Guest Post: The Ten Best Resources to Launch Your Life Abroad

The Open Road, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

 

It's not easy to pick up your life and move to a new country for work. You might be scared to quit your job at home and not feel ready to follow the little voice inside you, telling you the world is out there, waiting for you. You might not be sure how to make your dreams of a life abroad a sustainable reality. Leaving home and moving abroad can be confusing, difficult, and may present challenges which seem insurmountable.

However, once you are out there in the world, living the life abroad you wanted for yourself, it could be the best decision you ever made in your life.

I recently came to know Alexa Hart, founder of Atlas Sliced. Her website is a collection of the experiences and success stories of expats living, working, and travelling around the world. With her access to so many expats, I asked her to compile a list of resources for those looking to start a life abroad. She agreed, and I'm proud to share this comprehensive list with you here.

Take us to the nearest airport, Alexa...

Alexa Hart

If you’re looking to live or work abroad long-term, look no further. As the founder and host of Atlas Sliced, I have had the privilege of interviewing inspirational people who have held incredibly unique positions all over the globe. From location-independent jobs (like writing) to in-country jobs (like teaching) to “hustler” jobs (like working as a waiter or in sales), my guests have fulfilled their passions for traveling and experiencing the world in new surroundings.

Here, I have listed in alphabetical order my top resources and recommendations for launching your life abroad.

1) Around the World in 80 Jobs – Turner Barr is the man behind this site. He has done some very unconventional work, like harvesting agave in Mexico and selling gluhwein in Germany. While his posts may be controversial and are sometimes riddled with bad words, he shows that you can find work just about anywhere. All it takes is perseverance and entrepreneurial creativity.

2) Go Overseas – If you’re thinking of traveling with an organization, Go Overseas is a one-stop shop for finding volunteer organizations, teach abroad opportunities, study abroad programs, and internships overseas. What I like about Go Overseas is that real people review their own experiences, and there’s no backlash for writing negative reviews. What also drew me to them is their team of talented writers and guest writers, who provide accurate, unbiased, and useful information about living abroad.

3) Grassroots Volunteering – Not digging paid programs? Understandable. Grassroots Volunteering is a relatively new site that lists FREE volunteer programs (some are paid) and opportunities around the world. I’m excited to see the site develop even further, as there are already quite a few meaningful organizations listed.

4) Idealist – Idealist is a fantastic website that lists jobs, volunteer work, and internships all over the world. Most organizations on the site revolve around some form of civil service and giving back to society.

5) InterNations – InterNations is a site that connects expats with each other. It’s a great way to meet new people when you move to a foreign country, as they hold regular events in various cities for people to network and mingle. Another feature they have on their site is their forums. People can post questions or comments about job openings, housing, or any other inquiries they might have to the community.

6) Leslie Forman – Leslie Forman is a gem! She is a California native who has lived abroad extensively, mostly in China and Chile. She created a free, month-long course titled “How to Create Your International Career.” The course is packed with fantastic content and resources to get started. She’s also in the process of writing a book on this topic.

7) Meet Plan Go – Meet Plan Go is an excellent site for inspiration and how-to advice about taking a career break or traveling long-term in general. Their national and local events are also a great way to meet like-minded individuals who have already lived abroad or who want to spend time overseas.

8) Stacie Berdan – Stacie is an “international career expert” and an accomplished author who makes the case that you can get ahead in life by going abroad. She writes and speaks frequently about how international experience will help people succeed in the ever-changing “globalized world.”

9) Teaching Traveling – Want a teaching job overseas, but you’re not sure where to start? You’ve come to the right place. Teacher Lillie Marshall, founder of the site, interviews people who have taught all over the world. What I love most about Teaching Traveling is the first-hand accounts of people’s experiences abroad.

10) Thrilling Heroics – If location independence is the way you like to roll, Thrilling Heroics is the place to be. Founder Cody McKibben is a digital nomad who is living a pretty exciting international life, as he is able to work from anywhere. He helps people build location-independent businesses online, and he has a slew of great articles on his site about how to get started.

Any other sites you like or recommend?

A Guide to Hostel Etiquette from Expatkerri

Having slept in over 100 hostels in cities all over Asia, Europe, and Central and South America, I feel I've experienced all sides of hostels. I've slept in the comfy 4-bed female dorm all the way up to the 36-bed mixed dorm, and I hereby offer my 10 simple rules for hostel dorm etiquette. Obey these recommendations, and you'll be the change I want to see in the hostelling community.

Creative mural in Kokopelli Hostel in Cusco, Peru

1. Remember that bunkbeds are for two people.

When I am sleeping above or below you, if you shuffle and re-make your bed at 2am, I shuffle just as much. If you are on the top bunk, try to prioritize and organize your necessary items so that you climb down and up as little as possible. If you're on the bottom bunk, please don't lean your bag on the ladder or else I will fall on it when I try to step down in the dark.

2. No sex, end of story.

Don't do it. When you come home drunk, and it seems like you and your new dude are the only two souls in the universe, take your love somewhere else. None of us need to hear or see your drunken lovemaking, nor do we want to be woken up by the creaking of the bunkbed. Get a room, or at the very least go to the bathroom.

3. Don't slam the door.

Be aware of your surroundings, and the space you share with others. When you slam the door, and we are still sleeping, it wakes us and scares us, and you give us the impression that we made you angry. Consider the people around you, and take an extra second to close the door quietly.

4. Prepare for bedtime in advance.

If you know you're going out, and will likely come back after others are sleeping, prepare the things you need for bed before you leave. Get out your pyjamas, toothbrush, towel, alarm, water, and anything else that you might need. Bonus points for those who bring a torch with them and use it instead of turning on the lights at 3am.

5. Take your bag outside if you need to shuffle.

When leaving for an early morning bus or flight, there's no question that you'll be up before others. The most courteous way to deal with an early morning pack up is to quietly take your whole bag out of the room, and to re-pack it, zip it, and shuffle all your belongings once you're in the common area. This way the room remains quiet, and you spare the sanity of the people still sleeping.

6. Quick bathroom use.

Many hostels offer only one bathroom for 6-10 people. The bathroom takes on inexplicable importance to the people in the room, and the time you use it should be respected. When you take a shower, be quick, especially in the morning. Leave the bathroom right after your shower in case someone has been waiting to use it. Try to make use of mirrors in the room and other nearby facilities (if there are any) so that others may use the bathroom in the room freely. By all means, do not spend 20 minutes in the shower at 8:00 am and another 20 minutes with the water off locked in the bathroom (unless you like being glared at).

7. Throw away your plastic bags.

The rustling, shuffling, and crinkling of plastic bags is the traveler's enemy. I realize the usefulness of such bags, and use several of them in my backpack, but they are not holding my clothes nor my toiletries. Instead of plastic bags, choose mesh bags for toiletries and cotton sacks for your clothes. These bags are much quieter, and no one will wake up when you scramble looking through the bag to find your other sock. If you find yourself needing to crinkle and shuffle a plastic bag, refer to tip number 5.

8. Turn off your snooze.

I am a fan of the snooze button, and use it every morning when I get ready for work. However, when I travel, I am sharing my room with other people who might not want to hear my Marimba ringtone every 5 minutes for the 30 minutes it takes me to get out of bed. Set your alarm to ring once, and don't hit snooze.

9. Mind your voice.

I have been travelling with my best friend in many countries around the world, and we've shared many a hostel room together. It's tempting to engage in conversation when we catch each others' eyes while others are sleeping, but instead of whispering, we motion to go outside and have our conversations there. First of all, when you whisper in a room, if your friend can hear you, so can other people. Secondly, everyone doesn't need to hear about what happened last night or why you lost the bus tickets. Take your friend outside to the common room and talk there.

10. Be courteous.

When you enter a hostel, you are entering a shared space with other travellers. When swapping stories of where you've been or where you're going, don't assume since you've been travelling longer or in more exotic locations that you are the better traveller. A traveller on a trip for a week is the same as a traveller on a trip for a month or for a year. We are all travelling, and we all deserve to enjoy our time in the hostels that we choose. Be grateful that you've crossed paths with other travellers, and give them the same respect you would expect them to give you.

What crazy hostel moments have you had? Leave a comment sharing your stories, and write your other tips for hostel etiquette!

How to Pack Light

Now that I've started to pack up my apartment here in Jinju, trying to minimize items for storage and sort through books and shoes, I am finding a lot of hidden treasures. Today I found an old copy of Gwangju News from this time last year. I wrote an article about packing light with appeared in that issue, and I have posted my article here for your perusal. Light packers unite!  

Why Lighten up?

Packing light is the best gift you can give yourself when you travel.  A light backpack or suitcase is easy to walk with and easy to lift. It also makes your journey more relaxing and less stressful.

Choose souvenirs carefully – Instead of buying a fridge magnet – which was probably not made in the country you’re visiting anyway – opt instead for a handmade piece of clothing or something else that you can use while you travel.

Don’t bring an umbrella – Though planning for inclement weather may make you feel well prepared, it’s not necessary. In most places you’ll visit, it’s easy to find a shop where you can pick up a cheap umbrella if the need arises. Don’t even bother with those little plastic excuses for raincoats, cause you can always use a garbage bag instead. And plus – you’re waterproof.

Choose pieces carefully – You really only need a few key items: a few shirts, a pair of trousers, two pairs of socks, and maybe a hat. As a woman, bring a long skirt. It can be worn with a t-shirt for attending temples during the day, but then can also be hiked up to become a strapless dress for nights out. And remember that bikinis or swimming trunks also double as underwear.

No laptop – Use internet cafes and internet at hostels instead of lugging your laptop. You won’t have to worry about it being stolen, and laptops add a lot of weight to your bag. Enjoy being disconnected from your internet life on days when you can’t get to a computer.

Tailor your guidebook – If you have the guidebook to India, but only plan on visiting the north, cut out the information about the south, and places you definitely aren’t going to visit. Otherwise, you could easily carry around a lot of dead weight that ends up dragging you down –which is just as useful as carrying a jar of pennies in your pack.

 

Bibliophiles fear not – a cut-up guidebook is the best kind.

Simplify toiletries – Take the opportunity to be a bit lazy with your grooming. You’re not going to a job interview, so let yourself go, and enjoy the frizzy hair and overall unkempt style. You’ll probably fit in better with other travelers if you look disheveled anyway. Things like bug spray and sunscreen are necessary in certain places, but just buy these items when necessary.

Repeat clothes – You meet new people everyday, and new friends move on, so no one will notice if you wear the same clothes for a whole week.

Be honest - If you’re not a hiker in your regular life, leave your hiking boots at home and admit that you’re probably not going to be hiking on your trip. If you do want to bring hiking boots, wear them on the plane, rather than packing them in your bag. Boots can weigh a lot, and take up a lot of space in your bag. The only shoes you really need are a good pair of walking shoes, and maybe a pair of sandals if you’re hitting up the beach. 

*This article was originally published on 29 May 2011 in Gwangju News