Travel
Many of us fantasize about spending time in some exotic, far-off locale - a tropical island paradise, Himalayan mountain hideaway, or the veldt of Eastern Africa. There are many blogs that feed this fantasy - stories of young couples (I call them "wandering nomads") who quit their jobs, sell the house, kiss friends and family good-bye, and set off to see the world. However, when you dive into their "About Me" page you often discover they are independently wealthy, have come into a significant windfall, are living off the largesse of parents or exes, or are knowingly denuding their life savings. Most of us do not fall into these categories and mistakenly believe that living overseas is an unattainable dream; something that only happens to the "other guy."
About The Author:
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Travel
What Is A Working Vacation, Anyway?
Many of us fantasize about spending time in some exotic, far-off locale - a tropical island paradise, Himalayan mountain hideaway, or the veldt of Eastern Africa. There are many blogs that feed this fantasy - stories of young couples (I call them "wandering nomads") who quit their jobs, sell the house, kiss friends and family good-bye, and set off to see the world. However, when you dive into their "About Me" page you often discover they are independently wealthy, have come into a significant windfall, are living off the largesse of parents or exes, or are knowingly denuding their life savings. Most of us do not fall into these categories and mistakenly believe that living overseas is an unattainable dream; something that only happens to the "other guy." My passion in travel writing is to convince you that living and working in an exotic, international locale is not an unrealistic goal, and I am living proof. My wife and I have lived overseas fifteen times - Australia to Zimbabwe, Mauritius to Mongolia, Turkey to Tibet - never once reaching into our wallets and never once giving up our day jobs. I am not talking about "voluntourism" where you pay, often large amounts, to help the less fortunate overseas, and I am not talking about difficult, low-paying work such as being a nanny or helping harvest crops, jobs often filled by recent college graduates. Instead, I am talking about short-term, high-level jobs for people in the 30 to 70 age bracket that pay enough to cover most or all your travel and living expenses and allow you to return to your house, job, and regular paycheck when completed.
If you are a professional with a marketable skill, e.g., doctor, lawyer, teacher, banker, business person, engineer, scientist, artist, etc., there are many host countries eager to exploit your skills by offering temporary employment for periods ranging from about one to six months, what I like to call a working vacation. If you are an academic these working vacations can easily be slotted into sabbaticals or summer vacations. If not, you could consider applying for these positions during an extended one-month vacation or a scheduled short-term leave of absence from your company or agency.
One of the questions you may be asking is "Why should I pack up the kids and head halfway around the world?" What are the benefits of this type of global work experience given the amount of time and effort required to find and plan them? Fair question. The answer is that when you live as part of a community, even for only a month or two, rather than visit as a tourist, there is time to meet your neighbors, attend social, cultural, and religious events, and participate in local activities. Everyday tasks like shopping, laundry, even getting a haircut, require you to familiarize yourself with the neighborhood and the people who live and work there. There is time to take those interesting and informative "off the beaten path" excursions not described in Fodors or the Lonely Planet. You learn about a culture not by observing it from a distance but by becoming part of it. For many professionals, this type of cultural experience is far more transforming than baking on a beach or seeing yet another museum and church.
A family-based working vacation is a wonderful way to introduce your children to the world around them and begin the process of turning them into knowledgeable global citizens. Short-term overseas work is also a wonderful way to invigorate one’s own daily life which, for many of us, can all too easily slip into repetition and boredom–go to work, mow the lawn, eat dinner, fall asleep. As the Roman philosopher Seneca said, “Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.”
Finally, a long-term working vacation is a wonderful way to combine the relaxation of a holiday with the intellectual growth and excitement that comes from interacting with and learning from local and professionals within another culture. And all of this on the other guy’s dime. What a deal!
Michael Schneider is a retired professor of computer science at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN and a Visiting Professor at Columbia University in New York. He is the author of the blog On The Other Guys Dime in which he describes techniques for locating, applying for, and planning short-term overseas working vacations.
- Ama Africa Experiences
A Holiday You Will Truly Experience Ama Africa Experiences was founded by social entrepreneurs who are passionate about helping local communities and people in South Africa. We provide safe, responsible, high quality Inbound travel experiences...
- Why Bike Tours Make Vacation Worthwhile
There are three things that make a vacation exceptional: the destination, the people you are with, and the way you do the tour. Normally, you would just walk around with your friends and try to see as many tourist spots as possible. But don’t you...
- The Benefits Of A Weekend Getaway
How often do you give yourself a break – a proper chance to recuperate and recharge your batteries? Busy schedules demand so much attention that some people never stop, but this can be detrimental to our physical and mental health, productivity and...
- How A Real Work-at-home Mom Is Achieving Real Success In Ytb
I never knew that I was a late bloomer, but I am. I married my dream husband late in life. Four years later, the greatest miracle occured...Cion Alexandria Osei was born! When Cion entered our lives, I had been accustomed to working in Corporate America...
- Solve Your High Gas Prices Problem! Don't Let Rising Gas Prices Get You Down!
Are you one of the millions of Americans who has been struggling to pay your house note, only to now have to worry about high gas prices? Are high gas prices getting you down? Is the threat of rising gas prices frightening you? The real question is...