What would YOU do??

I used to be young(er) too :) I'm 47 now. I live here and support myself by writing software for companies in the US. But I'm good at what I do, and it took a long time to get to the point where I can do that, at my level, for the money I make.

However, I wish I had done some traveling when I was younger. I would not have probably had the same life I did to date if I had seen some of the things that I've seen in the last 15 years of traveling and the last 4 or so years of actually living as an expat.

You have to make a decision as to what you can tolerate. I've lived in the States at the poverty level before, when I was young. It's not as bad when you're young, but you sure as hell don't want to do it when you're older, after you've become used to living better than you did when you were young. I mention the poverty level in the States because if you are going to support yourself off of a job in Argentina, you will live similar to that in many ways, maybe even worse in other ways.

If you want to live overseas for awhile and then return to the States, do it now. Get a job in the States, save as much money as you can, find a skill as has been mentioned that you can use where you are going to go, spend the time learning the langauage and becoming as near fluent as you can - it makes a huge difference. Go, enjoy, come back when you've had enough. Don't forget to leave enough money in savings somewhere to get you back!

If you see living overseas as a long term goal (i.e., not particularly worried about returning), I'd counsel you to spend a few years building up a bigger savings account and developing some skills that you can use to work from the internet somehow and live more comfortably.

The one thing that I do regret from when I was younger is that I made some decisions based on thinking that if I don't do it now, I'll never do it. It's all a matter of looking ahead and figuring out how you want to live and accomplishing that.

BTW - I have a friend who makes more money than I do (I'm not rich - I make a modest salary) by nothing more than running forums (not this one!). He has a few forums that are paid, and a few forums that are free but make money off of their advertisements. It took him a couple of years to build them up. He is now looking to sell them in a few years, and thinks he may get a few million out of them - very possible.

That may be a real way to sit back in the States for now, get a job, save money, build a few forums that start to bring in money, and then take off and enjoy the world for the rest of your life.
 
Kaster and ElQueso... I humbly thank you. That is a glimpse of real life considerations! I do feel like I could have a completely different life by living abroad. It may not be financially rewarding, but there are more things to life than being rich and uncultured! I am definitely going to dig deep and find a craft, trade, hobby, that could be profitable in for traveling purposes. Thank you all for your comments and feedback. This is the most helpful community that I have ever seen. And with such a support group why would anyone not love Buenos Aires!!
 
Karma, you are almost in the exact situation I think I might be in myself next year. I am going to study a semester abroad at Belgrano in June, and then I come back to finish my final semester in Canada. I KNOW I want to work abroad (I've traveled enough to realize for certain that I don't want to waste any more of my life in Canada, I'm just not happy here) - either in Europe or in South America, and I'm trying to figure out ways that will enable me to do so. I'm looking at doing an International Business Masters program after my undergrad next year, so hopefully that will give me some in-road to working abroad (although finding work in the EU is usually damn hard without a citizenship, but I am determined, so I will find a way no matter what it takes!)
 
Michael_CA said:
I don't want to waste any more of my life in Canada, I'm just not happy here) -
Heard about a job opening for "Dog Catcher" in La Boca. Maybe you could qualify?
 
Michael_CA said:
Karma, you are almost in the exact situation I think I might be in myself next year. I am going to study a semester abroad at Belgrano in June, and then I come back to finish my final semester in Canada. I KNOW I want to work abroad (I've traveled enough to realize for certain that I don't want to waste any more of my life in Canada, I'm just not happy here) - either in Europe or in South America, and I'm trying to figure out ways that will enable me to do so. I'm looking at doing an International Business Masters program after my undergrad next year, so hopefully that will give me some in-road to working abroad (although finding work in the EU is usually damn hard without a citizenship, but I am determined, so I will find a way no matter what it takes!)

Unsolicited advice I know, but generally speaking, there's no point in doing a Biz Masters until you actually have some biz experience under your belt.

You're Canadian -- take the Working Holiday visa in Britain (2 years I think), Japan, Australia, NZ, or Ireland. If you're Quebecois you can also get one for France. Canadians have tonnes of opportunities to work abroad while they are under 30 -- you can get out working holiday visas for basically every Commonwealth country in the world, and a whole lot of other ones. Forget the biz masters for the moment, take your working holiday visas wherever you like, go make some $$ and travel, then go back and do a masters when you have more of an idea as to what you want to do, and more experience under your belt to give you an understanding of how to get there.
 
Michael_CA said:
Karma, you are almost in the exact situation I think I might be in myself next year. I am going to study a semester abroad at Belgrano in June, and then I come back to finish my final semester in Canada. I KNOW I want to work abroad (I've traveled enough to realize for certain that I don't want to waste any more of my life in Canada, I'm just not happy here) - either in Europe or in South America, and I'm trying to figure out ways that will enable me to do so. I'm looking at doing an International Business Masters program after my undergrad next year, so hopefully that will give me some in-road to working abroad (although finding work in the EU is usually damn hard without a citizenship, but I am determined, so I will find a way no matter what it takes!)

I think you might have an unrealistic view of what life would be like actually trying to make a living here. However, I would proceed if you are really unhappy in Canada. My guess after trying to make a living for a few months is that Canada won't look so bad.

Your idea of getting an international MBA sounds like a plan. What you would want to do with that is get a job with a Canadian or U.S. company that does a lot business overseas. There are a lot of these companies. A big plus for you would be foreign language skills. You may already speak Spanish perhaps you could pick up another language as well. Often these companies will post people overseas which is what you appear to be after.
 
syngirl said:
Unsolicited advice I know, but generally speaking, there's no point in doing a Biz Masters until you actually have some biz experience under your belt.

You're Canadian -- take the Working Holiday visa in Britain (2 years I think), Japan, Australia, NZ, or Ireland. If you're Quebecois you can also get one for France. Canadians have tonnes of opportunities to work abroad while they are under 30 -- you can get out working holiday visas for basically every Commonwealth country in the world, and a whole lot of other ones. Forget the biz masters for the moment, take your working holiday visas wherever you like, go make some $$ and travel, then go back and do a masters when you have more of an idea as to what you want to do, and more experience under your belt to give you an understanding of how to get there.

Thanks for the advice all, and from how long I've been reading these forums (but not really posting much) I realize how difficult and frustrating living in BA probably is. As for the working holiday visa Syngirl mentioned, I have already done that for a year in Scotland and England. The year before I lived in Italy with relatives for six months, and traveled Europe during the time. I would far rather live in either of those places and make much less money than work for six digit figures and stay in Canada. Maybe I'm just being naive, as Canada is a safe, stable place to live and work, but I enjoy life far better the years I have been in Europe (even during the many tough tight-budget days I had to survive through).
 
Michael_CA said:
Maybe I'm just being naive, as Canada is a safe, stable place to live and work, but I enjoy life far better the years I have been in Europe (even during the many tough tight-budget days I had to survive through).

Its not naive, you just have a good understanding of what makes you happy at the moment. Its your life, nobody else can rationalise you into enjoying it.
 
Michael_CA said:
Thanks for the advice all, and from how long I've been reading these forums (but not really posting much) I realize how difficult and frustrating living in BA probably is. As for the working holiday visa Syngirl mentioned, I have already done that for a year in Scotland and England. The year before I lived in Italy with relatives for six months, and traveled Europe during the time. I would far rather live in either of those places and make much less money than work for six digit figures and stay in Canada. Maybe I'm just being naive, as Canada is a safe, stable place to live and work, but I enjoy life far better the years I have been in Europe (even during the many tough tight-budget days I had to survive through).

Ok, then don't do a Biz masters -- the types of jobs you'll be eligible for after that are long hours and 6 digit salaries... sounds like you'd be miserable.

Come be poor in Argentina instead, 30% inflation and rising. You'll be happy as a pig in s***.

Argentina is NOT Europe. Don't even think that it's close to being the same. We certainly do not get the 6 week holidays of many European countries, and we definitely don't make the salaries. Most people living here who are foreigners and making local salaries will tell you they don't travel much and they really don't get to take holidays. That yummy European food? Pay through the nose for it here.

Argentina may be the most "european" country in Latin America, but it's not Europe. If you think Argentina is like Italy, sure, maybe like Southern (poor, 3rd world-like) Italy, but it's definitely not Rome or Tuscany.
 
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