is shit (e.g. I made 13k this year compared to 18k last year) so I can't travel by plane often. I kinda prefer road trips anyway.
Can't wait to be a welder in october so I can make an actual living and travel every year.
>>1089990
you're not wrong. it has weighed on me quite a bit over the last few years. sometimes i am angry with myself for not being intelligent enough to start some passive income empire but then i do consider that i've had and am having a great life full of people that love and respect me.
ive had "struggles" in life but I've still yet to deal with a crushing death of a loved one or any other type of health/life emergency. i feel very fortunate to have been able to see the joy with the hard work that it took
one day i'll need more financial security but for now im just doing the best that I can.
>>1089996
You seem like a good dude anon. Have a kickass time on your journey up to Alaska. Money is important but it's certainly not everything.
>>1089998
thanks senpai. i got bumped from a flight back at xmas on southwest so im going to cancun for two nights before i head north for a grand total of $112. ive got 2 doses of fine LSD and a beautiful beach waiting for me.
i fuckin love traveling more than anything
i teach english in japan
>but thats shit! youre an idiot!
ok?
at a junior high school you do jack shit. ive spent far more hours looking up travel places, studying japanese or other topics, reading ,texting friends/gfs etc than actually teaching or doing work.
i have about $2,000 after rent and taxes are deducted. i live in a cheap 1 room apartment by myself and dont generally money other than food and occasional dates.
i use the shit load of free time to explore japan and also asia. you can even find surprisingly cheap flights to europe sometimes.
im from the us, so im staving off of North America/South America until i get sick of it here and go home to get a normal job.
this year im going to have a full 2 months of summer off and 1 month for winter, paid. not very much, but paid.
sure it would be nice to have more money to blow on everyday things or stay in nicer hotels and whatnot, but that would involve some boring ass desk job, doing actual work, with little time off. i think i prefer the time off, even if im not traveling
You don't necessarily need a a lot of money to travel.
If you look hard enough, you can go almost anywhere in the world for less than $300 US.
>>1090009
>i teach english in japan
I hope you don't teach them the kind of illiterate shit you just posted.
http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/How-to-travel-the-world-with-al
Bartender here. If I begin my job hunt in the last few days overseas I can have call-backs and gigs in 2 weeks after touching back on US soil. Sometimes I work 3 jobs at once and just don't have weekends. I make $20-30 an hour, sometimes more, depending on the gig.
My last trip lasted 2 months and took about 4 months to save, though I was stupid with my money and flew all over Europe and rented apartments for a month in Prague and Hungary, but visited Bruges, Paris, Berlin and Vienna on the side.
This time I'm thinking of WOOLFing in France and using a combo of reserve $$ in my savings and hopefully getting the 20 hr/week work from a student visa (I didn't finish my undergrad and want to combine it with travel). Not sure which country I'm going to actually plant myself and study in, I just want to spend the first month there. France is unrealistic with my pay and their unemployment issues for me to consider staying a month there with anyone other than WOOLF
I'm a US Marine in the Supply/Logistics field. I get paid to travel , because of my job, plus 30 days of leave each year, and get a lot of discounts due to my job, as well as do things like accumulate airline miles through credit cards, hotel stays, car rentals, and other things.
The thing that sucks is I typically have to ask permission from like what feels like 5 different people to fly internationally and that usually comes with the prerequisite of some sort of mandatory training or doing some sort of personal action plan or some other BS.
>>1090095
A recent FB post from a friend who's currently living on Okinawa:
Apr Tokyo trip: Booked
Apr Korea trip: Booked
May Miyako trip: Booked
May Yokosuka trip: Booked
June Osaka trip: Booked
July America: Not booked yet...
>>1090095
I forgot to mention all of the 3 and 4 weekends we get for holidays. And you can also take leave in conjunction with work related travel. Like if you have training or work in Hawaii, Norway, or Cali, Japan, or wherever, military will fly you out there and then once your TAD period is one you can stay there on vacation.
Also your leave is stackable, I had 80 something dyas on the books at one point, because when my kids were young we just used the all of the 3 and four day weekends for domestic travel and didn't need to burn any leave.
>>1089929
Eh, I have an IT role at a bank, but we get 6 weeks holiday plus public holidays.
Is it an American thing to not get any time off?
>>1090118
yes. people are actually campaigning on promises that mothers should get time off to be with their newborn in this election. That's how fucked this country is with vacation time, in general. Time is money. Money is king.
>>1089945
What do you do m8?
>>1090150
I work in a university, admin work. It's shitty, but it pays enough to get by and travel. I kinda have a dead end job though, I don't think I'll ever amount to anything at the university unless I got a masters degree.
>>1090118
Low paid jobs get no paid vacation and probably wouldn't give you unpaid vacation if you asked for it..
If you have a decent career then you might get 2-4 weeks of vacation per year. The problem is that depending on where you work it might be unfavorable to actually use the vacation. As much is the memes wouldnt lead you to believe, a lot of Americans are very hard working. Taking a lot of vacation time is viewed as lazy. You are afraid you might get passed for promotions or miss out on important projects.
I work a 4/4 shift so If I book 4 days holiday I get 12 days free. If I book 8 days holiday I get 20 days free.
Having money just depends on the job, I don't earn much but I live cheap. I can save approximately $500 a month, and that's enough to go somewhere each year.
If you're single you can work at McDonald's and afford to travel. Issues come in to play whem you add a wife, and esepcially kids and the costs double or more. Being a wageslave isn't the death of the freedom to travel. Having a family is.
working a standard 9-5 as a software developer, building up my savings and resume so i can get a good freelance gig and work all over the world. preferably japan
>>1090214
>when you add a wife the costs double or more.
Nah, I'd say its cheaper. Assuming she has a job and you aren't paying for her.
I mean, I'm renting an apartment all for myself for about $800 a month and my friend and his GF are renting an apartment for $750 a month between them. That's an extra $400 a month each for them right there in savings.
While travelling they can split hotel costs in half.
(Though obviously kids are the death of any travel plans you have)
>>1090223
Wife doesn't work, and have two kids. Plus that's 3 extra plane tickets. Even if it was just her that'san extra plane ticket.
>>1090207
Jawad?
>>1089978
American here also. Also have one week vacation per year. Legally, employers are not required to give paid vacation. I hate it here.
>>1089974
How do you get into that? How hard is it to become am apprentice?
>>1090426
No?
While i havnt traveled for the length that some of you have, this is what i do which is probably realistic or average for most american workers. I usually plan my vacations 1-3 or so weeks at a time.
I work in IT for a School district so we have high and low periods of work all revolving around school schedules. Every year starting we get 12 sick days, 3 personal wellness days to be used for either medical reasons or for any reason, and 12 paid vacation days. These can all be accumulated and saved with no restrictions minus the personal days, those are a use it or lose it sort of deal.
So what i do is use the sick days and personal days as a normal person would their vacation and save all my vacation days up to be used either around federal holidays or winter, summer, spring breaks where there are no classes and we have no work so i can kinda game the system and get say 2 weeks+ off around Christmas and the new year for only using 5-6 actual vacation days.
I want to go travel around Aisa though for maybe 2-3 months, i think realistically i could do a Leave without Pay sorta deal so hopefully i can return and still have my job as i get back, but i guess i wont know until it happens.
>tldr; Americans get shit for vacation days working average jobs, and unless you work odd schedules its near impossible for full month vacations.
>>1089987
how did you get into being a tour guide? That's honestly one of the few things that interests me.
I'm dragging out university, working a lot, and make taking several long trips per year a priority. I just got back from three months in India, a week in Thailand, and will travel to Mexico and maybe Brazil by the time 2016 is over.
I spent my first two years of college working multiple menial jobs. I delivered sandwiches for Jimmy John's, Hungry Howie's, and had a similar position at a local pizzeria. I made decent money but didn't have any respect and loaded my car down with miles. Now that I'm older and better connected, I manage a transportation logistics company and do freelance writing in my spare time. Since I've known the folks who own the business I work for before I started working there, I basically get unlimited vacation days, provided I give them some heads up.
I make good money and have a relaxed job.
>>1090615
http://americanadventures.com/work-for-us/
Funny story though, I met this girl working at the same hostel as me in Nicaragua and she was a tour guide for the summer season. I didn't care for her too much but she had a pretty unique name. About 4 months later, half a continent away and in a completely random place I was at a winery for a couchsurfing party. I started talking to this guy, turns out he was her boss for the tour guide job. He was impressed by my travels and shit and pretty much guided me on what I needed to do to get hired. Mainly pass a drug test, not be an idiot and be able to drive a van with a trailer. Its a hard fucking job, be warned. But also I got to do the coolest shit. Rode a helicopter over vegas, rode class 5 rapids, jumped a horse in Utah, stayed in a hut on Navajo land, partied on bourbon street etc.
Shit they still might be looking for people, the season doesnt kick off fully until may
I'm a teacher at a private academy in korea.
Money is never an issue because the cost of living is so fucking cheap.
I make 2.5million won per month raw and I typically saved 1.4mil in my bank at the end. I'm not trying to save either. I go out drinking and shopping most weekends and go to places with my girl.
Vacation is 2 weeks. Which is shit but I never waste them.
I'm planning on getting a masters and teaching at an American International School after my contract is up.
I like teaching but I hate big classes. Public school always has the shittiest kids too.
>>1090744
2.5million? US dollars?
>>1090793
2102.17500 US Dollar
>>1090744
>private academy in korea
I'am guessing you need a degree for that?
>with my girl
Korean?
>American International School
Isn't that for American students to learn subjects that are not English?
>>1089929
>Being a wageslave and using your one week vacation out of the year sounds like hell to me.
You get two weeks, not one. Take them not all at once, and around national holidays and get a 3 day weekend tacked on for free.
>Being self-employed, however, would be ideal, as you'd be able to set your own time and you could have multiple sources of income.
Nothing stopping you now from moonlighting, having a side business, or other scheme. Ex. Repair computers, work a booth at the local market on Saturday, sell something on eBay, buy/sell antiques, design web pages, mow yards, tutor college students, babysit kids afterschool, etc
I'm a software developer and I get 4 weeks of paid vacation every year. I tend to take a week or so off when there's a holiday so i get a combo extra few days tacked on for a trip.
>>1090829
International schools are for expats, and locals who want a western education. Everything is in English
>>1090831
Simply put you gotta just grind. And there is a shit ton of things that need grinding, A lot of people just don't want to put the effort.
>>1090849
That's pretty nice. At least you can teach something other than English. But I'am sure it's competitive as fuck.
>>1090924
Depending on the country, it's less competitive than ESL, in a sense, but more elite, as it has higher qualifications.
>>1089929
>Being self-employed, however, would be ideal, as you'd be able to set your own time
Yes and no. Customers will set up your calendar, directly or indirectly.
I've been self-employed for 7 years and managed to travel a lot during that time. The longest trip was of 19 months. Enough to satisfy mu wanderlust and realize that I don't have to move my ass around the world because my own country is a great place to explore.
>>1090009
Do you know Jeff Jolly?
Just landed a job that could possibly set me for life.
Started working at a dam counting fish that come through the trap. I literally just count/feed fish all day and some other minor things. I'll work spring and summer for 6 months. I'll have winter/fall to travel or live off unemployment.
I'll have a 95% chance of being rehired every year with a pay raise. And if I work there long enough I might be able to move to a year round position. Life is good
I'm sure something will go wrong though. It always does. But life is good. For now.
I work for DB Schenker (German rail) in the USA as an analyst.
40 hrs of flex time and 80hrs of vacation in year 1. 120hra of vacation in year 3.
If i log in and work from the road.... I dont use a vacation day.
On my travel days or mid travel slump i log in for a day or two or three and do 2 hrs of work.... Boom extra days.
I have a company computer Nd company global phone with data tethering.
So thats nice. I also volunteer to go tp global locations for projects.
So far company has sent me to canada, paris, germany, japan, hk, dubai.
>>1090445
>how did you get into that?
I got my class A CDL on a whim after my dad said it would open up a lot of job opportunities. Turns out they were screaming for groundmen/drivers at the company my dad works for, so I applied there and they took me. After a few months I decided I loved the work, and applied to an apprenticeship program.
Most programs in the south will take people pretty easily- especially if you do some time as a groundman and have your class A. Up north it's way better to go through, but obviously they're a bit pickier. I got in up north because my dad is very good friends with one or two of the guys who help run the program, but I like to think I'd have gotten in without their help anyway. Pic related is me doing some really basic bonding shit- the funny part is, I'm like maybe 10 feet off the ground in this shot. Also, don't be like me and climb in short sleeves. Very dumb.
>>1090829
I just have a bachelors and TEFL.
Yeah my gf is Korean. I tried dating western girls here but most of them are fat or ugly or hate teaching and are always negative.
The other anon answered all your questions about international schools.
University student, working at a restaurant. I'm one of their best cooks, so they're pretty lenient in giving me days off.
Booked off two months for a hitchhiking trip last summer, only took me two weeks though kek
>>1089929
I'm drowning in student loans, but I pick up extra shifts at the hospital and at a retail pharmacy to save up for my trips.
Fortunately, my new hospital job gives us a lot of PTO and my supervisor is cool with letting us take time off to travel.
>>1091258
Is your bachelor's in teaching?
>>1090990
Makes sense.
>>1089929
I feel like I've responded to this question at least once before. My answer: I am an American, and as such, my traveling/working life has always been skewed in favor of working. But after some years of a single two-week stint of international travel per year, two things happened. First, I was finally senior enough to have access to around 20 days/year of vacation. Second, and arguably more importantly, I wound up in a position that required frequent international travel. A challenge with balancing travel and a more or less traditional professional career is that the more seniority and money one has, the harder it is to actually be able to take the time to travel.
So I found a weird interim point at which, for roughly five years, I 'vacationed' almost not at all, but was abroad on business trips a lot--at the very least quarterly. I was able to take microptrips attached to these jaunts--weekends, 3-4 days at the end of a trip, etc.--that didn't cost me much of anything. I also accumulated a huge collection of frequent flier miles, so I didn't actually pay for a personal plane ticket for several years.
More recently, I've been a contractor. I work for a few days to a few weeks (or even a couple of months) at a time. I can travel in between contracts, and/or fulfill the terms of my contract remotely. It works well for me. But I put in a lot of years being a more traditional wage-bound worker before I figured this out.
>>1089952
lmao, and what are you? Trash picker?
>>1090439
1 fucking week? Its a joke, a completely and utter fucking joke.
We have 5 weeks paid here, its unbelievable that you dont have any unions in USA anymore, you just bend over and let the employer penetrate your assholes
I live in a first world country called the netherlands where I have a few weeks of vacation
>>1091596
Hey, some people like getting out assholes penetrated. Getting paid while getting penetrated is a win-win to me.
>>1089952
What a pissant
