
Ask HN: Thinking about a year off from work to travel. Am I making a mistake? - cheetos
I was recently laid off and am thinking about taking a year off to travel. Is this a bad idea in terms of my career? Will this be a red flag for employers when I apply for future work?<p>I am in my early thirties with no kids or mortgage. I have been working in tech for ten years and have decent savings. So in practical terms, I am OK.<p>However, I am having trouble feeling good about my decision. I rent a very affordable place that I really like in a very high COL city, so I will have to sell my stuff and shut down my home. I am worried that I will seem less attractive to future employers when I return. I am concerned about losing a year of salary. And part of me feels like I am pushing myself to travel not because I am truly excited about it, but because I fear I may not have such an opportunity again in the future (frankly, I am not really even sure where I would even go).<p>On the other hand, I am feeling a bit burned out and unmotivated, so the time off would do me good. I have lived abroad before and enjoyed it. I also have plenty of side projects I&#x27;ve been itching to work on. And I have a tendency to overthink things.<p>I realize this is a truly first world problem, but I am hoping the HN community can give me some good advice. What would you do?
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aliston
Sorry to be the wet blanket, but I actually don't think it is necessarily a
no-brainer as others have said. If you do it, do it with purpose. Traveling
will not fix your problems. It won't help you progress your career. It won't
even necessarily expand your mind or help you learn new things.

It will, however, with near 100% certainty reduce your bank account balance,
and will potentially put you in a jam down the line unless you have something
to show for it at the end.

I spent a year traveling in South America in 2010. I was aimless. It was one
of the best experiences of my life. However, if I'm really being honest with
myself, it cost me a career trajectory that probably would have meant
retirement type money by now.

I depleted my savings, my knowledge became obsolete surprisingly quickly, and
it was a slog to get back into the groove when I got back. I can't say I
regret it, but I definitely would have done it differently in retrospect.

~~~
NotSammyHagar
That's a really surprising experience, I would never have guessed that it
would hurt. I learn new things constantly, but rely on a lot of deep ideas I
have learned over time - how to craft code & design things (not just express
it in c++ or something), how to work with people, how to express things
tactfully, how to give negative comments without being personal. I use all
this in my job. I wish I had taken time off years ago. Now I have a "career"
and a family, its hard to take time off.

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tomcam
You gave us the answer already!

> 1\. part of me feels like I am pushing myself to travel not because I am
> truly excited about it..

> 2\. I also have plenty of side projects I've been itching to work on.

> 3\. I rent a very affordable place that I really like in a very high COL
> city

You aren't crazy about travel. You're burned out on your job, but NOT on your
side projects. You have a nice place in a nice city.

To me it's very clear. Quit. Stay home. Veg out until you feel ready to play
at your side projects. Play with your side projects when you feel like it. You
have all the makings of an awesome "staycation", if people are still using
that word. Like you, I enjoy working on my own stuff and I've made a great
living at it. Even if you don't, you're looking at some low bandwidth time
off. Feel free to contact me to chat. I've been in your place.

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msencenb
I spent a year traveling from September 2013 to September 2014. It was the
best year of my life. The trip itself was fun, but more importantly I gave
myself permission to simply sit, think, and have idle time. Traveling gives
you a sense of perspective you can't get from sitting at home.

If you are a decent software engineer I wouldn't worry about employment. Mid
way through my year of travel I received a job offer, and negotiated that my
start date would not be for another six months.

Also, this does not have to be an all or nothing decision. Why not sublease
your place for two to three months, spend that time traveling, and then re
evaluate at that point?

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dennybritz
This has been said before by another commenter, but I'll say it again because
I think it really is true: Most likely you will never regret taking the year
off, but in a few years you probably WILL regret never taking that year off.

> I am worried that I will seem less attractive to future employers when I
> return

That's not my experience at all. Me and many people I now have huge gaps in
their work history, either from travel or startups, and it hasn't hurt anyone.

Also, it's not a black and white decision. Start taking time off and go
travel. If you decide it's not for you after a few months just go back early.

~~~
partisan
There is so much truth in this. I would look at the situation as an
opportunity. The freedom to live your life as you want, even for a short
amount of time, can change your perspective forever.

And it doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing situation. You might find that you
are looking to get back to work a week after traveling. In fact, take a two
week trip somewhere. Pretend you will be there for a while. Come back home and
consider whether that is what you want from your life for the next N months.
The rest will fall into place.

Safe and happy travels, and remember, no matter where you go, there you are.

------
mchan
I did this, at 33, similar situation.

While it took me about a year to find work after coming back, I still don't
regret it. I was travelling for about 15 months in total. After returning, I
did a bit of contract work, but took almost a year before I started full time
work - but I am now living in a different country, and sorting out a visa took
about two of those months of the year in limbo. To be honest, a part of why I
took so long to return to work was my own resistance towards it, but now that
I am working, I'm learning the stuff I want to learn.

Before you go, perhaps set yourself a limit. I had a budget in mind - about
half of my savings - where I decided I would pull the plug if I reached that
point and go home. I ended up returning before that point.

As many have said here, having a long sabbatical on your CV won't necessarily
be a red flag. My current employer was very enthusiastic to bring me onboard.

------
saluki
Make a list of places you would like to visit, things you would like to do in
the US first.

Visit a college friend, family, see a live sporting event or concert in
another area of the US.

Do you like hiking/camping/beaches/museums? Plan a trip to do something you'll
enjoy.

Plan a short trip to one of those places. A 3 to 5 day get away.

Come back and reflect on where you want to go next/if this is something you
want to do.

Experiment with a few trips like that before you sell your stuff shut down
your home.

Next choose a destination in Europe and go for a couple weeks to test it out.

You'll get a feeling if it's something you want to do for 3 months, 6 months
or a year.

I wouldn't worry too much about it being a red flag on your resume. Taking 6
months or a year off to travel is reasonable. Plus if you have the talent and
experience and you're a good fit a company will hire you. And if taking time
off is a red flag it might not be a company you want to work for.

Good luck, have fun. YOLO!

------
mateo411
How about a compromise. Travel for one month. Instead of unplugging for one
year, you go on a nice long vacation. After the month is up, you come back
home. If you are ready to work again, then you go find another job. If you
want to keep traveling, then you end the lease on your apartment, and hit the
road again.

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botswana99
I did a 6 month round the world trip with my wife in my early thirties. It was
great. We blew our house down payment. But eventually saved again and have two
kids. Never hurt my career. In fact helped it when I went from writing code to
managing teams of engineers.

Dude, life is a long. Work will always be there

~~~
lemonsqueeze
Glad you mentioned spending house payment.

Another way to do this is to buy the house first, and rent it out while you
are away on travels.

~~~
mars4rp
and spending what?

~~~
lemonsqueeze
Put down the smallest downpayment allowed by law.

Start writing off bills like cell phone, internet, printing, write off a
management fee. Basically using the property to lower your tax foot print
(money saved is money earned)

Ideally buy a triplex or fourplex so it cashflows and generates a small, few
hundred dollars a month.

Save the profits for a year or two. Travel.

I took that approach because I would rather wait a couple years and travel for
years on end and knowing that my net worth is not taking a huge hit.

The choice was... do I want to travel now for a year and blow through my
savings. Or do I wait a couple years and then travel for the rest of my life.

~~~
botswana99
Yea blowing 20 grand (or more) on a round the world trip is terrible financial
advice. If I would of bought that house in Palo Alto instead of traveling I'd
have much higher net worth. But all the financial things eventually worked out
(house, college, savings).

So blowing your savings in your 20s or 30s on a cool trip is not financially
traumatic. It's just not financially wise. But wtf ... its the greatest time
in the history of the universe to be a nerd. If you are reading HN, you have
been gifted the amazing ability to abstract. Which means you can earn a decent
living. So why not travel while you can? All that responsibility shit will
still be there waiting for you!

~~~
aliston
It would take me about 30 years of traveling to spend the down payment on a
house in Palo Alto...

~~~
lemonsqueeze
Good luck with that, there's a reason I choose to live in an affordable city.
Wouldn't want to be an indebted slave my whole life.

To each their own.

------
regret_min
There is an idea known as the "Regret Minimization Principal". It seems
particularly applicable here.

You have two options: travel or not travel.

Looking back, which choice might you regret least? Choose that one.

~~~
amerkhalid
Never heard of this before but it makes a lot of sense. I have been debating
over something for a few days and using this principle, I think I know the
answer now. :)

~~~
jcsnv
Check out, solid overview on it
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1717824](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1717824)

------
NotSammyHagar
If I was interviewing someone who took a year off, I'd want to know why they
did that, and also I'd like to see that they have done something to get
started again practicing so you are fairly ready to do some work. So it would
be helpful to have some kind of good way to describe what you were looking for
during your year, because peopel will want to ask you. I agree with others who
say it would be an idiot company that would avoid people who take time off.

------
saberswag
I'm currently 3 months into my year "off". I waited till my lease ended, sold
everything I owned besides one large box of things I put in my parent's
garage. I quit my job on good terms, they offered to have me work remotely but
I refused because I wanted to have an open path. For me, travel was a priority
to check off my list before I turned 30 in two years. I always made excuses or
life gave me things I could not say no to so it was constantly pushed off.

Moved to Australia, not only because I've always wanted to visit, but also use
it as a hub to Asia Pacific. I have one side project I am working on. Also by
random came across a cool part time job for a start up in Melbourne. It wasn't
part of my plan to be employed but again I have an open plan. The new gig is
adding to my professional and personal growth. Also, have plenty of time to
live, work on my side project, and also work on my personal goals. I'm not
worried about my career. As others have said, if you have the skill set you'll
be fine. but your new road may lead you to something better.

If your gut is telling you travel is something you need to do right now, don't
have your mind talk you out of it. Do it and if it doesn't work out you can
always go back home.

------
aregsarkissian
Work on your side projects on your downtime during travel. Learn docker and
kubernetes, learn functional programing and perhaps elixir, learn vuejs or
react and redux, learn asp.net core and spring boot or some machine learning
and data science using python. When you get back you will pretty much be able
to jump back into any type of enterprise job or startup

------
ankurdhama
If your year off is a red flag to an employer than this red flag is a red flag
for you about the employer. If an employer tell you that they can't take you
coz of your year off, ask them "Oh you must have some reason that was
validated using some scientific study, would you mind sharing that study with
me"?

------
Grustaf
Definitely go for it. No matter what you feel now, you will probably greatly
enjoy the experience, even if you're not that excited about it beforehand.

I would sublet the apartment if possible, but if you can afford not to, that's
fine too.

I don't know about the US, but as a Scandinavian my adventures in the my mid
20s certainly didn't hurt my employability. On the contrary I suspect that
I've often been shortlisted because my résumé stands out. So make sure to do
really interesting things! The main reason for that is of course that it will
make YOU more interesting too.

So just do it, don't hesitate. Go for two years if you can afford it, there's
plenty of time for working later. You will not regret it, but you will of
course regret not going while you could. Once you have a family it will be
much more expensive and complicated.

------
yladiz
I think that, regardless of where you go, going somewhere new or somewhere
where you don't know many people for a semi-long/long amount of time is
extremely helpful. You learn a lot about yourself, your motivations, your
priorities.

Some of your worries I wouldn't worry about so much -- if you want to keep
some of your things, you can put them in storage or give them to a friend you
trust, if you know someone with some spare room. Ditto for the place, if you
want to keep it you could most likely sublease it to a friend or someone else
for the amount of time you'll be gone and get it back when you return. I
wouldn't worry about future career prospects; when you're interviewed, of
course you'll be asked about it, but you can spin it in many positive ways.
One year of salary loss is probably the only important issue in your third
paragraph, so I would be careful and conservative with your calculations. And
the feeling that you're doing it because you can rather than being truly
excited about it is a real one, and is maybe partly due to the length of time
you're considering, but it is something you really should consider if you are
planning to have a family (especially with kids) in the future.

If you're worried about the length of time (although you didn't mention this
directly in your post, it was one of the reservations I had and a feeling that
crept into me as I started a 6 month journey traveling to a few different
countries) you could most likely feasibly travel for 2-3 months to somewhere
new, while keeping your apartment. Then if you want to travel for longer, you
can figure out what to do from there.

On a more philosophical note: don't live to work, work to live. Your career is
not in jeopardy for traveling for a period of time, the only thing that you're
going to be missing out on is an income during that time. Your career will be
there when you get back, and so will your friends, family -- plus you'll have
a lot of interesting stories to tell.

------
psyc
If you care about money, the potential for regret is quite high. I barely care
about money beyond survival, but I still feel a bit of regret about all the
time and money I've spent both on traveling and repeated attempts to start
companies. I'm at an age where I'd have a million in the bank if I'd
relentlessly prioritized career and compensation. No matter how much I value
other pursuits, it can still be difficult not to think about that from time to
time.

At present, I _do_ wish I had spent more time on trying to make products. I do
_not_ really see what traveling got me, other than a way to impress certain
people. To me, experiences are fleeting, and memories might just as well be
daydreams. I can have those for free.

------
krystiangw
You might try life of digital nomad. You can work from everywhere in tech
industry now. And staying in some new place for several weeks might the best
way get to know country culture and people. This way you will feel more like a
local, not a tourist.

------
petervandijck
That's easy: plan a 2-month trip (8 weeks), and then come back.

If you really, really want to extend your trip, you can do that, but 2 months
in, say, Thailand or something is an amazing experience.

Don't leave your great apartment, just sublet for 2 months or just keep paying
rent.

------
siquick
Did the same thing in 2011 which culminated in moving to Australia from the UK
(I'm now a permanent resident), and then did another 6 months of travelling
last year after burning out at my previous job.

You will never regret this trip and you'll learn way more than you think you
will that will help you in your career. If you're really worried about your
career then spend _some_ of the time working on new skills.

You'll also have ups and downs but learning to manage these times will help
you so much in your life.

------
cheetos
I am floored by how thoughtful and helpful everyone's responses have been.
Thank you so much for sharing your perspectives. I'm going to go for it.

~~~
mod
GL op!

Hope it's a blast.

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davidg11
This should not penalize you at all for jobs, if anything the opposite.

I've been a hiring manager and I love people who do things like this. Shows
independence and initiative.

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MortenK
How about just travelling a month's time first, before deciding on a year? Go
to south America, SE Asia or something, check it out and relax. It'll cost a
month extra of rent, but it doesn't sound like the financials is a problem.
And if you decide you want to travel more, you just return after the first
month, get your affairs sorted and off you go again :-)

------
mod
Write down the worst-case scenario. Write down some other bad scenarios.

Write down the good scenarios.

Evaluate them, and keep in mind the worst-case.

It's probably not very bad. I hope you go.

------
bcbrown
I took a year off to travel in my late 20s. Five years later, it hasn't been
an impediment in my career. My timing was in part because I was about to move
out anyway, and hadn't yet bought much furniture, because I had roomates.

It doesn't sound like you really want to travel for a year. I'd suggest taking
a month off to reflect and decide what you want before you commit yourself.

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stuaxo
Definitely do it.

It's good to do something while you travel, as it gives a focus.

I spent time away learning graphics (ordinarily I do back-end). It was really
good and at it meant when I came back I could put what I'd been up to on the
gap in my CV.

TBH the my original plan wasnt nessacarily to come back, but it turned out to
be a year.

(edit) of course you don't need to do something tech related when travelling
anything will do

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Mz
This is not really a decision you need to make now. Take a week or two to
rest, ponder where you might go and do some tentative planning. If you start
to get jazzed about a particular destination, hey, start making it happen. If
not, start job hunting.

This is not a situation where you need to make some big, final decision today.

------
cylinder
I would recommend you sublease your place (or not) and take a month or two
break. That's a long time to travel. You could go sit on a Greek island and
contemplate a lot while the sun restores you. Then you can decide whether you
really want to give up your place and keep traveling.

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mattbgates
Two types of regrets you will have in your life: things you did and things you
didn't do.

Which regrets do you prefer?

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th3o6a1d
A year is a long time. Why not 6 months? Or 3? I know a couple who traveled
for a year. There were diminishing returns after the first few months of going
city to city. Maybe pick a place and try to set up a life there for a little
while?

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sytelus
It's absolutely not a problem. In fact, I am willing to bet this will be
positive thing in your resume. You have no kids and mortgage and have savings
and you are below 30. Time like this doesn't last for long. Go for it!

------
lemonsqueeze
I took a year "off".

Worked on some side projects, saw different places.

Picked up light weight contract work (think... like 15 hours/month of
website/app maintenance for $1500/month)

------
akulbe
No. JUST DO IT.

~~~
yladiz
Cue Shia LeBeouf.

------
bsvalley
Are you a developer? If so, at your age and in today's market - it's called a
career suicide :)

It's gonna be tough to pass the recruitment process in a year from now for so
many reasons. The competition is stronger than ever and will increase over
time. Everyone applies for dev jobs today. Add-up a lack of practice, being
outdated and wanting to take a year off. All these are red flags for
recruiters (not even interviewers). Personally, it will feel even worse when
you'll start re-applying if you're burnt out today. Dev interviews are
ridiculously annoying now and require a few months of practice.

If I were you I'd do that if you have a strong plan coming back and not simply
applying to jobs. Or, if you're planning on building products while traveling,
you won't carry that one year gap in your resume.

