I'm not trying to escape problems. I have very few actual problems. and I hold no illusions about a magical utopia. For me happiness isnt being inside for 2/3 of my life between work, commute and sleep with the only light at the end of the tunnel being a relaxing retirement thats 40 years off and not promised. Happiness isnt having cold wet and miserable weather 6 months a year. Happiness certainly isn't living a lifestyle where working has more emphasis and importance than living.
Living in the northeast has made me bitter about life and I don't like it one bit.
Specop 007
Diamond Member
- Jan 31, 2005
- 9,454
- 0
- 0
Then DO IT.
Life is too damned short to live unhappy.
Heres an excellent movie(s) you may want to watch.
Your not the only one to think about it, and you wouldnt be the first to do it.
Alone In The Wilderness
I think about it all the time. If I didn't have a family taht would be really upset with that decision and a gf that wasn't tied to her current location, I would be either in Colorado or Virgin Islands or Keys.
Not everyone can do it, but those who can LOVE it and never look back. My parents did it, and I might do it too after I make some $$$.
I've done that. I took over a month long vacation, traveling all over Asia and stuck to the destinations OP described. Believe me, at the end of the vacation, I DID NOT want to come back to U.S. at all. I fell in love with all the places, and the beaches over there are absolutely gorgeous.
Only thing that would keep me from doing what OP is wanting to do, is local corruption. In some of these countries, corruption is rampant (including many Carribean nations), and soon or later, they will use you as a walking ATM machine.
But to OP, why don't you take a vacation and have a look yourself. Once you are there, it's very easy to establish local connections to land a job, find housing, etc. Then you can decide for yourself, instead of daydreaming about 'what if'.
Do I think about throwing it all away? nope. I was raised to be grateful for the things I have. All of my personal wealth is just an added benefit, a result of doing what makes me happy. I never tried to "keep up with the Joneses", so I don't have an empty soul. I take vacations when I want, and I enjoy the challenges that my business presents to me. I wouldn't have it any other way.
why do you need money? Selling all your crap could probably yield you any start up cash you'd need for an initial plane ticket and a couple months expenses
I'm pretty well traveled already and have connections in some places already. And I've researched the many Teach english abroad companies out there.
one of the benefits of working for yourself! pride and enjoyment in your work and unlimited vacations. I'm going to go that route absolutely.
Ditto that on the NE - its just the way people think around here. You can't escape it being around you, but you DONT have to be a part of it.
But youre making the mistake of generalizing against the whole NE. I live with a couple who are fisher..umm fisherpeople. Theyre exactly as you describe, work outside all day long, work to live, laid back etc....and at the end of the day, they still have access to all of the greatness of the US, and don't have to move to belize to achieve that. You could easily do that same, but for some reason, you think its impossible to do it in the US.
I couldnt imagine moving overseas to escape the rat race when I could easily go to our backyard. Sure, theres racist hicks, and theres ignorance, but don't think that the locals around the world are any more enlightened - hicks are hicks no matter where they live. If you go overseas, youll have to deal with *massive* culture shock (vacationing is not the same as living somewhere), giving up of things that dont seem important now because you DO take them for granted etc...
Specop 007
Diamond Member
- Jan 31, 2005
- 9,454
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- 0
Successful businesses rarely allow for unlimited vacations. Thats a surefire way to have your business fail in the startup phase.
Kanalua
Diamond Member
- Jun 14, 2001
- 4,860
- 2
- 81
I'm in law school, my wife is going to be a trainer at one of the big banks here (she's in new accounts at a branch now). We'll be making good money soon.
But, maybe we'll save up some money then take a year off to travel the world, then I'll make back whatever we lost over that year by going on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"
But, maybe we'll save up some money then take a year off to travel the world, then I'll make back whatever we lost over that year by going on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"
I've had my own business for a while - there was a lot that was great about it, and I enjoyed all of that immensely. Then theres the fact that if anything happens, YOU have to deal with it. You can take vacations all you want, but you have to work - and the fact that you know you could skip work makes it that much harder to actually get the work done. You lose the comfort of a steady paycheck. You and your livlihood are at the mercy of far more chance occurances than you are if youre a mere employee - you just do your job and get your check.
There is no escaping the fact that you have the potential to make far more money on your own than working for someone else, but at the same time, in just about ANY business, if you want to rise above the rest, you must basically live sleep eat and breath your business - there is no forgetting your problems till you get back into work the next day. Which is exactly the opposite of what youre looking for. And if you're in competition with ANYONE, you will do this, or you will perish, even if its selling coconuts on the beach.
I did it for a few years, and now I'm back working a job I love. Maybe a few years from now, Ill hate my job too, and Ill go back, because I remember only the good and have forgotten all the bad.
If you make 60k selling widgets on ebay the first 6 months of the year the next 4 can be spent sitting on the beach if you like. That was my point. Obviously this isnt the case if you are in certain industries.
Ive done almost exactly what you said, only I spent the 4 months reading book and playing video games. You have no idea what a relief and how great the 4 month vacation was, but after that, it was impossible to get back into the 6 months that made those 4 possible.
BoomerD
No Lifer
- Feb 26, 2006
- 66,378
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- 146
I've tried and tried to convince my wife to sell everything, and move to one of the out-of-the-way South Pacific islands, but with some of my health issues, she won't go for it...too far from decent doctors...
I certainly wouldn't worry about teaching english on the beach...Yes, that would probably happen as a side benefit, but mostly, I want to lie on the beach, soak up the sun, fish, dive, and let my disability check roll in...
I certainly wouldn't worry about teaching english on the beach...Yes, that would probably happen as a side benefit, but mostly, I want to lie on the beach, soak up the sun, fish, dive, and let my disability check roll in...
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