Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with abroad

After the peppermint soap buzz wears off..

bradly — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 02:28:50 -0800

My roommate is going to be in Tanzania for 6 months to work with a local NGO. I would like to give him something small he can take with him before he leaves in January. What useful item will he be without access to then that I can give to him now? More details:

Male, mid twenties, item would probably be along the lines of something outdoorsy/practical (the way he is) or some comfort that he will likely miss.

He already owns chocos, nalgenes, filter, stove, master chemist Dr. Bronner's magical soap (DILUTE DILUTE, OK!) and is pretty well covered regarding typical overseas purchases.

Thanks in advance!

How to deal with homesickness while living abroad? (And when can I give in to it and go home?

inatizzy — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:32:54 -0800

I've been happily living abroad for three months, and all of a sudden I'm extremely homesick and I want to come home. I want to get past this, but how? (Apologies for the length. It's a complicated issue for me. The questions are at the end. Thanks. :)

I've been living in Buenos Aires for 3 months now, fulfilling a long-time dream to live abroad. I'm settled in with a small group of friends I see a few times a week (fellow swing dancers), moving to an apartment with two nice roommates this week, and I've pretty much moved past the just-moved-here distractions and into regular, mundane life.

So for the past week, I've been hit by intense, depression-level homesickness. I'm missing my family the most I have in many years, probably because I'm in the thick of spending my first Christmas ever away from my hometown and my family, which is very sad and a even a little scary for me. (It is too expensive to go back, and I knew that when I decided to come here.) Christmas is not religious for us, but it's a ritual that is the cornerstone of my year. We come together and it wraps up this year and starts off the next one. To stave off the loneliness, I've been good about making plans with friends for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and I will video Skype with my family.

Despite this, the homesickness persists. I cycle between feeling normal and feeling really down. The down time is usually in the afternoon, when I'm home alone and the long, lonely day is stretched out ahead of me. The up time is usually in the evening and night when I have plans. (Or even tonight, when I don't!) What I'm going through now reminds me of the way my mood cycled one summer, seven years ago, when I had major depression. Overall I feel more stable and happy now than then, during my "up" times, but the down times are similar. I'm sad, filled with hopelessness and grief, and I cry so hard that I practically burst out of my skin. My perspective gets skewed and I don't believe any of the logic behind my decision to live here. I get desperate and I just want to end the pain and be home with my family RIGHT NOW. (Even though Mom & I both agree that really, this should be a good experience for our family to go experience a Christmas when one of us isn't there.)

During the ups I feel pretty normal and in agreement with the logic that brought me here to live. But I do feel more tired, emotionally and physically, and I just don't have as much energy to be enthusiastic about things. (Usually I'm quite bubbly and smiley.) My friends notice and have been asking me if I'm OK, even when I'm in the best part of my day.

The whole thing is making me question how long I want to or should stay here. I came here to improve my Spanish and to live internationally for awhile. (So that I will have had that life experience.) When I'm feeling up, I have the strength to keep pushing on towards those goals but when I'm down, I don't care anymore. I just want to be home. I want to give up trying to stay strong. In both states of mind I am looking forward to settling into a community for the long term and working my way up in a new career path (community organizing or something similar). These are things I've been looking forward to since before I left and in fact they inspired me to live abroad because I wasn't ready to settle down until I did this first.

I'm sorry for writing so much here. I guess what I'm looking for here is some insight and guidance from people who've been through this before. Why did homesickness hit, what did you miss, and how did you cope with it? Do you have advice for me as I try to overcome it? Both during the holidays, and in general? And at what point is it OK to decide to go home? I don't want to give up too soon but I also don't want to be unnecessarily hard on myself and force myself to stay here unhappily. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Traveling to Cuba, via Bahamas

RajahKing — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:06:33 -0800

How does one intrepid traveler explain the double stamp to the feds upon return to US soil from a trip that may or may not include Cuba? So, I have a friend (really its not me) and US citizen that is headed to Cuba for a few weeks. She plans to fly from a US city to Nassau, Bahamas, then quickly hop on a plane, fly to Havana. Stay a few weeks, return to Nassau, back to same US city. Presumably, her passport will have two stamps: one on say Christmas entering Bahamas, one on say January 15 entering Bahamas.

I realize there are other AskMes with answers about various odds and ends of travel to Cuba as an American citizen.

Her question is relatively specific:

Why do you say upon re-entry when the US re-entry officials notice you have two stamps of entry to the Bahamas a few weeks apart? The obvious question seems to be "so where were you for those few weeks?"

Do you lie and say you were in a different Carribean country? Do you ask the Bahamanian officials not to stamp twice? Do you cross your fingers and hope they don't?

I would love the answers to come from those who might have insight, not really looking for "she's asking for trouble dude" kind of answers. (Cause she gets that.)

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

*Obviously, no general or otherwise liscence has been garnered.

Warmish places to go in Europe?

walla — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:44:37 -0800

Where in Southern Europe should we go for a few winter months? We work remotely and are considering spending January through March in Europe. We've done this before in Northern Europe (Germany, northern France & Italy), but because of the season we're thinking about going south. Ideally we'd rent an apartment for a month in each of 2 or 3 places.

We love smallish, walkable, affordable cities - Freiburg, Germany was one of our favorites - but we're flexible. It's great if there are day trips nearby, as we won't have to start working until 3 PM.

Thanks for any ideas!

Help me celebrate Eid and make it fun

tavegyl — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:42:11 -0800

Help a misanthropic lapsed Muslim celebrate Eid in London! Looking for ideas from all cultures and none, on manufacturing a better holiday than the traditional one I usually dread. Back in Pakistan, my family celebrated both Eids in much the same way: waking up early for the Eid prayer, followed by sheer khurma for breakfast. New clothes, a day spent visiting family and friends, with us kids hoping we'd get cash presents. Family lunch at my grandmother's. Then more visiting. That was the plan; actually we usually spent the entire day quarrelling and hating our extended families.

Now I live in London married to an Englishman and we can celebrate Eid as we wish. And I would like to insist on a fun twice-yearly celebration, full of new traditions, partly so that I can hold on to some of my own culture in a sea of British celebrations.

However, I'm stumped for what to do. All I can come up with is an Eid dinner for myself, my boy and a few close friends. This makes it basically a glorified dinner party, with resonance only for me. Metafilter, help me with your suggestions!

- If you celebrate or know people who celebrate Eid, how do you do it? What are the fun parts? Any special traditions, like cracking eggs on Greek Easter? If you don't celebrate Eid, any fun little customs I could steal, which wouldn't have other resonances for my English partner?

- No prayer/ mosque related suggestions please, it's not my style.

- Minimal sentimentality, maximum fun is my goal. So Thanksgiving style counting of blessings would not work here.

- In lieu of killing a goat, I've decided to make it a custom to decide as a family which charity we're going to support, and then making an equivalent donation on Eid. Still open to other charity-related suggestions, though.

- In Pakistan we get three days off to celebrate Eid. In the UK, not so much. Bonus points for suggestions on how to celebrate when it's still an ordinary working day, without postponing it to the nearest weekend.

For those unfamiliar with Eid, these are two important Muslim holidays. One Eid comes at the end of the month of fasting, Ramazan. The second, which is this weekend, commemorates Abraham's non-sacrifice of his son, Ismail in Muslim tradition. This Eid is the one where you slaughter animals and donate their meat to charity. Because the Islamic calender is lunar, the two Eids occur at different times of the year, about two months apart

Visa Problems

The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:23:50 -0800

I'm supposed to be at the Spanish Consulate in Miami getting a student visa tomorrow (appt. at 9:25am), but I don't have all the paperwork I need because some of it hasn't arrived from the school that I'll be studying at next semester(as a visiting student). What do I do? What can I do? Fun complications after the jump. So, i'm studying abroad next semester through Saint Louis University's Madrid campus. They (SLU) were supposed to send me the documents I need to apply for a student visa, but they have not arrived to me in the mail. These documents are (I believe) coming from the Saint Louis campus of SLU. Because of the time difference and the fact that I have an appointment with the consulate at 9:25am tomorrow and that I live in Tampa and i'll be driving to Miami (which takes about 5 hours), there's no way I can wait and call SLU in the morning to see what's up and/or potentially get them faxed to me.
I'm going to call the Madrid office when they open in 2 or 3 hours, and see if they can do anything, but what should I do in the meantime? Is there anything I can do, realistically?
Also, as a sidenote, what do you wear when applying for a visa? Should I put on a shirt with a collar/tie/etc?

Canadian Thanks Giving in Australia

dantodd — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:12:31 -0800

I'm in Australia. I have two friends from Canada with whom I'll be celebrating Thanksgiving. What special treats can I get them? One is from Vancouver and the other Quebec.

USD to EUR/Spanish Debit Cards

PaulingL — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 05:51:53 -0800

LivingAbroadFilter: What can I, in particular, do to avoid conversion fees from USD to EUR? I am currently living in Spain. I will be returning to the states as of summer 2010. All my money is in American banks.

Is there something I can do to avoid fees? If not, what would be the best solution so as to keep them to a minimum?

Extra Questions

I have an online ING Direct account, with one of my banks attached to it. 1. Could I withdraw money from the ING location that is near where I am now?

2. Could I open a Spanish account, and use the online ING account to transfer funds between the two? I would like to get a Spanish Debit card.

Thanks!

Help me stay out of prison in authoritarian countries.

proj — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:19:38 -0800

Doing research in authoritarian countries. What is your experience? I am working on my dissertation proposal; I have several ideas, all of which would see me moving to one of several authoritarian countries to conduct field research of a political nature. The degree of authoritarianism differs between countries. I do have some experience living, for a short period of time, in a "friendly" (to the United States) authoritarian country, but not conducting research there.

I am curious about your experiences -- how easy was it for you to get access to data? Were you able to conduct your research relatively freely? Did you find yourself worried about what you were writing due to potential ramifications? How much information did the government request with respect to your research? Were you able to return after publishing your research? Bonus question -- if applying for a Fulbright-Hayes Dissertation Development grant (which must be approved by a host institution in the desired country), did you run into problems? Any and all advice welcome.

None of my dissertation ideas amount to "why country X is an authoritarian hellhole and the government should be overthrown" but each would require acknowledging, to some extent, that authoritarianism is the order of the day and the potential impact this may or may not have had on various civil society elements. Nor am I so naïve as to attempt to get locals to opine about the ills of their government, so I don't need advice on how to conduct a politically appropriate/sensitive conversation. I am particularly concerned, however, about monarchies that have laws against speaking ill of the monarch (an infraction that is broadly defined to say the least and is often used to punish political enemies). Although I have rarely read of non-nationals being imprisoned for this, I do not know the extent to which they traveled in the country after publishing their work.

Apologies for some vagueness.

Is this worth checking out?

Bakuun — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:45:51 -0800

Does anyone have experience with SWAP? (It's a Canadian work-abroad program for students that my boyfriend is currently considering, particularly for acquiring a work visa in the USA.) I've found a thread on a forum mentioning that all SWAP does is basically lick the stamp for you, on official forms available elsewhere. Deflates the excitement balloon a bit, but then if they actually speed up the process somehow, that stamp licking could be worth it. Especially when getting a US work visa is quite the difficult affair otherwise.

As far as I understand it, the regular process would require you to have a sponsor/job lined up already, while SWAP makes the visa available with no such strings.

Hoping for some personal experiences!

Good travel or expat writing

AceRock — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:15:41 -0800

What are your favorite essays about traveling or living abroad? I am putting together a book as a gift for a friend who is going abroad. What are your favorite essays about traveling or living abroad? Particularly essays with a philosophical or intellectual component. Bonus points if they can be found online. Here is the piece I'm using for the intro.

Pausing my life for a year

Anonymous — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:39:40 -0800

I'm a twenty-something American guy who has been considering an extended trip to Australia, ever since I visited for a few weeks in 2008. Last night I decided to be bold and finally applied for a Work and Holiday Visa (Subclass 462). I woke up and found the visa approval email in my inbox. Talk about fast! Excellent... so now what? How do I pause my established life and go on an adventure? How do I let people know, especially at work? I have a fair amount of stuff tying me down at home, but I think I need to leave in a few months or it's never going to happen. I didn't go backpacking after college, opting to enter the work force. I always said that I'd make some money, and THEN travel... the former has happened, but all of my adventures have been short trips after big projects at work. The student loans are finally paid off, so I figure I have no excuse not to go on a 6-12 month adventure. Plus the USD is doing better against the AUD than it was last year when I visited, which may help me at the start of my trip.

I expect that the adventure may involve a few months of backpacking around, and a few months of living and working white-collar job(s) in either Sydney or Melbourne. There are plenty of resources for how to survive once you embark on your adventure, how to plan your stay, etc., but I'm not finding much on how to line things up before then. Dealing with all of the logistics is a bit overwhelming!

---

Job: I have a nice job, but obviously I'd need to leave it in some capacity. I could quit on good terms, or perhaps stay on as a part-time remote consultant (small software company). I have plenty of vested stock options, and plenty that haven't vested yet. I also have a fairly absurd quantity of paid vacation in the bank. I could start using that to go on vacations, or cash it out when I leave. I'm also wondering about how much notice I should give regarding my plans. (This is the main reason this is Anonymous. Some people at work read MeFi, and may not like to hear that I'm planning to go. Yes, this is far from foolproof, but I'll deal with it...)

Timing: I have twelve months from now to show up in the country. I'd like to spend a bit more time at my job saving up money, and I have committed to visiting family in the midwest this coming Christmas. So I'm looking at January as my earliest visa start date. I have an important family wedding here in the states in Fall 2010 that I'd want to attend, perhaps leaving Australia for good at that point, or using it as a holiday from my holiday. Should I buy my flight sooner or later? Buying it would probably light a fire under me in terms of making sure the trip actually happens!

Breaking my lease: I'm currently in the process of finding a new apartment at home. All of the places I'm looking want me to sign a 1 year lease. Obviously, I'd need to leave the country before then. Should I be disclosing this ahead of time, even though it may hurt my ability to find a place? My neighborhood is popular, so finding someone to sublet or take over the lease may be reasonable.

Stuff: I have a lot of money invested in material possessions, but I don't need to sell stuff to be able to afford this trip. Obviously I'm only going to be able to take the essentials with me. No car, no furniture, no art, no entertainment center, no multi-computer multi-monitor setup. If I'm planning on coming back, should I just get a storage unit? Find friends to babysit the nicer stuff while I'm gone? Sell the stuff that I don't have a strong attachment to?

---

Advice, anecdotes, warnings, links, etc. appreciated. Feel free to write me at: adventure.in.australia@gmail.com

How can I tell which NGO is best for volunteering abroad?

tybeet — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:48:26 -0800

How can I tell which NGO is best for volunteering abroad? I know that some NGOs are better than others. For example I know War Child is good because they keep administrative costs low, focus on important problems, and have no religious affiliation (my personal preference). As to how to find out which ones are good, like this, I'm a little lost.

For a long time I've been wanting to volunteer abroad. My original idea was to work at a family owned orphanage in India but I have since lost my contact with that home. India was a good choice for me because I've had an interest in the culture and it was a plus that many people speak English there (between living in Japan and Quebec I've learned that I'm not very good at learning languages). I'd work with War Child but my mom has asked that I stay out of war zones and I guess I've given her enough anxiety over the years.

My advantages: I will have my BA in Psychology. I have clinical experience working at a rehab, and with children with autism.

My disadvantages: I'm not great with heat or hard labour, but I'm working on it. I only have one year before grad school to both save up the money to go and do the actual volunteering.

I'm currently in Canada and am flexible about where and the exact nature of the volunteer work, but a relationship to mental health would be a plus (pretty much any work with people is good). Can you tell me anything about how to tell which organizations are good or give me a suggestion if you know a place that sounds like a good fit? If anyone has firsthand experience I'd also like to hear that as well, thanks!

How do I deal with returning back home from study abroad?

starpoint — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:22:27 -0800

So my wonderful study abroad trip has ended and I returned back home earlier this week. My trip had its highs and lows, but overall I would not trade it for anything. I have grown in many ways and have become more confident in myself. I have met so many people and got a small taste of the world by traveling to a few other countries in Europe. I am more motivated than I ever have been to finish school, search for a job and hopefully move back abroad after finishing. The problem is that I am feeling very restless and depressed now. I'm happy to see my family again, I love them but I am very disconnected. I don't identify with the things that I enjoyed prior to coming abroad. i tried reading some of my old stories and engaging in my old pastimes but I just can't get into them like I once did. No one at home wants to hear anything about my trips or the things I've learned or any observations I've made. And I come from a family of educators, a family that is supposedly interested in other cultures and expanding their horizons!

Any time I even so much as mention my trip (which is NOT often), they either talk over me loudly and quickly, or change the subject. Or they just go, "oh, uh-huh." And that's it. They don't listen to or consider anything I have to say. I can't get a word in edgewise. Yet they go on and on about things in their lives (especially my mother, whenever we talk, it's usually all about her). I listen actively to them and ask them questions. I never try to force myself. Whenever I do try to talk about my life or future plans, no one is interested. My mother will talk about other people's career plans (for example, her teaching assistant who is about my age), but she's not interested in mine. Her own child! When my brother (or anyone else in the family) tells stories, they all listen to him. I feel like I am not taken seriously at all in my family.

I don't expect to talk about my trip all the time, as I know that would bore anyone. But I am feeling so disconnected and no one at home can relate. Talking about it with real live people is exactly what I NEED to to do. For example, they act shocked if I say I feel like it should be later (since Copenhagen is 6 hours ahead of the states).

All I want is to go back abroad. Either that or sit in my room, alone. I feel trapped, restless and cut off from the life I had built abroad. I don't see how I can re-adjust. Especially since my family isn't relating or understanding. If they would at least listen to me for 5 minutes without interrupting or talking over me, that would help me adjust so much better.

What are some tips for getting over this feeling of "disorientation"? How can I get my family to understand how I'm feeling? I love them and appreciate them, but I feel like I don't even belong in this family anymore. The worst thing of all is, I don't even care that I don't belong. I WANT to leave and be on my own. It's all very confusing.

Educated/medicated

howiamdifferent — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 06:28:59 -0800

Studying abroad, on meds. Assume that Guy wants to pursue a graduate degree in the USA. Assume also that he’s on antidepressants. Will he be allowed to take his meds from his home country with him to the US? Will he be able to carry 3-6 months worth of meds every time he goes back to the US (5 to 9 packets)? Will he be able to get emergency supplies from his family through DHL or a similar service?

Guy is from somewhere in Asia. The AD in question is Remeron.

Access to ADHD medication in east Africa?

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:02:02 -0800

Expat in Kenya looking for ADHD medication. American living in Kenya, working for an NGO. Diagnosed with ADHD six years ago, was on medication for a few years at my old job before going off it. It seems I need it at this job.

Do not have health insurance, although I could get it. Would have to be cheap, though.

I was on Adderall before but I'll take anything. (Haven't tried Strattera but willing to give it a shot - i.e., I'm not just looking for stimulants.)

Anyone know my options? Nairobi? Kampala? Shipping anything from the States can take months, so local is better.

So you want to be a Toubab...

levijk — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:57:33 -0800

What's it like volunteering in Senegal with Projects Abroad? I'd like to get out of the USA for at least a couple months to gain perspective and broaden my horizons. I can read simple French so I'd like to visit a francophone locale to become bilingual. I've no education and limited funds, so teaching English in a former French colony seemed like the best idea. Currently reading this page about volunteering in Senegal.

Anybody done this? Anecdotes and advice welcome.

How do I refill my prescriptions while abroad?

c_griffin — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:53:26 -0800

What do I do about getting my prescription medications while I'm staying in another country? I'm a student studying abroad in Wellington, New Zealand for a semester. I've had a pretty terrible time getting any sleep since I was about 14, but recently my doctor prescribed Ambien CR to me and it works like a dream (sorry about the cheesy pun).

Without it, I'm basically up until 4-5am. I've never spent this amount of time in a foreign country before, so I've never had to worry about filling prescriptions abroad. What do I do in this situation? Will this even be an issue? Anything is helpful, I'm completely in the dark right now and my doctor didn't seem to have much advice.

Thanks!

ATM

ashaw — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:58:19 -0800

Urgent: I'm in Brazil and my debit card is being rejected at all ATMs (HSBC etc). I don't even get to the stage of entering my pin number, it tells me that my card is invalid automatically after inserting it. I've called my bank and been told that I should be able to lift the block online by registering that I'll be abroad, which i've done to no avail. Help!

How do I expedite a travel visa for a US->Brazil trip that happens in two weeks.

cothebadger — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 02:45:52 -0800

I have 14 full days (from now until APRIL 21, 2009) to obtain a travel visa so I can visit Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. How can I best expedite the process of obtaining a travel visa in time while not spending more money that I need to? I have my passport, and I will be visiting a friend. My passport expires more than six months after I return from my trip. For the sake of quickness, can I say I'm a tourist and sightseeing vs. "visiting a friend", for which I would need a notarized invitation letter from my friend? (Is that even true?) My friend is an American, but speaks Portuguese and a number of other languages. She is comfortably living in RJ right now.

So far, the cheapest I can find is approximately $229 for expedited service through the Chicago Brazilian consulate. I live in Madison, WI.

What do I need to fill out to make this happen? Im already investigating a 6am trip to Kinko's to get my photo taken.

Just tell me what I owe

foxy_hedgehog — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:19:14 -0800

TaxFilter, specifically Department of Part-time Expatriate Freelance Taxation. A thorn in my side, inside. Hello everyone. I am a US citizen who moved to Germany in June of last year. I plan to continue living here for the foreseeable future.

While I have not resided here for a full year, my reading of the IRS forms suggests that Germany is my tax home based on the "Physical Presence" test (data dump below). So:

-I should submit Form 1040 using my current address in Germany.

-I should also file as a part-time resident of the state of New York, where I lived for the first half of 2008.

Here is where things get complicated.

1) How do I file and report on income I earned in the US for the first half of 2008? The only things I can find on the IRS website pertain to non-citizens who worked in the US. There doesn't seem to be a form for part-time residents of the US who are American citizens (ie, only for "non-resident aliens."

2) I'm a freelancer, and after my move to Germany I continued to earn my income from companies in the US (note: I only have income from US companies).

My clients are preparing W-9s for me (IRS form W-8, which was the form for foreign freelancers, seems to no longer exist). Since I've worked for some of these companies over the course of the entire year, their W9s will show my cumulative income, rather than what was earned in the first half vs the second half of the year. How do I show the IRS which amount was earned when so I will only pay US taxes on the income I earned while I was in the US?

Or do I have this all wrong?

Thanks, veteran expatriates and tax ninjas, for your help.

Criteria for meeting the "Physical Presence Test" to claim a tax home abroad:

"Physical Presence Test":

"I expect to be present in and maintain my tax home in (foreign country or countries) for a 12-month period that includes the entire tax year . Or, if not the entire year, for the part of the tax year beginning on , 20 , and ending on , 20 . Based on the facts in my case, I have good reason to believe that for this period of presence in a foreign country or countries, I will satisfy the tax home and the 330 full-day requirements within a 12-month period under section 911(d)(1)(B)."

London Calling

CRM114 — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 13:37:00 -0800

Advice for a New Yorker moving to London. Hello MeFites.

It's looking rather probable that I'm going to be moving to London from New York for work in the next couple of months.

I'm a young professional and I've lived in the US my whole life - apart from a casual appreciation for Premiership football and an affinity for Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares, I don't know all that much about living in the UK.

I've seen previous AskMe threads akin to this, so I've read up on the VAT, the Council Tax, and the benefits of having a bicycle, but there's still quite a bit I don't know:

*What's a good neighborhood for a young professional to live in, and why? I like the bar scene, but I don't necessarily want to live over the bar. And after years in New York I'm hoping a dishwasher isn't too much to ask for.

*Many of the apartments I've seen in my price range on Craigslist are furnished - this is a bit unusual in NYC, but is it fairly commonplace in London?

*What are some common mistakes expatriates make when they move over, and how can I avoid them?

Thanks in advance, friends.

Help me get back to Berlin

null14 — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:21:30 -0800

I'm a college senior who wants to move to Berlin next year. Any suggestions? I'm currently finishing up my senior year of college and will soon have a BA in Linguistics with a minor in Psychology. I spent time abroad in Berlin last year, and I really fell in love with the city. I understand that unemployment is high there and that EU citizens tend to be preferred for English-teaching jobs (I am an American).

Given that, does anyone have any suggestions for how one could (legally) earn a living in the city? I speak German fairly well, but probably not well enough to find a job that requires complete fluency. If ESL teaching is a reasonable goal, I would be willing to invest in some sort of certification program (however, given my budget, I would rather avoid that if it isn't necessary). I haven't given grad school much thought because I kind of want to take a break from being a student, but I'm starting to think that it might be the only way.

Could my native English be at all marketable? How about my decent German? Thanks in advance.

How to be a working nomad?

bodywithoutorgans — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 04:20:33 -0800

I am a recent college graduate and I also suffer a good deal of wanderlust. There is the inevitable problem of combining work and play. At my university, the only career advice I received was graduate school or working the traditional 9-5 job. I'm wondering if it's possible to travel and earn money? I'm not really interested in teaching English abroad, being an au-pair, and I've read this post. I'm more interested in the nebulous world of telecommuting and freelancing. I've seen this guy's page, but it sounds a little vague. I'd like to make money in a country where cost of living is low with a unique culture (Thailand, Guatemala, Kenya) but at the same time has access to steady internet so I can work.
Some specifics:
1) How does one break into the freelancing/telecommuting world? I know some webdesign (PHP/MySQL) and programming but often geared at an academic level for university classes. I don't have the faintest clue how to make money out of this! I have some down time right now where I'm picking up skills and making a portfolio. Any advice?
2) Will the stability of the internet connection be a factor? Will I need to have access to an internet cafe every day?
3) How are taxes worked out? Are there any books/information for people who are US citizens but live/work globally?
4) How does health insurance work out?

Thanks a lot MeFi!

Fun and money required

djgh — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:04:42 -0800

Eight months out - how to have fun and earn money - preferably abroad? I'm based in the UK, and from about July I should have around eight months out to do my own thing.

Where can I go, and what can I do whereby I can have fun and earn money at the same time? For example, in the winter months I could work in a ski resort in North America or Europe, so ski and earn.

What reputable websites etc. have tons of good info on this - I've Googled, but with a ton of options I'd like a recommendation as to a good site.

What should I be looking to do in the next few months to prepare? (e.g. visas, brush up on language skills etc.)

Any other thoughts? I'd really like to make this time as awesome and varied as possible, and I'm not looking to make huge amounts of cash - essentially enough to live and to save for my next ticket somewhere.