Resources
Resources to Abandon Your Cube
The ‘Should I Quit My Job’ Survey
If you answer yes to more than two of these questions, you should consider abandoning your cubicle and finding fulfillment outside your job.
- Are you made physically ill by your job?
- Does your job make you depressed on a daily basis?
- Do you morally object to the company or position you are working in?
- Do you feel like you could do more, or be better outside of work?
- Are your dreams fading while you punch a clock?
- Do you think you are stuck, without the ability to abandon?
- And if you need some motivation, watch this YouTube video of a girl who takes back control! Or do it nicely, like this YouTube user did. Or you could always Jerry McGuire it.
The ‘ Is It Feasible’ Survey
So, you are thinking about abandoning your cubicle. Good for you! While your heart may be in the right place, lets make sure you can safely abandon your cubicle without endangering your future or harming those you love. If you answer yes to any of these questions, you’ll have a bit of negotiating and planning to do before you can abandon your cube.
- Do you owe money?
- Do you have dependents?
- Do you have a serious illness that you need constant care for?
If you answer yes to the above, read on for some tips. If you answered no, then skip this and go to the next section.
Tips for becoming travel-ready:
- See if you can get a deferment on your loans
- Instead of quitting, consider taking a leave of absence from work
- If you have dependents, consider waiting to travel or home schooling them from the road. Indeed, it would be very educational!
- If you are ill, look into destinations that offer constant care, or see if you can find a nurse who will travel with you
Quitting Your Job
Quitting your job means you’ll have more freedom and time on the road, but less security and no real plan for when you return home. Taking extended leave from work means you’ll be on a time budget, but will have something to return to and a source of income awaiting you. In this economy seriously considering the latter option may be a smart move. While quitting your job means you can go where ever you want on a whim, it can also mean you might run out of money in Bangkok and be stuck working a few months to pay for a return trip or to fund your next leg of the adventure.
Unencumbered Versus Travel Work
Are you considering taking your work on the road with you? That may be one good way to extend your trip by having a source of income while traveling. In fact, this is what Lauren does by writing while on the road. It can be great, but also means you can never be too far from a computer or internet, which can often rule out visiting far-flung places.
Visas:
Navigating across several countries can be difficult for even the most seasoned travelers. You might want to take a bit of the edge off by going through a visa agent. Here are a few visa procurement services we would recommend.
| Visa Co. | What they offer: |
|---|---|
| Visa HQ | American-specific site that will get visas for your trip for almost any country. |
| ZVS | Visa service used by many fortune 500 companies. |
| Travel Docs | Focuses on visas and passports, as well as travel insurance. |
The Best Travel Guides:
Many first time travelers wonder how full-time travelers manage to go all around the world without any language ability, or background in the regions they visit. The short answer is that they use well-researched guide books, supplemented with online research and language tools.
| Guide Co. | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Lonely Planet |
Comprehensive guides that offer language, culture, history and detailed by-city guides with maps
|
Many travelers use these guides, which means places not covered by LP can be missed out on |
| Rough Guide | Comprehensive guides by region or country with a focus on out-of-the-way areas | Not ideal for people traveling by car. Not updated yearly |
| Bradt | Heavy focus on top sites like parks, historical monuments and beaches | A bit low on information for how to move about, sleep and eat |
| Fodor’s | Great for travel with groups or where hotel rates and nicer restaurants are the aim | Does not cover all countries, focus on prices and necessities instead of sites |
| Berlitz | Full of information about your destination, including a bit of cultural and historical information. Heavy on language focus and essential in rural areas | Low on travel information like where to stay, what to see, etc. Mostly a survival guide on language and customs. |
| DK Travel | Laden with pictures, maps and information on destinations by country and city, fun to read and look at, and easy to get inspired by | Low on actual travel information. May be better for people who travel by reading, not by visiting a new place. |
Language Learning Tools:
Traveling is made all the more fulfilling if you can speak the language of the places you visit. Even if you only master a few sentences, it will mean a lot when you are on location.
| Language Co. | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Rosetta Stone | Great for visual learners who want to learn survival language skills before a big trip | You have to be sitting at your computer to use Rosetta, which makes it less portable. Expensive |
| Mango | A great website dedicated to teaching languages to eager, web-savvy learners | Online program you have to pay to use, which makes you less mobile |
| Berlitz | A well thought out program that attempts to make something foreign seem connected to your life | Focus is on reading and writing to learn unless you do an in-class course |
| Pimsleur | Great for auditory learners or anyone hoping to become fluent. Focus on repetition and learning by hearing | Not good for visual learners. Expensive |
Supplies & Equipment for Abandoning the Cube:
You don’t need a lot to life a good life. Nevertheless, there are some great travel accessories out there for camping or simply long train rides. We have all of the equipment we’ve tested and used listed in our gear store. Check it out!
English Teaching Resources:
Teaching overseas is a great way to be able to afford living abroad while making a bit of cash and expanding your resume. To get a teaching job overseas you’ll need a college degree, and usually a teaching certificate called a TOFEL or TOSEL.
| Company | What they offer |
|---|---|
| ESL.com | Focus on in-house learning through colleges and universities. Expensive |
| ITTT | Focuses on quick, online and with a tutor classes that you can complete at your own pace. Cheaper option |
| American TOSEL | Broad range of focuses, and they help with job placement. Expensive |
Expat Resources:
If you are considering living abroad for any duration of time, you’ll need to do a bit of research in your destination to find other expats, clubs or info on how to find an apartment, a job or info on transportation. Of course, living abroad is not just about expat communities, but it is one option for social interaction.
| Website | What they offer |
|---|---|
| Expat Exchange | Help if you are moving overseas for work, including real estate, schools, and health |
| Escape Artist | Information on living abroad and thriving as an expatriate. |
| Expat Network | An ideal place to start looking for work, info on money exchanges and communities abroad |
| Expat World | A political site about living abroad, with newsletters, information and tips |
You’ll also do well by searching for local expat publications or city pages, as well as English-language newspapers specific to your area.
Travel Social Media Tools:
With social media reaching new heights, the travel industry is not immune to the advances of technology. Below are some sites that may help in your travel planning, meeting friends, or making your trip more comfortable.
| Website | What they offer |
|---|---|
| Dopplr | Share your trip plans with friends and maybe you’ll end up being in the same place at the same time |
| TripIt | Email TripIt your plans and they formulate it into an easy-to-ready itinerary that you can share |
| Seat Guru | Shows interior layout of planes so you can request a seat you’ll be happy with |
| Upcoming | Shows events in areas where you’ll be traveling so you wont miss out |
| Trip Advisor | Real travel advice from real travelers |
| Trip Wolf | A vast resource os travel information combined with expert travel tips |
| World 66 | User-generated travel guides that people can comment on and ammend |
| Gusto! | Travel tips, deals and discounts posted by travelers |
| Bootsnall | Organic, independent travel blogs, tips and guides |
Of course, using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and MySpace can help you stay connected with potential travel buddies, or simply share your travel stories with friends and family.
Staying Connected While Abroad:
Traveling around the globe does not mean you can’t stay connected with family and friends back home. Here are some of the best ways to have your cake and eat it too!
| Company | What they offer |
|---|---|
| Skype | Free PC to PC, and low-cost international calls made through your computer |
| Pingo | International calling cards at backpacker prices |
| CCC | International country calling codes |
Use the social media tools in the above section to stay connected via the web.
