I've recently come to the realization that I have too much stuff. Far too much stuff. And I spend too much on rent, electronics, eating out, and alcohol.
I hope that my year on the road may help me learn to live more simply. I want to be happy living below my means, so that someday maybe I can pay off my student loans, and be able to travel whenever I want, or take a new job doing something I really want to do...
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Monday, May 16, 2005
What to do with my apartment?
One of the biggest issues I will have to deal with over the next few months is my apartment. I'm currently in a two-year lease (which began April 1, 2005), so I have two options: subletting or losing the apartment.
Subletting would allow me to have an apartment to come back to. There are a couple of problems with the subletting option, though: 1) I don't know if my building will give me a big hassle if I want to sublet (it's quite possible that they would try to prohibit me from subletting); and 2) if I sublet, what happens if I want to extend my trip? What happens if I happen to get a job teaching English in Asia? What happens if I end up in a relationship with someone halfway around the world? Additionally, it might be beneficial for me to return to a cheaper living situation, rather than paying almost $1500 a month as soon as I return from travelling. Finally, if I sublet, I'm still responsible for the apartment, even though I'll be on the other side of the world. I dread the idea of having to deal with any problems with the sublessor or landlord while I'm away.
Losing the apartment has its problems as well. Most likely, I will end up losing my deposit (or at least most of it). That's $1433 that I could have used as part of my travel budget. I also would have to sell most of my stuff, and put anything I didn't or couldn't sell into storage.
Tough decision.
Subletting would allow me to have an apartment to come back to. There are a couple of problems with the subletting option, though: 1) I don't know if my building will give me a big hassle if I want to sublet (it's quite possible that they would try to prohibit me from subletting); and 2) if I sublet, what happens if I want to extend my trip? What happens if I happen to get a job teaching English in Asia? What happens if I end up in a relationship with someone halfway around the world? Additionally, it might be beneficial for me to return to a cheaper living situation, rather than paying almost $1500 a month as soon as I return from travelling. Finally, if I sublet, I'm still responsible for the apartment, even though I'll be on the other side of the world. I dread the idea of having to deal with any problems with the sublessor or landlord while I'm away.
Losing the apartment has its problems as well. Most likely, I will end up losing my deposit (or at least most of it). That's $1433 that I could have used as part of my travel budget. I also would have to sell most of my stuff, and put anything I didn't or couldn't sell into storage.
Tough decision.
Working Holiday?
One of the things I've been researching lately is the Working Holiday program. I discovered some good news and some bad news. The bad news: most countries do not have a Working Holiday arrangement with the U.S. The good news: New Zealand, one of my most anticipated countries on the trip, does.
Anyone 18-30 can apply for a 12-month Working Holiday Visa which allows you to work in NZ. Right now I'm considering making the NZ portion of my trip several months, which will allow me to work there, get a real feel for the culture and people, and make my trip more affordable.
The link's on the sidebar.
Anyone 18-30 can apply for a 12-month Working Holiday Visa which allows you to work in NZ. Right now I'm considering making the NZ portion of my trip several months, which will allow me to work there, get a real feel for the culture and people, and make my trip more affordable.
The link's on the sidebar.
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Gaz's Gap Year.
For those of you who don't know me, I'm Gaz. Welcome to my blog. In it, you will find my (hopefully) detailed account of my Gap year.
I'm a 29 year old lawyer living in New York City. I'm not satisfied with my career, but I don't currently have any obligations to anyone but myself (and my student loan companies, but that's a topic for another post). So I decided that I'm going to give myself a great present for my 30th birthday: I'm going to see the world. It's going to be a year-long trip on the skinniest of shoestring budgets - hostels and backpacks all the way.
Taking a Gap year is a widespread tradition outside of the U.S., especially among Brits, Aussies, and Kiwis. Of course, I'm going to be about 10 years older than most Gap year travellers. But that doesn't really bother me. I travelled around Europe by myself for a month 4 years ago, and had an amazing time. This trip promises to be even better.
So now, I have to prepare. Save money. Figure out what to do about all my possessions and my lease. Determine a general itinerary. Get a plane ticket. Get visas and vaccinations. Get supplies. Get in shape. And research, research, research.
I'll be filling (again, hopefully) this blog with updates on my preparations for the next 8 months. Once I leave (January 2006), I'll be updating from the road with pictures and stories about my travels. I welcome your comments, ideas, and suggestions to make my Gap year an amazing one.
I'm a 29 year old lawyer living in New York City. I'm not satisfied with my career, but I don't currently have any obligations to anyone but myself (and my student loan companies, but that's a topic for another post). So I decided that I'm going to give myself a great present for my 30th birthday: I'm going to see the world. It's going to be a year-long trip on the skinniest of shoestring budgets - hostels and backpacks all the way.
Taking a Gap year is a widespread tradition outside of the U.S., especially among Brits, Aussies, and Kiwis. Of course, I'm going to be about 10 years older than most Gap year travellers. But that doesn't really bother me. I travelled around Europe by myself for a month 4 years ago, and had an amazing time. This trip promises to be even better.
So now, I have to prepare. Save money. Figure out what to do about all my possessions and my lease. Determine a general itinerary. Get a plane ticket. Get visas and vaccinations. Get supplies. Get in shape. And research, research, research.
I'll be filling (again, hopefully) this blog with updates on my preparations for the next 8 months. Once I leave (January 2006), I'll be updating from the road with pictures and stories about my travels. I welcome your comments, ideas, and suggestions to make my Gap year an amazing one.
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