
The Mini-Retirement Misconception - dnp
http://thinksimplenow.com/happiness/the-mini-retirement-misconception/
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ryanwaggoner
You did it wrong. I mean, everyone is different, so if that's the kind of
thing you like, then whatever, but it sounds like you didn't really enjoy
yourself. If you spent your time shuffling along with other tourists like
cattle, then you missed what's really special about living in another culture.
If you do it again, try going for longer (culture shock can last up to six
months), learning the language, and living as much like the people of that
culture as you can stand. Rent an apartment (or a room in one), not a hotel
room. Eat at street vendors, not at western restaurants. Go to the food
markets, the places of worship, the villages where real people live. Drink it
all in, the good and the bad. If you're going to just go look at a bunch of
tourist attractions and try to preserve your lifestyle as much as possible,
save your money and go to Flickr.com.

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donw
I've got to second this -- what makes extended time in other countries so much
fun isn't going to a tourist trap and buying kitch. The fun part is getting
drunk as hell with a restaurant owner because you're (a) the only foreigner
he's ever met, (b) you can say 'thank you' and count to ten, and (c) you
ordered the local delicacy.

Or running into a birthday party for a bunch of people you've never met and
being invited.

Or sleeping on a park bench because you missed the train.

Or getting yelled at by the check-out lady because you are too stupid to
understand the fruit-buying process (thanks for that one, David).

It's the weird stuff and the hardships, the jump outside of your comfort zone,
that make time abroad a worthwhile thing.

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GiraffeNecktie
It's been a long time (over twenty years) since I've been to India but it
sounds like things haven't changed all that much. Travelling in India can be
gruelling, especially if you don't have the money to travel first class and
stay in fancy hotels (and there's not much point in going to India if you're
just going to isolate yourself from the place). If I ever did it again, I'd
find rent a little hut in an obscure mountain village and spend a few months
watching the sun and moon and letting my rhythms adjust to village life. The
thought of tearing from one tourist destination to another fills me with
horror.

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edw519
I have "mini-retired" several times and I have to say that OP just glossed
over the most important thing: you must do your numbers!

Most people have no idea how much they spend. As long as $ is coming in,
everything's OK. But you will probably be stunned at how fast it goes away if
nothing is coming in.

Figure out how much you need to live each month, then double it. Better yet,
triple it. Then give yourself at least 3 months to find your next gig. If you
don't, you'll probably be sorry. Running out of money changes a mini-
retirement into an emergency, believe me.

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noodle
better titles: "i had a bad vacation", "my mini-retirement misconception"

i appreciate this person's thoughts, they're very insightful. but to try and
use his individual situation and experiences to represent the set of all mini-
retirements is fallacious.

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plesn
This guy had vacations, he had a trip, but _he did not travel_. He just
brought his "occidental" mental conception of living elsewhere, he didn't even
seem to have really met and lived with other people.

~~~
noodle
i can agree with this, too.

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bkovitz
It sounds like this guy got enormous return on his mini-retirement investment.
He found true wisdom. We've all heard the things he's saying about life and
happiness, but now he really grasps them. All for a somewhat unpleasant three-
month trip to India.

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marc28443
It is a pity the author thinks 6-8 weeks is the ideal duration for such a
trip.. yes that is about when the inital novelty wears off and it doesnt feel
much like a regular "vacation" any longer. As much as the tourist/traveler
characterization is a cliche, this is where you stop being the former and
start being the latter...

I can recommend going at least 6 months abroad, if you can make the time.

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lee
Coles Notes: traveling does not create life long happiness.

