Post: #1

Here's my little dilemma..

After graduating from university I worked for 3 years as a business and tax consultant for a large multinational advisory firm. After the 3rd year and passing all my professional exams I was promoted to senior and was earning around $60,000 p.a. (probably around $45,000 take home) at age 24. Where I'm from this was considered to be one of the more respected and promising career paths.

However I wanted to shoot myself every day for those 3 years and waking up each morning to head to the office just felt like a big f**king waste of life. About 3 days after my promotion I just decided my life wasn't supposed to go like this, so I just said 'fuck this shit' and resigned. I had about $50,000 in savings (from living at home and saving aggressively during my working years). This was my adventure fund. 1 month later, just after turning 25, I flew to Argentina which was the start of a 2 year journey across South America, Asia and Africa. I had many good times. If I had to spend all that money all over again, I wouldn't change a thing.

But now, money is an issue. I'm coming to the end of my little adventure fund and am a little lost in choosing a new career path. I have no problem in working again, and taking a paycut to enter a new career path. I just know that if I head back to my old career I will most likely fall into a depression and shoot some people. Had I not quit my job 2 years ago I'm sure I'd be earning over $100k p.a. now. But to me spending every day holed up in a shitty office kissing arse just so you can travel during your annual 4 weeks of holidays is a no way to live, no matter how much you're earning.

I'm 27 now, and realize I need to put my suit and tie back on. As much fun as it is living out of airports and seeing new parts of the world every day, you can't do it forever. You need money.

I guess what I'm asking for is just some input from other guys here who have followed similar paths. I am very much learning towards moving to a third world country and doing a short gig at an international firm to get my feet set, and then gradually phase into my own venture. Moving back to the first world seems difficult now, it's hard go back to paying $3 for a bottle of water, I'm too used to getting them for $0.30. Where am I thinking? Africa is where most opportunities lie, in my opinion. I've spent about 6 months in East Africa, where they are stuck in the 60's - there is not even a McDonald's in East Africa yet. In fact, many educated people I met don't even know what McDonald's is. However, interestingly enough, they have fantastic cellphone and internet service (better than many first world countries I've been to) and quite a high quality of living in certain wealthy, developed neighbourhoods. I think Africa is where the big money is to be made for the coming generation. Also, every day is an adventure when you're living in Africa.

Did you quit a well paying career at a young age to travel/change career?
Did you eventually go back to your old career?
Do you regret it?
What are you doing now?

And for the older guys here, if you could go back to age 27, what would you do differently?
What do you wish you could tell you 27 year old self?

I'm sure there are many guys here who have followed so called 'unconventional' lives/careers after giving up on the corporate world. Roosh seems to be a prime example. I'd be really grateful for anyone else who cares to share their story and help me spark some ideas.

Thanks

Post: #2

-

I quit my career to start a business - not to travel.

Quitting a career to travel would have made me broke.

I went abroad to seek business opportunities. In that context, I made the right decision - although it took a whole lot of mistakes and wrong decisions before I started to make money.

No regrets. You can't have regrets - that's Richard Branson talking.

Here's an article listing what successful people were doing in their twenties:

http://www.businessinsider.com/what-succ...20s-2013-3

I generally agree that Africa is where the best opportunities lie, in some contexts.

VICE - Africa's Cowboy Capitalists

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GslPzhFLyas

They don't really make much money in this one, apparently, but it's an interesting documentary.

None of that is advice, just my two cents.

Good luck!

-

Post: #3

Thanks YMG, I watched the first 5 mins of that doco, looks really good, will finish it later.

Some questions for you,

What particular region of the world did you pursue?

Why did you need to move abroad to start a business?

What was your previous career?

Post: #4

I gave up a full-time job to go travel in Europe and seek TEFL employment opportunities but I ended up coming back home unemployed and joined the Armed Forces. I'm pretty sure I've sold my soul. I lacked clear plans and focus, but wasn't willing to stay in my city to endure another round of service industry employment.

Post: #5

(08-13-2013 03:35 AM)shibby Wrote:  Thanks YMG, I watched the first 5 mins of that doco, looks really good, will finish it later.

Some questions for you,

What particular region of the world did you pursue?

Why did you need to move abroad to start a business?

What was your previous career?

Region: Asia

Why did you need to move abroad?

I didn't need to, I wanted to. I could have done a business in the US, there are always opportunities there, even in a bad economy.

Previous Career:

-LEED/Green Buildings

Post: #6

Quitting a career to go Travel is a financially bad decision.

You won't have much income.

Now that you traveled, has that changed you? Did you like living in hostels and a backpacker?

If so, then you should find n alternative career and travel/ work remotely.

But be aware you might not earn much, compared to being at a prestigious accounting/ law firm back in the states.

Can you change some aspects of life in the states so that you can have some adventure? E.g. moving to new York, for example.

Africa may be a bit of stretch for you, also you need capital to start doing business.

Post: #7

I'm 27. I've been simply not starting a career "back home" with a preference to spending time overseas. I haven't simply "travelled," however.

I've been mostly in a couple of places where I have mainly worked with very little "travel" involved.

I went back to Canada a year ago to start a career, but hated it and left after 8 months.

At this point I'm good enough at earning money in China that I may never live in Canada again. I don't know what the future holds.

Post: #8

If you are into western women, China may not be a good idea. There are some expat chicks. But they tend to be more stuck up then locals.

Post: #9

(08-15-2013 07:45 AM)fernandes Wrote:  Quitting a career to go Travel is a financially bad decision.

You won't have much income.

Now that you traveled, has that changed you? Did you like living in hostels and a backpacker?

If so, then you should find n alternative career and travel/ work remotely.

But be aware you might not earn much, compared to being at a prestigious accounting/ law firm back in the states.

Can you change some aspects of life in the states so that you can have some adventure? E.g. moving to new York, for example.

Africa may be a bit of stretch for you, also you need capital to start doing business.

Traveling definitely changed me. I have many new perspectives on the world. Especially traveling through the third world.

If you travel in 3rd world countries you don't always have to live in a backpacker dorm. You can get private rooms for $10 a night.

I'm definitely looking for an alternative career, hence the post.

Am aware Africa could be tough. Still pondering it.

Post: #10

(08-15-2013 08:27 AM)Suits Wrote:  I'm 27. I've been simply not starting a career "back home" with a preference to spending time overseas. I haven't simply "travelled," however.

I've been mostly in a couple of places where I have mainly worked with very little "travel" involved.

I went back to Canada a year ago to start a career, but hated it and left after 8 months.

At this point I'm good enough at earning money in China that I may never live in Canada again. I don't know what the future holds.

I also didn't simply "travel". I would've got bored way too fast. I studied both Spanish and Chinese in SA and China respectively for over a year, and taught English in various places.

What are you doing to earn in China? I lived in Shanghai for a while.

Post: #11

(08-15-2013 01:02 PM)fernandes Wrote:  If you are into western women, China may not be a good idea. There are some expat chicks. But they tend to be more stuck up then locals.

Shanghai has heaps of western women. Almost too many. As well as many black, latina and other Asian women. So many university students studying Chinese. I wrote a datasheet recently - /thread-26545.html

Post: #12

(08-16-2013 12:21 AM)shibby Wrote:  

(08-15-2013 08:27 AM)Suits Wrote:  I'm 27. I've been simply not starting a career "back home" with a preference to spending time overseas. I haven't simply "travelled," however.

I've been mostly in a couple of places where I have mainly worked with very little "travel" involved.

I went back to Canada a year ago to start a career, but hated it and left after 8 months.

At this point I'm good enough at earning money in China that I may never live in Canada again. I don't know what the future holds.

I also didn't simply "travel". I would've got bored way too fast. I studied both Spanish and Chinese in SA and China respectively for over a year, and taught English in various places.

What are you doing to earn in China? I lived in Shanghai for a while.

A mix of consulting and teaching.

Post: #13

After two years of self-employment and travel, I returned to job hunting which is difficult, perhaps because of my employment gap or because I'm only applying for top IT jobs. I cover the gap with consulting/freelance work and digital products I've developed which I helps the resume.

I'm currently surviving by consulting and teaching IT programming, but being in NYC salaries are currently low compared to rent.

If I were able to re-do the last 2 years, I would have gained more clients for consulting work which I could do overseas. It seems like many people prefer to meet you in person before conducting business especially being in NYC.

Post: #14

In my opinion girls deserve no sacrifice at all.To give up whole career for them is lethal mistake.

Post: #15

(08-13-2013 03:07 AM)shibby Wrote:  Here's my little dilemma..

After graduating from university I worked for 3 years as a business and tax consultant for a large multinational advisory firm.

What about a 100% telecommuting job as an accountant/CPA? I heard there's a demand for that.

Post: #16

Did you give up your career to go travel? How did it turn out?

Pretty fucking good!

Post: #17

Congrats! Let us know how it turned out!

Good work slayer!

Post: #18

(08-19-2013 02:56 PM)Onto Wrote:  

(08-13-2013 03:07 AM)shibby Wrote:  Here's my little dilemma..

After graduating from university I worked for 3 years as a business and tax consultant for a large multinational advisory firm.

What about a 100% telecommuting job as an accountant/CPA? I heard there's a demand for that.

Really? Do you know what kind of roles specifically?

Post: #19

Definitely, I have been interested in the idea of this thread and incorporating more world travel into my own life activities (before aging too much). Probably, most members in this forum are not independently wealthy, yet there does seem to be considerable varieties of members in terms of their income sources (to the extent those kinds of matters are discussed).

Somehow having the funding and an income stream for international travel can be risky, b/c there may also be some giving up of homeland privilege (I'm writing from a USA citizen perspective). Currently, I am working on securing a package and income stream in order that potentially I will be able to travel (potentially full time), without being tied down to a JOB in an expensive place like Los Angeles (or some alternative USA location). I get the sense that when I travel outside of the USA (as I have in the past) my exotic value goes up, which is a definite benefit and creator of various opportunities. Planning for such a transition from a quasi-tied down person to a world traveler (an expat or a sexpat) is a work in progress (b/c sometimes there can be a variety of funding sources - and uncertainties about how the anticipated income stream will play out), so it is going to take some time and additional exploration to work out many of the details of this upcoming world travel - including, also, trying to figure out how much and/or how many connections to maintain to the USA (property, govt benefits, relations and/or business connections), while preparing for worldly travels.

I realize that life circumstances can sometimes push a person into certain directions that may not have been initially planned.. like Shibby stated in the first posting of this thread, and, Shibby, your discussion of getting into a career while in your early 20s but then not sensing your personal future within that career... Yet, at the same time, knowing that you have skills to contribute to the organization and could continue to make a lot of money in that business, and potentially, at the same time, be miserable in the JOB. At the same time, the travel to another location did take away from your ability to build status within that specific career path and that potentially lucrative profession.

I believe it is a major dilemma that we face at various points in our lives (and I suppose the travel bug can come sooner or later or even have its various intensities and/or unpredictable outbursts) b/c sometimes, we may take a direction in our life/career path that may not have been as good as another route we could have taken. I suppose if we are looking towards the future, then the past or even past options (or past regrets) should not necessarily be a hindrance to how we are looking at the present or the future. You know some of the happiness gurus try to get us to live in the present in order to maximize happiness.

My sense, currently, is that I want to focus upon traveling while I am still young enough (I'm in my early 40s) to have pretty decent levels of energy, even though I spent quite a few years working in my latest stint of a JOB has been more than 12 years, but maintaining a single status can really allow mobility.

Post: #20

The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates and a monthly salary - Nasim Taleb

Post: #21

(08-20-2013 04:21 AM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates and a monthly salary - Nasim Taleb

Even though i recognize that the monthly salary is your focus in the above quote, here, it gives me great pleasure to see that carbohydrates is part of the quote.

Though, you realize Neil, that one of the goals in getting out of the rat-race of the 9-5 job is to figure out a way to secure residual income.

I suppose a central question may be how much of a person's soul, vitality, self or youth do you have to sell or give up in order to achieve adequate residual income.

Post: #22

I got canned unexpectedly a few days after I booked a one way flight to Bangkok. This was 6 months ago.

I considered staying in the USA (Miami Beach) and scrambling for another job and all that crap. But thankfully, I decided to take a chance and see what the other side of the world holds in store.

Best decision I ever made. Real talk.

I was already working in the internet marketing space so I had some contacts and leads to land contract work online. This is how I started to build my onilne business.

I'll be honest, I was dead broke and my macbook pro exploded 2 weeks into the trip. I had to buy a new one with what little money I had. Then I fell off a waterfall in chiang mai and woke up to a nice, fat hospitable bill. That's when things got really bad money wise.

I'll spare you the saga. But now, after half a year, things have really picked up and potential clients routinely reach out to me first based on referrals and my thread on Warrior Forum. Contrast that to when I first got here, I was begging people to let me do work for them at a laughable rate. Now I charge a healthy hourly sum.

But even during the moments when I didn't know if I'd have money to eat the following day, I somehow always managed. In this short 6 month interval (it somehow feels like an eternity and a blink at the same time) I've been on crazy adventures, met amazing women, made great friends, and kickstarted my "lifestyle business".

Do I miss the USA? Hell to the naw!

This has just been my own journey and I'm not suggesting anybody put themselves on the edge like I did. Things panned out by the hairs on my chinney chin chin. But I could have just easily wound up on the street with no money.

Looking back, it's eery that someway, somehow, a Paypal payment or affiliate commission always came through at the last minute. On no less than 5 separate occasions....

Not for everybody (it's fucking stressful having no money) but it really brings out your resourcefulness and makes you mature quickly and focus on the things that matter.

Also, back in the US, I could go to my family for money. And they always gave it. Probably the worst piece of parenting I ever got. I guess I knew deep inside that I had to stop suckling at my father's teat if I was to ever grow into a fully independent, self-actualized, proud man. And coming to Thailand was symbolically and literally the best way for me to do that.

I also know dudes who came out here and work offline. E.g. Teaching english or biology or working in a muay thai gym, or what have you. And they get along just fine.

Almost any destination in Southeast Asia is a cheap Air Asia flight away. So far I've been to Laos and Malaysia and tomorrow I'm heading to Cambodia. So it's cheap to go on little side-trips and mini-adventures. Even China and Japan are just a stones throw away. That's just ...fucking awesome!

A few things I learned that I wasn't expecting to learn as a result of leaving home and coming out here:

Money management skills - I've always sucked at managing my money. My attitude has always been "don't spend less, just earn more." So I never took it upon myself to cut unnecessary spending.

When I got here and was forced to use cash (no more credits cards for me) I quickly developed frugality, something I'd never learned when I could always swipe a credit card and worry about it later. When you use cash, you feel the pain of money leaving your hands. You see the crisp, fresh, 1000baht bills dwindle from a nice thick wad in your pocket to a last remaining piece of paper. Consequently, you develop some aversion around losing your cash!

Time/Energy Management Skills - Basically, when you really have to hustle, you'll make shit happen. But when you know you have some money coming in, you can allow yourself to get lazy.

I've had to manage my time and energy wisely out here, otherwise my business wouldn't grow and I'd have no money to eat. I've been more productive in these 6 months than the last several years combined when I had a salary to keep my complacent.

Seduction Skills - My game has improved a lot here. A lot of it actually has to do with sort of becoming a man and developing strong terms and boundaries, which radiates outward to the people you interact with.

But always moving around and seeing and exploring new places keeps your observation and social skills sharp, jacks your testosterone up (at least it feels that way) and activates some sort of primal program. Ok, that's broscience but that's my anecdotal "feeling" about it.

Perspective - Does anybody really believe that the US is the greatest country in the world anymore?

To believe that, you'd have to be so poorly traveled, so deluded, and so brainwashed that you couldn't even see because your head was so far up your own ass.

What's there to miss? The Women? hah! The Food? Double hah! The taxes? B, please.

The world is a big place and "home" can be anywhere where you feel welcomed, challenged and free.

To wrap up my somewhat rambling post, this is what one of my Thai lovers said to me and it kind of blew my mind. She said "you know...we (human beings) explored and discovered this Earth. Now, we're afraid to leave one little patch of land and go somewhere new..."

Post: #23

I have been considering whether this thread fits my current circumstances and considerations.

In about the past four months, I have been in a sort of transitional phase – transitioning out of a career and into a travelling mindset.

I know that OP initially possed this question for a guy who may be early in his career, and taking some chances. So my situation is a little bit different because I have spent more than 20 years in a combination of school and work, yet I feel quite uncertain whether it is a good idea to cut away and to travel on nearly a full-time basis (and there may be some other career opportunities with that future travel). Yet, the preparation for a travel direction takes a lot of time and clearing of matters.

Since I lived in the same location, in Los Angeles, for nearly 13 years, I have acquired a lot of personal possessions, including my irresistible urge to save books and business papers and papers showing a lot of my history that goes back more than 25 years. Currently, I am in the process of giving up a lot of these accumulated personal possessions – including giving away and throwing away items, in order to make myself more mobile in the coming months. This has been very traumatic for me on a psychological level, even though I have a sense that this purging is for my own good.. but much of the information reflected in my personal papers and property is lost forever – more difficult to write that autobiography or even for someone else to have the information.

My plan, in the end, is that I am going to be lighter, and I am going to sever a lot of my ties to these personal possessions – of course some of the items that I am unable to give up are going to go into storage, but I may later have to purge those items in the event that my overseas travels is working out as intended…

Careerwise, there is also some transition, and I negotiated a severance package with my previous employer, and once that was completed, that makes mobility more possible. I have been a little bit lucky NOT to have purchased real estate or to have acquired a WIFE and KIDS, but I continue to have some business relations that tie me to the USA without being able to make a complete severance.

Certainly, I could stay in the USA, and attempt to continue to build my fortunes with my past skills and connections, but instead I am making a choice to live on less than half of my previous earning capacity and to live off investments, while I am still capable of having some energy to be portable.

Like OP, I am still considering that there may be some potential income and career in the future in overseas travel locations; however, I am thinking that I am NOT necessarily forced into working if I can live cheaper overseas, then I may be able to get away with quasi-passive income for about the next 20 years - then my Social Security would kick in (albeit at a lower rate than if I had stayed in the USA and earned more income in the USA for the next 20 years).

I have NOT yet booked my first ticket, which will likely be Manila and locations in the Phils for 2 months starting in February. I then have to come back to the USA for 3-4 months, and then I should be able to travel again for about 5 months starting in August.

It would be good to hear further from guys about how this life of travel is working out for them.

Post: #24

I'm trying to figure out a way to make it work better. My goal is to start some type of business online or do something remotely where I can be time and location independent.

For the last 6 years or so I have been working in hotels, which works alright for traveling, as you can work anywhere in the hotel industry, and the places that pay the most are usually great places to live. In the hotel industry, it's common for people to move around a lot, so as long as you have a few places on your résumé that you worked for a few years, you're looking pretty good. One company I was with for 4 years and another 2 years, both were in pretty impressive areas for the industry and one being among the top 10% of hotels in the area. Both of the companies loved me, especially the higher profiled one, so I have great references. The money has been pretty good for not much qualification other than a good résumé and being able to speak a few languages. With my résumé and language skills I can pretty much get a job at any hotel I choose. I just got a new job and will be making right around $1000 a week and should I stay 6 months to a year I'll be making more like $1500 a week. Not bad pay for a man in his 20's. It affords me enough to travel for a bit of each year. This new job gives me 3 months off a year as the hotel is closed for those three months, which is great for traveling, but I also have to spend the rest of the year in a small town, which I like the small town, but it gets old after a while. If I could find this same job in a place like Miami, I'd probably never quit. I just need to find that middle ground. I wouldn't mind getting 3 months off a year to travel if the rest of the year I could live in a place I truly wanted to live in. But prefferably, i just want to be able to live and work where the hell I want to when I want to. Money is important, but if I'm making 50 or 60k a year for life, I'm totally fine with that so long as I get to see the world in the process and not just have 2-4 weeks a year off.

I think the way I'm doing it now is alright, but it could be better. This coming year I'm really going to push to better my situation. I've been held back these last 8 months or so because of funds and other things. Now I'm finally back to were I was before my last South American trip financially. It's going to help give me a little more motivation now that I have a little more cash flow coming in. I'm going to start reading up and try to figure out how I can make it work. I'm playing around with some ideas, now I just have to figure out how to implement them.

When I really think about it though, I feel pretty accomplished for seeing the few places I have seen and learning a couple of languages. I'm currently back home where I grew up for a couple weeks, and most of my friends lives seem so damn boring. Most of the kids I grew up with I don't talk to anymore, mostly because we can't really relate. I tried meeting up with my best friend growing up, and it just doesn't seem like it's going to happen. We kind of made plans but when I hit him up he says he has plans, then I think about it, and I don't even know how we'd relate anymore. He's still living with his dad and doesn't have a job. I'm pretty sure he just kicked a bad drug habit that's probably been consuming his life for who knows how long, and he's deciding to enlist in the army at the ripe age of 27. Half our other friends have kids and are working shitty construction jobs, doing the same routine day in and day out, all so they can take a hunting trip or go out on a boat once a month. I just can't do that shit. These kids hang out with the same people and fuck the same girls as in highschool. I think I would have shot myself by now had I stayed in the small town I grew up in. The only ones I still talk to are my friends that decided to move to Vegas proper (or at least Henderson). Only a handful of my friends growing up are actually living, and they're the only ones I've hung out with since I've been back. Not surprising, they also like to travel, are mostly single, and if not single, they still hang out every weekend and like to have fun. So after coming home, I feel like i may not be doing everything perfect, but I'm not doing bad either. I could be stuck trying to fuck the girls I went to highschool with that have 2 kids by now. I felt before I came that I was kind of at a turning point and I need to figure shit out, but coming back home made me feel like I'm doing pretty well. While I don't have it all figured out, I'm feeling confident that it will all fall into place soon if I work for it.

Post: #25

(11-15-2013 05:39 AM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  I'm trying to figure out a way to make it work better. My goal is to start some type of business online or do something remotely where I can be time and location independent.
...........

I think the way in doing it now is alright, but it could be better. This coming year I'm really going to push to better my situation. I've been held back these last 8 months or so because of funds and other things. Now I'm finally back to were I was before my last South American trip financially. It's going to help give me a little more motivation now that I have a little more cash flow coming in. I'm going to start reading up and try to figure out how I can make it work. I'm playing around with some ideas, now I just have to figure out how to implement them.

IP:

So you are saying that historically, you have only been able to obtain these solid paying hotel jobs in the USA; however, you would like to be able to obtain these kinds of jobs in overseas locations. Actually, we already know that if we get similar pay in certain overseas locations then we will live much better; however, we also know that frequently pay is docked in these lower cost overseas locations, unless a guy is bringing certain skill sets to the table that the Local population may NOT have.

Even with your stated upside of the income $1500 a week, you have to work about 9 months out of the year in order to reach your stated income goal. If you were making $1000 per week throughout the year, then you have to work the whole year and only barely meet your stated income goal, and who wants to do that?

Certainly, if a guy is in the savings, investing and preservation mode, then he may be willing to just keep working and putting aside assets in order to save up enough principle in order to be able to say good buy to the world of work - or at least to be able to work the quantity of time that he wants to work, rather than being forced to work.

For me, I had been depriving myself of a lot of travel for a considerable amount of time b/c I had been in this asset savings mode, and that kind of lifestyle can really wear on a guy.. and even at this time, I am NOT 100% free from my various obligations - though I am becoming more free based on having quite a few assets saved. Nonetheless, for me there remains uncertainty about whether what I have is enough and in sufficiently good order to be able to travel in a largely independent manner.


Edit after I read your last paragraph in your post:

IP:

I had found when I was 18, it was very difficult to leave my home area and to leave the sure deal of actually being able to continue to bang girls in high school while out of high school, as many of my friends were doing. I was kind of envious of them b/c I had NOT stuck around for those real benefits. Well, anyhow, many of those guys are married to those girls or some local equivalent and are responsible dads, and that can be good in its own right.

However, I really get nervous about the thought of such a bland and settled down existence (in spite of some of its stability advantages).

I am NOT completely convinced that my life is any better than theirs, and it is just different from theirs.... and each of the two possible lives has its advantages and disadvantages.

At this point, I am really glad to be able to be sufficiently detached in order to be able to pick up stakes and to travel - even though this process of picking up stakes is NOT an easy one for me b/c I had grounded myself in a large number of ways that I had NOT realized (even without having wife, kids and real estate).