A year out around the world. YES or NO?

Fozzie Bear

A question. No, scratch that, actually several questions. My girlfriend (who has already done a year in oz) has been floating the idea of doing a year touring the world (in 2009) for the last few months to me. I have reservations about the whole thing to be honest. Now i know some of you will be screaming at the screen "are you mad" but bear with me here. I never did the whole year out thing before as it just never appealed to me. I don't know why to be honest as people i know who did, say its the best thing they ever done. I enjoy traveling and have seen much of Europe and a few bits of the US (going to see more of it in August for 2 weeks) but this was in 2/3 week long holidays.

She mentioned (as a basic plan) to start in South America, then maybe NZ, Sydney and then Western Australia, Asia and maybe part of Europe on the way home. After that she has no further information for me so.............

Question 1. Has anyone else done similar. How easy is it to get work? How do you go about getting work in these countries?

Question 2. How much money would you recommend bringing with you or how much approx would you spend on a holiday like this? E20-30,000 over the year? More/less? I know it depends on a lot of factors but an approx idea would help me.

Question 3. What sort of accomodation did you use? I presume hostels?


And probably my biggest concern........

I am 30 and although i went to college i left without qualification as i always planned to work for a year or two and then go back. Never happened though. I done night courses instead and I have been with the same company for the last 10 odd years and have worked my way up to a well paid job and i am basically my own boss. She on the other hand is 26 and a primary school teacher. My concern is leaving a job i have worked my arse off for. I doubt i will be given a career break so i am looking at packing it all in and then having to come back from my years trip and start off again at the very bottom and for considerably less pay in a new job. She on the other hand will be all but guaranteed a well paid job on her return.

Question 4. Has anyone else been in a similar position to me and what was your experiences if so? How was it to get work again etc.....

Any other points/experiences you have will be more then welcome.


I'm not on here looking to be convinced to go as I'm sort of 60% of the way there to agreeing. But I'd like a hell of a lot more information on whats involved and other peoples experiences of doing likewise. I know there is wealth of websites out there on this and i assure you i will be researching them all. But i'd like to hear other peoples take on this too.

Many thanks
Fozzie

MarkPH

Personally, I did something very similar. I went to America, South America, Australia (only place to work) and Asia and Europe on the way home, about 18 months in total. I brought about €15,000 with me (maybe even some more) and earned quite a bit in Australia (which I more or less spent all of it there) and came home with a couple of thousand left to pay off on the credit card.

To answer your questions tho:
1. i found work very easy to get, but I used a degree and my qualifications in my field for work. Big demand in Perth and Brisbane as they are the more expanding cities, but work can be found throughout easily enough if you are determined.
2. I'd say €20,000 is more than enough. I didnt spare anything, I did what I could when I could and did as much travelling everywhere as I could possible.
3. Mainly hostels travelling, sometimes cheap hotels or whatever and then settled in a house in Oz.
4. Wouldnt really have been that similar to you. I had got my degree and worked a few years, but I was sick of it all, and am so glad I left. Back working again on a much higher salary than when I left but I really negotiated for it.

The way I looked at it was that you can work all your life, and try earn that extra thousand each year, or you could have a once in a lifetime oppertunity, and come back with no possesions or anything, but you wont have any regrets in life when you are old. The amount of people who said 'I should have done the same when I was your age' when I was going/away/cam back was unreal. Whats the point in working for money if you dont spend the money you earn and enjoy life.

Jugs82

Just a quick question, you said your girlfriend has already done a year in Oz, and that you plan to work in Oz, dunno if she will be able to work as she might just get a holiday visa (3 months)

I had friends who got great jobs in New Zealand while i was in Sydney, still regret not going over with them but maybe working in New Zealand for a bit might be an option

As for work and leaving your job, its a tough call but alot of people come back from their travels motivated to go back and finish their studies or change direction completely

Fozzie Bear

Thanks for the replies guys.

Ya Jugs, my GF worked on and off for parts of her year in Oz so that i'm sure will raise issues for her. We might be able to budget for this and hopefully pick up work some where else before reaching Oz, like NZ as you mentioned.

I suppose the work thing is not that big of a deal when i think about. As with you Mark, i am pretty fed up with work at times so maybe the break would be a good thing for me. Plus it is a once in a life time thing to do so why not while i can. No point having regrets.....

Thanks for the advice, you have put my mind ease about it and i think i'm definitely going to have to grasp the nettle on this one.

breadmonkey

Better to regret something you did than somehting you didn't do!

(For the most part. Murder etc. probably shouildn't be considered.)

SheroN

Sounds exactly like the trip I plan on doing next year. Am currently saving for it!

I've been working since leaving college 5 years ago. I've become bored with working really. I want a year off to travel and see the world. I'll be long enough tied down with a mortgage etc. Another couple of years is hardly going to make a difference to my career/future in the greater scheme of things.

dory

As I`ve said to everyone else who`s asked this: Go for it!!

I`m currrently on month 9 of 15 on my trip. The most amazing thing I`ve ever done and I can`t even start to describe how it has changed me.
My situation is different in that I`m taking a gap year from studying, easier than taking a year off work. But SO many people in their 30s have said how they really should have gone away.

Working is handy if you`re planning on going away for a long time. Not only for money, but just to not have to repack you backpack all the time for a bit!

alienhead

i'm heading off for a year long rtw trip in mid april, i'm 31.

in a similar situation to you work wise, luckly my job's giving me a career break.

it's easy for some people to say how work isn't that important, but it'll be a different story when you get back and you're broke.... have you asked your job about a career break?

i'm taking roughly 20 - 23k, it should be plenty.

personally, it's something i was never really interested in years ago, when so many people go, but in the past couple of years, i've got a now or never feeling, no kids, wife etc....

i'm really looking forward to it now........ unpluging from groundhog day dublin!

good luck!

Triangle

Hmm I did all this back in my day so things may have changed a bit.

S. America is real cheap! - Between S.America and C.America I spent about 1.5K in 3 months (I was working as a Dive Master Trainee for some of it, so subsidized food and accomodation)

Aussieland/NZ is the only real place to get work though unless you have some specilised skills (i.e. Ski instructor/Scuba Instructor). Although isn't there some limitation to the age you can be getting the Year working visa? like 27?

I'd never have dreamed of spending 20K during a years travel though!!! Jesus times have changed in the last 10 years.


Also, ask your employers...... a year out on unpaid leave is near enough to maternity time nowadays - they may say it's ok.

alienhead

yes, the cut off point to work in australia and nz is 30, so i'm out by a year.

not to worry, would much rather see the world than spend alot of my time working in another city.

i'd say people could travel on less, i'm just guessing around that much, would rather bring more and not need it.

Fozzie Bear

Asked today what our policy is on career breaks. First time apparently that anyone has ever asked in this particular company so my boss is going to talk to the higher ups and see what they say. Fingers crossed for a positive reply but if they don't i'll probably just quit anyway. The more i think about it the more i like the idea of a year away from work, bills, traffic jams and all that sh1t!

alienhead

Fozzie Bear wrote: »

Asked today what our policy is on career breaks. First time apparently that anyone has ever asked in this particular company so my boss is going to talk to the higher ups and see what they say. Fingers crossed for a positive reply but if they don't i'll probably just quit anyway. The more i think about it the more i like the idea of a year away from work, bills, traffic jams and all that sh1t!

you should really make a case for your career break, especially if they don't have a policy for one.... list off all the pro's...

i've a government job, so career breaks are common, but i think the private sector is becoming more career break friendly, especially seeing as you're there 10 years.

if they don't give you one, it shows they dont really give a krap about their staff, so prob best to leave.