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How to deuce the world and live in paradise?
Posted on 10/15/19 at 9:16 pm
Posted on 10/15/19 at 9:16 pm
I've been stacking cash and I read the millionaire next door and have been living well below my means in the industrial world with a construction management degree. I'm coming up on my 30s and would like to take a few years to enjoy some time in Europe, Asia, and especially South America while I'm still young. I feel that I could certainly afford it but I'm more worried about how much it would stunt my career growth. I guess I dont really know what I'm asking but any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have no debts, plenty of money saved up, and my retirement plans have a decent amount for my age. I want to enjoy life though without waiting until im old. The problem is that I feel that I'm in an industry that's difficult to learn without field experience which I would be giving up for this lifestyle.
This post was edited on 10/15/19 at 9:23 pm
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Posted on 10/15/19 at 9:23 pm to Yeti_Chaser
Taking an extended break in your earning years is not advised. It will severely impact your career growth. You will always have to explain the gap on your resume.
Posted on 10/15/19 at 9:34 pm to Yeti_Chaser
Get some overseas assignments and take a few weeks or month off to tour around between jobs or turnarounds.
There are always lots of volunteers for overseas jobs, but when the opportunity arrives majority decline.
There are always lots of volunteers for overseas jobs, but when the opportunity arrives majority decline.
Posted on 10/15/19 at 11:04 pm to Yeti_Chaser
If you don't do it now you probably never will, or you will wait until you're retired which will severely change the scope of your adventures.
Sometimes in life you can't measure everything by dollars and cents. And who knows, you may come back with a whole different perspective that enhances your career better than you would've imagined. Or not come back at all.
That being said, does it really have to be for a "few years"? You could take multiple extended trips and probably not stunt your career growth but get a hell of a lot out of your experiences.
Sometimes in life you can't measure everything by dollars and cents. And who knows, you may come back with a whole different perspective that enhances your career better than you would've imagined. Or not come back at all.
That being said, does it really have to be for a "few years"? You could take multiple extended trips and probably not stunt your career growth but get a hell of a lot out of your experiences.
Posted on 10/15/19 at 11:09 pm to Yeti_Chaser
quote:Do it.
I guess I dont really know what I'm asking but any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Posted on 10/16/19 at 12:34 am to Yeti_Chaser
Talk to your company about taking 4-8 weeks all your vacation and then the remaining as unpaid leave, whatever they will tolerate. That is certainly long enough to do at least one of those areas right (I’d suggest backpacking SE Asia as a jumping off point). If they go along with it, no harm done.
If they say no, switch companies and negotiate a start date with a similar length break in between employers.
This and long 2 week vacations abroad every year since my early 20s has scratched that itch for me without totally bugging out. Staying in hostels/hotels/Airbnb’s suck after a few weeks IMO when sometimes you just want your own bed.
If they say no, switch companies and negotiate a start date with a similar length break in between employers.
This and long 2 week vacations abroad every year since my early 20s has scratched that itch for me without totally bugging out. Staying in hostels/hotels/Airbnb’s suck after a few weeks IMO when sometimes you just want your own bed.
Posted on 10/16/19 at 6:50 am to CalcuttaTigah
Posted on 10/16/19 at 6:52 am to Yeti_Chaser
Several years break is a long time......why not start by doing 2-3 weeks, several times a year? If you’re a valued employee, your employer may be amenable to giving you unpaid leave between projects. As someone said upthread, you may need to find a new employer to make this happen.
Shorter trips are a good place to start. Go as an independent traveler, rent an apt, try to live like a local wherever you go.
Shorter trips are a good place to start. Go as an independent traveler, rent an apt, try to live like a local wherever you go.
Posted on 10/16/19 at 7:14 am to Yeti_Chaser
quote:
I'm coming up on my 30s
So you're 29?
quote:
I have no debts
Excellent - probably doesn't seem like it now, but this is one of the smartest things you have done.
quote:
plenty of money saved up
Okay - you're in your 20s, still - I don't need you to brag or give away the whole secret stash, but can we get an idea of how much this actually is? Because us ole baws can tell you if you're right, wrong, close or far.
quote:
The problem is that I feel that I'm in an industry that's difficult to learn without field experience which I would be giving up for this lifestyle.
This is certainly a concern. Most people will blink at you when you say, "Yeah, I haven't been working because I've been kicking it in Europe the last couple of years."
Posted on 10/16/19 at 7:34 am to Ace Midnight
Any chance you could tough it out for another 5 years or so and become financially independent?
Posted on 10/16/19 at 9:53 am to Yeti_Chaser
well...
if you plan to go back to work then you're doing a sabbatical..
...some industries are unfortunately not very compatible with doing the take a few years off thing.
if you plan to go back to work then you're doing a sabbatical..
...some industries are unfortunately not very compatible with doing the take a few years off thing.
Posted on 10/16/19 at 10:36 am to Ace Midnight
quote:
This is certainly a concern. Most people will blink at you when you say, "Yeah, I haven't been working because I've been kicking it in Europe the last couple of years."
Why on earth would you ever say this to a potential employer?
OP, if you seriously want to ditch for 2-3 years, consider pursuing an online MA or MPS degree while you're traveling. Depending on the degree/program, it can increase your marketability when you do return to the "work world", and the 2-3 years of downtime will be less of a hole in your resume since it will be apparent that you were pursuing an advanced degree.
Plenty of high-quality online master's programs to choose from these days.....I'm thinking of GA Tech's online master's degrees in analytics, or the hybrid professional MAs in manufacturing or supply chain engineering.
Anyway, sounds like you could spin this "away" time for growth & development in the professional arena.
Posted on 10/16/19 at 10:51 am to Yeti_Chaser
I am going to be in the minority here, but I was in a similar boat as you and I took off and hiked the Appalachian Trail. I think it did more for my career than it did against it. I doubt I would have the job I have now if it had not been on my resume. I was off for about a year because I got ready for my trip over the winter, bought my gear and did some cold weather trips to make sure my setup would work. When I got back I spent the holidays with my family before heading back to work. I could have easily fit some overseas trips in my itinerary.
Posted on 10/16/19 at 10:53 am to Yeti_Chaser
Move to Hawaii and be homeless. It's paradise though 
Posted on 10/16/19 at 10:55 am to eng08
quote:
Get some overseas assignments and take a few weeks or month off to tour around between jobs or turnarounds
This. I would think Construction Management would be a fairly easy job to find overseas? Espeicially if you are single and not overly worried about the pay and schedule. Go to a 2nd or 3rd world country and then as said tour around on your time off.
Try to get some time off between your current job and start date on your new job.
Depending on your job field demand, you could absolutely just take 4-6 months off then look for another job and be working again in 6-8 months.
Posted on 10/16/19 at 11:34 am to OleWarSkuleAlum
quote:
Taking an extended break in your earning years is not advised. It will severely impact your career growth. You will always have to explain the gap on your resume.
You must be a riot at parties. What a limited and weak way of thinking.
Whatever you do, don’t listen to this baby boomer bullshite. If it’s what you want to do, just do it. It’s ridiculous to not try something new because of the fear that you *might* have to explain a gap in your resume. The horror!
That being said, I think it is good advice to work doing/towards something during the break. Most foreign, non English speaking countries are always looking for native English speakers to teach. Just one option.
Posted on 10/16/19 at 11:58 am to TheSlizzardKing
quote:
You must be a riot at parties. What a limited and weak way of thinking.
Whatever you do, don’t listen to this baby boomer bullshite. If it’s what you want to do, just do it. It’s ridiculous to not try something new because of the fear that you *might* have to explain a gap in your resume. The horror!
Not to mention that practically every woman who chooses to have more than one child ends up with "missing" years on her resume. Somehow, women manage to overcome this resume deficiency and go on to have *actual* careers.
Posted on 10/16/19 at 12:39 pm to hungryone
quote:
Not to mention that practically every woman who chooses to have more than one child ends up with "missing" years on her resume. Somehow, women manage to overcome this resume deficiency and go on to have *actual* careers.
Women make significantly less money over their “career” as well on average. I wonder why????
Posted on 10/16/19 at 12:43 pm to OleWarSkuleAlum
quote:
Women make significantly less money over their “career” as well on average. I wonder why????
Maximizing income potential wasn't OP's question....no duh, staying out of work for a few years limits your lifetime income. The POINT of my comment is for OP not to abjectly fear being out of work, as though it's completely impossible to return to the workforce after a stop-out. Countless professional women do this each year and manage to go back to law, accounting, teaching, whatever and do not magically render themselves forever unemployable or under-employed simply because of a gap on the resume.
Posted on 10/16/19 at 12:53 pm to hungryone
quote:
consider pursuing an online MA or MPS degree while you're traveling.
I like this idea. That would be a good way to explain a gap and it could be beneficial in my field.
To the guy who asked how much I have saved up I'll say that I have 2 years worth of my current living expenses in non-retirement accounts. I'm 26 but I just started a pretty good project for the next 2 years and wouldnt be doing this until after this project is complete. I'm earning about 3.5 times more (pretax) than I'm spending while on this project, so in 2 more years I should have plenty saved.
This post was edited on 10/16/19 at 1:03 pm
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