Head East Young Man

[EarlJam]

I'm planning an adventure (seriously) to begin some point next year. I want to wake up, grab my passport and just start heading east. I will not stop going east until I've returned back to Atlanta. In short, I want to go around the world.

Problem: I don't have the money (which is also part of the appeal).

I want to pick up odds and ends jobs along the way, staying in small motels or bed & breakfasts until my return.

Legally, how can I get by with this? To get jobs (even small ones) overseas won't I need some type of work visa? Is my "goal" doable? I believe it is. I just need some insight/recommendations on the best way to do it.

Any feedback is welcome, thanks. Oh, and this will be part of my web site too that you all have given me so much helpful info on.

-EarlJam

[dkbaseball]

In most countries, and especially in China, Korea and Japan, it is possible to make money teaching English, even if you don't know the native language at all. If you got credentialed (taking one of various courses that typically last two weeks to a month and cost around $1,500 to $2,200) there would be no problem at all finding work. Without the credential, it's still possible. And that might be the best way for you to go, since I assume you don't want to stay in any one job for very long. Without the necessary work permits, you'd need to go into the black market for English teachers, but it is substantial -- people wanting someone to do English conversation with their kids, etc. Go online under teaching English as a second language and you'll find all kinds of information. In general, there's an enormous demand worldwide for ESL teachers.

[captmojo]

I'm planning an adventure (seriously) to begin some point next year. I want to wake up, grab my passport and just start heading east. I will not stop going east until I've returned back to Atlanta. In short, I want to go around the world.

I know of a Georgia State Trooper who tried this. His right turn signal wouldn't work and he couldn't figure how to get off 285.

[hurleyfor3]

I know of a Georgia State Trooper who tried this. His right turn signal wouldn't work and he couldn't figure how to get off 285.

That was Pascual Perez

[dkbaseball]

I'd also recommend a book called Getting Out: Your Guide to Leaving America. Has lots of accounts of Americans who have found a way to make a living in various other countries, as well as plenty of reference directions for learning about ESL teaching.

[kexman]

They would find odd jobs and often would work in a hostel until they saved enough money to move to the next city. I think you need the right personality...extrovert to meet people and to always be beating the pavement to find a new job. However, I think you would get to see a part of the world that simple tourists do not see.

I had a couple of friends that could basically always find a free place to stay. They would approach couples or whoever and explain that they were backpacking around europe and were wondering if they had a place they could crash for a day or two. They looked pretty harmless, but there success rate was over 50%.

Also you could spend more time in cheaper countries where limited savings go far.

Good luck!

[Windsor]

There is always the growing 'couch surfing' set..

http://www.couchsurfing.com/

[tombrady]

I want to pick up odds and ends jobs along the way, staying in small motels or bed & breakfasts until my return.

Legally, how can I get by with this? To get jobs (even small ones) overseas won't I need some type of work visa?
-EarlJam

Legally, maybe not so much. But you'll be fine. One of the easiest ways is to work at hostels (perhaps a notch below "small motels and b&bs"). If you look presentable enough and speak the native language (so, this works great in OZ and NZ), and wish to stay in an area for a little while (a week or two), you can usually exchange work in the kitchen or at the front desk for a few hours a day for free room and board. Sure, its not high class, but you mean tons of interesting people who are traveling, and you could even earn a bit of spending money. Lots of people I met would travel someplace, work a job like this until they had enough money saved up, then travel somewhere else, and repeat.

edit: yeah, like kexman said.

Also, lots of clubs/bars LOVE americans to bartend for some reason. When I was in NZ, I had several bars just offer me jobs bartending because I am American (and this was in 2004, just to keep all the "the world hates America" types at bay). I think they think it validates their place or something.

This or waitering, you get paid under the table, but the chances of you getting into any type of trouble are close to 0%.

[Lavabe]

EarlJam: You must be recovering very well. Off percocet. Are you going through physical therapy?

Before going anywhere worldwide, check out the CDC's web site:
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/
Consult your doctor about vaccinations and all necessary preventative medicine. If you make it into remote areas, a useful book to have is: "Where there is no doctor." Likewise, "Where there is no dentist" is pretty decent.

The US State Dept has a decent travel warning site:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis_pa_tw_1168.html
I've been in places where this site has proven very useful. Depending on where you are going, you may need travel visas other than the typical tourist variety.

Be aware that some remote places lack electricity and good, fast internet access. Your web site may need to reflect this ... keep it simple. I remember the frustration of trying to get DBR to load on a dial-up in an Antsiranana, Madagascar internet cafe a couple of years ago.
Cheers,
Lavabe

[EarlJam]

In most countries, and especially in China, Korea and Japan, it is possible to make money teaching English, even if you don't know the native language at all. If you got credentialed (taking one of various courses that typically last two weeks to a month and cost around $1,500 to $2,200) there would be no problem at all finding work. Without the credential, it's still possible. And that might be the best way for you to go, since I assume you don't want to stay in any one job for very long. Without the necessary work permits, you'd need to go into the black market for English teachers, but it is substantial -- people wanting someone to do English conversation with their kids, etc. Go online under teaching English as a second language and you'll find all kinds of information. In general, there's an enormous demand worldwide for ESL teachers.

Wow. Cool idea and I hadn't thought of that. Thanks. But wouldn't I have to be somewhat fluent in the language of every country I visited in order to teach English? Otherwise, how would I communicate?

[EarlJam]

[QUOTE=EarlJam;29984]I'm planning an adventure (seriously) to begin some point next year. I want to wake up, grab my passport and just start heading east. I will not stop going east until I've returned back to Atlanta. In short, I want to go around the world.

I know of a Georgia State Trooper who tried this. His right turn signal wouldn't work and he couldn't figure how to get off 285.

Ahhhh yes! The 60-mile trek around I-285. I have been on this adventure. At 3:00 a.m., the trip takes approximately 50 minutes to complete. At 5:30 p.m., the same trip takes approximately 3 hours, 45 minutes to complete. I-285 sucks.......and sucks hard.

-EarlJam

[EarlJam]

I'd also recommend a book called Getting Out: Your Guide to Leaving America. Has lots of accounts of Americans who have found a way to make a living in various other countries, as well as plenty of reference directions for learning about ESL teaching.

Oh SNAP! Seriously? That's awesome. I will have that book by week's end. Thanks!

-EarlJam

[dkbaseball]

But wouldn't I have to be somewhat fluent in the language of every country I visited in order to teach English? Otherwise, how would I communicate?

No. The many thousands of people who go all over the world to teach English every year typically don't know the language of the country they go to. It's assumed that your teaching will be 100 percent in English. That's the prevailing theory of language instruction these days. Check out Rosetta Stone langauge software, for example -- they have sample lessons for free online. It's entirely in the language being studied.

What you will need is some idea of how to proceed, a handful of lesson plans and such. Various pictures you can point to and say the name, etc. If you get credentialed, you will come out with plenty of those. But I'd think you'd be able to get a good handle on it without paying the money for certification. Find someone who's done it and pick her brain (lots of hot English chicks in that business, and no, to me that's not an oxymoron). Or just make up your own lessons. There will be no authority figure to second guess you if you're working the underground market.

My impression is that this is very doable. You may not be able to line up the work ahead of time without certification, but from everything I read it's not hard to find customers once you're there.

[EarlJam]

No. The many thousands of people who go all over the world to teach English every year typically don't know the language of the country they go to. It's assumed that your teaching will be 100 percent in English. That's the prevailing theory of language instruction these days. Check out Rosetta Stone langauge software, for example -- they have sample lessons for free online. It's entirely in the language being studied.

What you will need is some idea of how to proceed, a handful of lesson plans and such. Various pictures you can point to and say the name, etc. If you get credentialed, you will come out with plenty of those. But I'd think you'd be able to get a good handle on it without paying the money for certification. Find someone who's done it and pick her brain (lots of hot English chicks in that business, and no, to me that's not an oxymoron). Or just make up your own lessons. There will be no authority figure to second guess you if you're working the underground market.

My impression is that this is very doable. You may not be able to line up the work ahead of time without certification, but from everything I read it's not hard to find customers once you're there.

You just became my new hero.

Thanks!

-EarlJam

[Deslok]

I'm currently bouncing around on vacation, but if you want a good site for resources and forums on the whole English teaching thing for Korea/China, look up Dave's ESL cafe. It has a ton of stuff and the forums can get you a bunch of feedback as well.