Ask HN: Those who quit their jobs to travel the world, how did it go?
Strange how all the stories here are positive & cheerful. I did the very thing two years ago, mostly due to peer pressure and reading too much HN, and it was a disaster. I didn't meet any interesting people, had no exciting adventures, tasted no great food, had no job opportunities, and pretty much only existed, lived in crappy hostels, drank bland coffee and burned all my cash reserves. I came back tired, broke, lonely, sick and with a fleeting feeling that there's something seriously weird about my complete inability to connect with people & navigate the unknown. It did open many new doors on my road to self-discovery, but if I were to go on such a trip again, it would have to be a vastly different arrangement.Stepping too far out of your comfort zone can result in anxiety and paralysis instead of the much desired change. Try it if you want, but don't be too surprised if it ends up in a big disappointment. Contrary to what the cheerful startup crowd may want to to think, it's not for everyone.