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leaving work to travel

  • 13-08-2013 2:00pm
    #1
    peterobrien
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1 ✭


    Hi all,

    Im now giving serious thought to leaving work and traveling (solo, prob for 6-9 months) and would appreciate some advice and all comments welcome.

    Background
    Im 32, male, been working for past 9 years since graduating as a software engineer, have savings (around 50k, I figure enough to travel for a year and live at home for a year with no work should it come to it)
    I don't own a house/property but would like to in time. Im single and unattached and a bit bored with working life, I figure that's standard motivation for starting traveling!

    Questions

    Am I mad? middle of recession and all that
    I have good job (and no debts) with ok money for my sector 45k/year, on the surface I should be on the pigs back, I'm definatley bored with it though, been that way for last 2/3 years, dunno if I went traveling for a while and came back would I go back into the same industry.

    Do I have to do anything re the state before I travel?
    Like continue paying PRSI?

    Am I entitled to claim dole when I return, in say a year?

    I would like to spend 3 months traveling around the US (driving coast to coast)and another 3 months around Europe(train travel) and maybe some time in Asia

    Are there any problems getting into the US at a moments notice for 90 days?
    Do I have to apply for anything for this length of stay?

    I'll give myself another week to decide then travel to US mid sept, should I put it off till spring or will a long drive trip be ok at this time of the year?

    again feel free to comment,

    thanks,
    POB.


Comments

  • #2
    Eponymous
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,374 ✭✭✭Eponymous


    Are you mad? Probably not. Have you considered asking about a career break? Your employer might be willing to let you have it and you've a safety net on your return.

    PRSI etc: You don't pay if you're not earning and not in the jurisdiction.

    Dole: No. If you leave your job as opposed to being sacked or made redundant there's a good chance you won't be able to claim the dole. Generally if you quit, there's a time limit which applies before you're eligible.

    USA, once you have your ESTA there's no problem. Takes a while to process the ESTA, but it's all done online, but you can't really just go at a moment's notice unless you've already got the ESTA sorted, after that all you need is your API which can be done up to the time you check in. 90 days is the limit for a tourist visit. Don't forget, you could just apply for the ESTA and have it handy. It's good for two years and multiple entries.

    One thing I would say is why not do Europe first. Interrailing in Dec-Feb could be a fairly dull affair!

    €50k is a lot of travelling. You'd easily have plenty to travel and keep yourself going on return until you landed another job.


  • #3
    smithweiser
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32 ✭smithweiser


    50 k ? holy cow i could travel for 5 years on that.

    I am 33 in the IT game also

    I have been traveling on and off the last 10 years , i usually work a year save up and then head away for a year or 6 months ,

    Every time i have gone away and walked straight back into a job no hassle.
    IT is pretty much recession proof if you know what you are doing.

    I am heading off to the caribbean for 6 months in sept , i have 8 k saved
    thats plenty

    I dunno if you want to flash pack it around , but staying in Dorms and hostels is way better craic and you meet more people , and is dirt cheap.

    I did 6 months in asia last year for 7k all in.

    Do it man, only live once.

    In Answer to your questions

    1. No you are not mad
    2. Nope you don't have to do anything, just get your P.45
    3. Yeah fully entitled to claim dole on return (as you have paid more than your fair share of credits over the last 9 years) ( you only need 1 year of full credits to claim dole )
    4. No you get your tourist visa on arrival in the states ( i did a road trip from new york down to new orleans and across texas to vegas then upto san fran)
    5. Enjoy


  • #4
    Daith
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,147 ✭✭✭Daith


    Hey there. Did the exact same thing as you last year. Left a decent job (in IT :P) after 8 years.

    Went to Toronto to work for a bit on the year visa, saved money then went backpacking around South America for four months.

    I came back at Christmas so found it slightly tougher to find work. I was entitled to the dole when I came back too. I did get a job with a salary that pays more than the previous one and a better title so it all worked out for me.


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