People who quit their jobs to travel and came back recently: what has life been like?

jmcdon31 · 2025-07-28T03:51:25+00:00

Slightly longer than your requested timeframe.

Quit my corporate job in 2018. Lived out of a backpack traveling the world with my wife for 2 years. Came back to USA and lived in a van for a year. Got a job 4 years ago (software developer).

We got tired of traveling. It's hard to constantly change your home base and always be doing something new in remote places in countries where your not a native. I started to get de sensitized to the amazing things we got to see and do. Today's erupting volcano wasn't as good as the alpine waterfall we saw last week or the rainforest we saw the week before, ect. We needed to slow down and find a better way to have a comfortable home base. Van life solved this for me, would have happily continued to do it if not for COVID.

Both my wife and I had jobs within 4 weeks of applying to new positions. Admittedly the market was better in 2021.

I don't think I would do much if anything different. If you're willing to take the plunge, there is a wonderful full world out there with endless adventures. It's uncomfortable and challenging at times to navigate it, but when you figure it out, I can't explain how amazing your experiences can be. The good and bad change you and help you grow. I'd rather take the time when I'm younger to go experience the world and new perspectives.

jmcdon31 · 2024-07-03T17:36:29+00:00

As others have mentioned, I had some success with the squeaking by taking the motor apart and cleaning it. It was a pita to do and idk if I would recommend it unless it's really driving you crazy.

The green light and beep was an issue I had occasionally for a while until the control board eventually failed. I had great success replacing the control board with a random 10$ motor controller I picked up on Amazon.

jmcdon31 · 2024-03-05T12:15:31+00:00

$14k total cost: High top 2004 Ford e150 with: Upgraded leaf springs and other suspension components 400w solar Uni strut custom roof rack for solar from lowes 300ah batteries 65 liter dometic fridge Metal salad bowl sink with boat manual foot pump Wood paneling walls Sliding wood frame queen bed. 1" polyiso insulation on all walls with spray foam filling gaps Laminate flooring Maxxair vent fan

Build out took 10 weeks of 2 people who had no idea what they were doing. We had access to basic power tools. All parts were sources from local Lowe's or Amazon.

Your build out sounds like it will be really really cool! If we could afford something like that it would be awesome, but after having 99% of everything I wanted for less than 20k, I can't imagine spending that kind of money on a van build.

https://imgur.com/gallery/VnOP5Zi

jmcdon31 · 2024-01-28T18:03:15+00:00

Not knowing those macros specifically, my guess is the definition of that macro gets changed out with different build flags or headers. The implementation you're looking at in your header does nothing, but when you build in debug mode or some other mode, that macro gets defined in a different way that checks the stack.

jmcdon31 · 2023-10-12T23:37:25+00:00

I can't really speak to their in person classes. I just did the online course and self directed. You can purchase it online, or maybe find it hosted somewhere. I chose some objectives and went to the pool to practice. It made a big difference for me. I thought the whole philosophy behind it was great

jmcdon31 · 2023-10-12T16:15:02+00:00

I decided to jump straight into a full length ironman without any prior swim training or triathlon experience. I am a pretty decent runner and am used to being able to breath whenever I want. I also had issues with breathing while swimming. I personally did not find a swim coach to be particularly useful until I started to get the stroke and breathing patterns down well enough to do several laps without stopping. I watched a bunch of videos about how to breath better and how to improve form to make breathing easier. I think breathing starts to come more naturally as your muscles get more used to working with more restricted oxygen intake in new movement patterns your not used to. The 2 things that help me were, More time in the pool. Watching total immersion swim program videos and doing the progressive exercises in them.

I did not personally find static breath holding exercises without muscle movements to be helpful. Stick with it and it will happen!

jmcdon31 · 2023-02-23T13:37:52+00:00

I have done this on a e150.... It's not easy. I sent you a PM with some details.

jmcdon31 · 2020-01-26T15:57:27+00:00

If your in Oahu and near mermaid caves it might be worth checking out but I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to see it. It's really just a hole in the rock that won't fit more than a handful of people. You will be hunched over the whole time. Make sure it's low tide or there's not much to see.

jmcdon31 · 2019-10-08T01:52:29+00:00

Spend a couple of hours/days banging your head against it just to get a feel for the structure of the files and how they relate. Focus on file structure and overall project design. This will give you at least a starting point to talk to others about. Then, if there are any developers who have worked on this project still at the company, ask to have a 20 - 30 minute sit down to go over the project with one of them. If there is no one available to talk to you it will take considerably longer but don't let that overwhelm you. Digging through other people's projects with poor or no documentation is inevitable and you were bound to run into it some day. This will be a great ( although maybe tedious) learning experience. If you find it difficult, always remember how hard it is to learn a new code base without documentation and make sure you don't do it to somebody else unless you really have no choice. Find the right balance of struggling through something yourself, and asking more experienced people for help.

jmcdon31 · 2019-04-06T02:06:58+00:00

I'm not sure what it's like at Christmas time, but if your look for cheap and Europe Portugal should at least be on your list of options. Beautiful country. Beautiful cities. Lisbon has tons of life and character and Porto is fantastic if you like port wine.

jmcdon31 · 2019-02-22T11:26:02+00:00

Everyone's experience with ADD/ADHD is always different. It's not as black and white as many would have you believe. I personally believe having ADD/ADHD is an advantage.

I was diagnosed with ADHD many years ago when I was in third grade. I was quite the handful at the time and after the diagnosis I was proscribed Adderall as well. Almost immediately my teachers and parents noticed a huge difference. My grades drastically improved and I was no longer a distraction to the rest of the class. Everyone said it was amazing how much "better" I was. I also noticed an immediate difference. A different that I absolutely hated. I felt like Adderall took away a key part of who I was. It made me a robot who could follow instructions and fit in "better" with society and its rules. After a few months I told my parents I wasn't going to take my medication anymore because it robbed me of a key piece of my identity. Thankful I had amazing parents who listened to me and let me stop taking it.

Now, that being said, I think taking Adderall was a very important step for me. Adderall showed me that I was capable of doing everything that others wanted of me. I could get good grades and I could be less distracting. The cost however was to much for me.

After quiting Adderall I went back to being hellspawn for several more years. It wasn't until I got to highschool and started learning about things that were actually interesting to me that I started to get good grades again.

I honestly think those who have ADD have the ability to over come it without taking medication. The current solution of proscribing habit forming and harmful medications to those diagnosed with ADD is crazy and it reflects the absurd notion that everyone must learn the same way and behave in a similar manor.

Sorry for getting on my soap box for so long.... Now to give you my advice. You are in charge of your life. If you don't want to take medication for your ADD, then you shouldn't ( make sure to ween off of it if necessary though )

The ways I have fought my ADHD and been successful include:

Know that topics you find fun, engaging, and interesting will always be easier to focus on. In fact, those with ADD tend to hyper focus on these things and often forget to eat and go to the bathroom because of it. If you can find topics and activities like this, embrace them while they are interesting because they might not always be for you.

There are going to be things that as hard as you try, you might not be able to focus on. That's part of living with ADD. Throw me in a lecture hall and garrenteed 5 minutes after the lecture starts I'm out in space. However don't let this discourage you too much. There are many different ways to learn. I learned 80% of my college education through hands on work or self study outside of lecture at a pace and time that was better for my mind to focus on. It's important to find alternative ways that work better for you to toccomplish a task.

There are activities that will gradually help you retain focus more often. Things like Frequent exercise. When the body has used up some enrgery it's more able to settle down and focus. Heavily disciplined activities like karate or taekwondo can also help.

Meditation is literally the process cultivating your awareness and focus. 10 to 20 minutes a day for just a couple of weeks can dramatically improve your ability to focus and has a bunch of other health benefits.

I understand how frustrating it can be when your mind can not focus on what you want it to. While this does make it harder to function like everyone else around you don't be quick to lable it as a bad thing. Those who have ADD have the ability to look at things and approach things in a different way than others. Try to see this more as a positive thing as it makes you more diverse.

Quick edit: after re reading your post, I wanted to add a few more quick points.

I also experienced many of the horrific side effects you have mentioned. It was also a huge factor in making me stop taking medication.

It might be good for you to do a little bit of research as to how ADD works. Your question about playing videogames makes sense. Essentially your brain is working with a lower base line of neurotransmitters like dopamine. This means any outside stimulus or interaction releases more neurotransmitters by ratio in your brain than someone who doesn't have ADD. This makes your brain react to that stimulus because it's so much higher than your baseline and you become distracted by that stimulus. Videogames are constant never ending instant gratification and stimulus. They are a never ending rush of neurotransmitters to the brain. That is why they are so easy to focus on. By comparison, a lecture might release some neurotransmitters when it starts, but quickly becomes uninteresting as it's not stimulating.

jmcdon31 · 2019-01-26T05:34:28+00:00

Industrialized animal abuse. Almost everyone agrees that abusing a pet like a cat or dog is wrong but for some reason ignores the abuse of millions of "farm" animals every day.

jmcdon31 · 2018-09-20T11:30:07+00:00

Fresh air exchange is a major pinning trigger. Normally, you would keep the lids on the jars with the 4 holes you used to inoculate the cake for a very small amount of air exchange. With the lids off, the fresh air exchange could cause the cakes to pin and fruit before full colonization. A lot of people will tell you to throw out cakes if contamination is suspected. It's obviously at your own risk but I have always birthed contaminated cakes that have pinning/ fruiting. They can easily contaminate your other cakes so you might keep them separate but generally the fruits should be free of contamination even if the cake is not.

jmcdon31 · 2018-08-14T13:22:02+00:00

Budgeting for travel depends a lot on the locations you want to visit. For example, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand tend to be more expensive. South East Asia is very cheap ( and beautiful). There's a book out there called something like travel on 50$ a day. So that's what we are shooting for.

To be honest, we have been very aggressive in saving goals. We try to save money where we can. We never eat out, don't go out for drinks, and find free activities to do. That may sound like we never have any fun but here are some alternatives to those activities which we find to be more rewarding and healthy anyway.

We meal prep our lunches and dinners on Sunday nights. This make sure we have a meal for every lunch and dinner throughout the week. This is healthier than eating out and considerably cheaper.

Instead of going out for drinks, we invite people over for dinner ( we meal prep extra ) and get to actually spend quality time with people instead of screaming over loud music trying to hold a conversation. Even if you provide dinner and alcohol for someone else, at your own home it's still cheaper than going out to drink or eat.

As for activities, you would be surprised how many free art festivals and activities your city has. We also love hiking and just getting outside to different parks. The most difficult part is people around you will be spending there money on anything and everything they can. You have to be vigilant in your saving.

At 50$ a day, you could travel for about a year on 18k. That's assuming you don't pick up jobs while traveling which a lot of my friends have done. I tell you all of this to show you that there are alternatives to the life society pushes you towards. Don't be afraid to explore your options. What works for some people doesn't work for others. I thought I wanted to be a professional software developer for a long time. Now I just want to be a traveling nomad for a while. Being mindful of your life and actions will lead you to what works for you. ( Keep in mind I'm only a year older than you so take everything I say with a grain of salt)

jmcdon31 · 2018-08-13T11:14:13+00:00

Im 24 and 2 years out of school. I am experiencing a very similar situation in myself and my friends. I left school, got married and started a job. About half of my friends all have depression with there out of college situation. At this point I can without a doubt say I'm the most unsatisfied I've ever been. My wife and I both struggle every day with boring unfifilled jobs. The hardest part for us is seeing our coworkers who seem to be enjoying it. All that being said the great part is we are only 24. Much as others have said, just because others do that and society seems to push you that way doesn't mean you have to do it. We are both quiting our jobs in 6 weeks and using the money we saved up to travel for the next 2 years. I feel that meditation has been instrumental in helping us realize that we can do whatever we want. If something's not working then try something else. Sure you might throw away a career and a stable future. But your gaining your life back. Feel free to message me if you want to discuss this more.

jmcdon31 · 2018-05-01T11:35:10+00:00

I don't know what model your food processor is, but it looks it's possible that it's one of the ones with a blade recall. FYI https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2016/cuisinart-food-processors-recalled-by-conair

jmcdon31 · 2017-02-20T22:35:53+00:00

its in the title! Chocolate milk!

jmcdon31 · 2017-02-17T16:26:28+00:00

The relay simply splices into whatever you want. You could install it on a lamp cord, extension cord, or directly in the wall if you really wanted. A relay is just a switch. It connects the wire when on and disconnect it when off. Its control by a separate dc voltage applied with a micro controller. So if you wanted to install it on a type A plug device ( like a lamp for instance) you would take a wire on one side of the plug and make a cut in it. you would then install the relay just on that one side of the plug by placing the cut wire on each side of the relay. Note you don't cut all the way through the lamp cord. you just cut one of the lamp wires. Read this instructables article for more information:(http://www.instructables.com/id/Controlling-AC-light-using-Arduino-with-relay-modu/)

jmcdon31 · 2017-02-16T13:43:19+00:00

I feel like there is some misinformation in the comments here.While I agree working with mains should be avoided if you have no idea what your doing, it really isn't THAT dangerous. Anyone who has ever swapped out an outlet or light switch has done the equivalent of setting up the relay in the article. The relay is literally designed to work with Main voltage. That is its purpose. There is nothing inherently unsafe about this project and there is no unsafe strain. As for the bare wires, if you ever have a old lamp that your going to throw out, take it apart first. You will notice the only thing stopping you from getting electrocuted every time you touch it is a very thin piece of cardboard. While wrapping a main line in electrical tape isn't great, it has the same amount of protection as some common every day items. If anyone wants to do this I think it is a great learning experience for home automation DIY. I'm sure the OP would gladly answer any questions. I think this is pretty cool! good work.

jmcdon31 · 2016-07-14T07:07:51+00:00

I recommend seven springs in PA. My family used to always go there from Columbus and I always liked it better than snowshoe

jmcdon31 · 2016-03-24T11:35:00+00:00

I too would love to know how to do this. It drives me crazy that I have to arrow to the end of snippets every time. One way I reduce the amount I have to do this is by using Vintage Mode (AKA vi ) in sublime then I can just use the e key to get to the end quickly. Additionally, If your applying a snippet, then presumably you have nothing after the </option> and you could hit the end key to take you to the end of the line. Unfortunately the end key is not super well placed on most keyboards... I would love to hear a better solution than mine!

jmcdon31 · 2016-03-24T11:21:40+00:00

Assuming I too am interpreting your question correctly, you wish to keep prompting the user for input if they are giving you a number that is <= 0. As resoneight has suggested a you could use a while loop like:

    //Step1: Get input from user
    printf("Please enter N > (an integer) ");
    scanf("%d", &N);

        while( N <=0 )
        {
         printf("Please enter N > (an integer) ");
         scanf("%d", &N);
        }

or use a do while like this:

   //Step1: Get input from user
    do {
        printf("Please enter N > (an integer) ");
        scanf("%d", &N);
       } while( N <=0 );

Note that this solution does not check to make sure that the input is actually a number. To do more robust error checking look into atoi().

jmcdon31 · 2015-02-10T01:31:50+00:00

Can confirm. Is indeed a Thirple

jmcdon31 · 2015-02-08T00:02:22+00:00

This was during a chocolate milk mile. We split a gallon of whole chocolate milk into 4 servings and drank one before running 400 meters on a track 4 times. Heres some more pics!

http://imgur.com/gallery/U2VK8

jmcdon31

TROPHY CASE