6 Months to do Anything

[WorkingOnStubble]

Hey guys,

I'm finishing up my uni degree in the next few months, and will finish in June. I've got a job secured that will begin in January. This leaves 6 months, in which I can do anything I want. I've been saving enough during uni that I could easily afford to do nothing for that time, but we all know that'd just get boring, and also ruin my savings right near the start of my career.

What I'd like to do, is to live in another country (In the UK currently), work there in a simple job, and learn the language for those 6 months. Probably for ease, I'd like to stay in Europe, as in the EU I have a right to work and travel without any visa issues. From living in Brazil for 3 months last year, I am fairly good with Portuguese, so I think I'd actually prefer not to live in Portugal, so I can have more breadth of languages.

Currently now, my list of potential languages is on: Dutch, French, German, Italian or Spanish.

Dutch, French and German are ones I'd less prefer to learn, I think, so my main ideas are Italian or Spanish.

Some questions I have for you all:

- What would you do in my situation?
- Which language would you learn given the choice?
- Are there jobs I can get in these places without yet having the language? (Though needing the language would cause a useful push to become very good very quickly)
- Any recommendations for specific places in these countries to live with low-ish cost of living, friendly people, and the ability for me to find work?
- Any other comments in reply to my post?

Many thanks guys, this is a really exciting time for me and I'd like to get as much information as I can!

[warfreak2]

Eastern Europe has a much lower cost of living than Western Europe. Also, living/working the UK, have you considered learning Polish?

[WorkingOnStubble]

Now looking more into Eastern Europe. I'm looking at a cost of living list, and of the countries that I'm looking into now, Poland's the cheapest, followed by Czech Republic and Hungary. I hadn't much considered learning Polish before, but I'm doing so now. My only thought against it would be that generally the Polish people in the UK can speak English quite well. If I were to learn one of the other languages, it's likely to allow me to speak with someone who'll really struggle to speak English with me otherwise. I suppose I need to figure out what I want the language for, as different priorities would mean a different choice of language.

[JPinDC]

What kind of work do you want to do? You can look into wwoof-ing. You work on an organic farm in exchange for room and board. I haven't done it, but friends have and really enjoyed the experience. http://www.wwoof.net

[Gimesalot]

Looking at a list of the most spoken languages the top three are: Mandarin, Spanish, and English.

If you are willing to consider being outside the EU, you can get a job teaching English in China.  Basic Mandarin is easy to learn (I have learned it with just a small amount of effort).  You get paid to teach, and you get paid accommodations.  Do not underestimate the importance of learning Mandarin and how it could shape your future.  One last thing to keep in mind, big companies really value people who can prove they are flexible and can handle tough situations.  Living in China is a great way to prove this.

Okay China might be too tough, I can understand.  Then I believe that you should study Spanish.  I am not sure about getting a job in Spain, with the terrible economy and all, but maybe you can make it work.  Once again, you could teach English.

[zolotiyeruki]

Six months?  Gee, that gives you lots of opportunity.  I'd suggest you use the time to pick up practical skills--Apprentice as a plumber/electrician, perhaps?  Work in a mechanic's shop?  Work construction?

[Argyle]

I'd go for Spanish, because good Spanish makes South and Central America accessible to you.  (Especially since you've already got Portuguese!)

[Bookworm]

Before I even finished reading your post, I was thinking, "Ooh, I'd spend it learning to speak Chinese!"  So I guess I'd do pretty much what you're thinking of doing.

[Silvie]

Yes, I would recommend Spanish. It's relatively easy to learn, because you already know Portuguese. Many people speak it.

Jobs in Spain where you don't necessarily need to know Spanish: touristy places. Work at an Irish pub, a tourist attraction, a souvenir shop, etc.

I am actually in Spain right now, living and working in Barcelona for 6 months (I work for an American company as an English to Dutch translator, the working language at the office is English), and you don't need much Spanish to get by, just basics.

[Hugerat]

A little bit of a different idea here: Have you thought at all about South America for learning Spanish? Ecuador is a real gem. Friendly people, exceptionally low cost of living (easily $25 per day or less), the Andes, Amazon, tropical beaches, and on and on. This would also give you the added bonus of having an experience outside of Europe. The logistics wouldn't be too hard. Ecuador is on the US Dollar. Personal safety is not too big of an issue if you take reasonable precautions. And buses will get you anywhere you want to go in the country in decent comfort.

If you found yourself in Quito you can easily sign up for Spanish classes and the South American Explorer's Club might be able to help you find some kind of work, maybe even in their own office. And you can stay for 6 months in a calendar year by crossing the border to Peru once and going to Macchu Picchu! If I were in your situation, this would be my #1 choice.

[WorkingOnStubble]

Thanks for all the responses guys!

JPinDC: wwoof-ing does look really cool. Knowing how to do that kind of stuff would be really nice, my only problem with it being that it seems that long periods of time aren't usual, it's more of a few weeks, a month maximum kind of thing. Definitely I'll consider it further though, perhaps something in the middle or the end of my six months! Thanks!

Gimesalot: I've of course considered teaching English. China doesn't much interest me I'm afraid, nor does Mandarin. I've considered it, and spoken to a friend who taught English there last summer, and while it sounds like a nice place, I'm not sure it's what I'd like to do. Thank you for the suggestion

Zolotiyeruki: I hadn't thought of plumber/electrician style things. I'd have thought, though, that having an apprenticeship with those types of things would be with the expectation that I'd take up that role as a job afterwards, not as a short-term thing (Though knowing how to do those things sounds great to me)

Argyle and Silvie: Spanish is seeming more and more reasonable. I'm slightly hesitant about it just because I have enough Portuguese that I feel like learning Spanish wouldn't be too much of a problem, and I'd like to have a bigger challenge. But really, that's not a proper reason, and it just means that I'll be able to integrate slightly more easily, more quickly.

Bookworm: Glad I'm not the only one who immediately thinks having a new language would be useful! Hope you get some time to learn Chinese!

Hugerat: South America is less ideal for me. I'd have to leave the EU and so figure out work visas and whatnot, along with crazy flight costs. I lived in Brazil for 3 months over last summer, so I've already had an 'experience outside Europe'. I think that my search is restricted to the EU, still. Thank you anyway!


So currently my thoughts are now to go to Spain. Having a country is useful, now I need to figure out a place and a job. Any thoughts?

[bikebum]

JPinDC: wwoof-ing does look really cool. Knowing how to do that kind of stuff would be really nice, my only problem with it being that it seems that long periods of time aren't usual, it's more of a few weeks, a month maximum kind of thing. Definitely I'll consider it further though, perhaps something in the middle or the end of my six months! Thanks!

My SO and I WWOOFed for a month when I got out of college. My impression was it's not that you can't do it for a long time, just most people who do it want to move around more. I guess it all depends on what the land owner is cool with. Some people we met WWOOFed for a long time, but moved around to different places.

[Weedy Acres]

I did an analysis of the world's languages once, and found only seven worth learning.  My filter was "the official language of more than one country," with a few crossed off that list even if they met the criteria, because the additional countries were minor.  So no for German or Italian because they spill over into Switzerland, for example.

The winners, which are really the only languages I'd bother with, are:
English
Spanish
French
Portuguese
Russian
Chinese
Arabic

I don't plan to learn Portuguese, because I've traveled in Portuguese-speaking countries speaking only Spanish and they understood me fine (though I didn't understand them as well).  But you've already got Portuguese down, and I've heard people say learning Spanish after knowing Portuguese is easier than learning Portuguese after knowing Spanish.  So it shouldn't be too hard for you.

I'd vote for French.  It's also in the same family as Spanish and Portuguese, so it shouldn't be too hard to pick up.

No idea about jobs....

[homehandymum]

JPinDC: wwoof-ing does look really cool. Knowing how to do that kind of stuff would be really nice, my only problem with it being that it seems that long periods of time aren't usual, it's more of a few weeks, a month maximum kind of thing. Definitely I'll consider it further though, perhaps something in the middle or the end of my six months! Thanks!

My SO and I WWOOFed for a month when I got out of college. My impression was it's not that you can't do it for a long time, just most people who do it want to move around more. I guess it all depends on what the land owner is cool with. Some people we met WWOOFed for a long time, but moved around to different places.

There was a slot on our 'Countryside' radio show a few months ago looking at a rural/eco/self-sufficient backpackery type place in the middle of nowhere here in NZ.  One of the guys they interviewed there came as a WOOFer 2 years ago, intending to only be there a couple of months and just stayed on.

If you get to the stage of applying for places, you could always say that you were available for, say, 3weeks but flexible to extend longer.  That way you can opt out of somewhere you don't like but be having a conversation about what people might want doing on a longer time frame.

[ch12]

Hugerat: South America is less ideal for me. I'd have to leave the EU and so figure out work visas and whatnot, along with crazy flight costs. I lived in Brazil for 3 months over last summer, so I've already had an 'experience outside Europe'. I think that my search is restricted to the EU, still. Thank you anyway!


So currently my thoughts are now to go to Spain. Having a country is useful, now I need to figure out a place and a job. Any thoughts?

I'm a fan of Quito, and it's a great place to be if you're not a gringo who walks around with a Rob Me sign on his forehead. ;) (I say that as a joke, but I know someone who got mugged 7 times during the space of 4 months. He refused to stop walking alone in dark alleys at 2 AM. At that point, it's not a Quito thing.)

Spain is a cool place. I really liked being in Valencia, as I could get to the Mediterranean in 10 minutes, the cost of living was relatively manageable, and there was fairly easy access to the rest of Spain. It's the third largest city in Spain, so it's big enough to have amenities and access to things you get in an urban environment, but small enough to not have the ultra cosmopolitan, fast paced feel that Madrid does. I'm a beach bum at heart, and I adored being able to do my homework on the beach. I don't know if this would be a plus for you, but I got exposure to the Valencian dialect (valenciano) while I was there; I'm a language nerd, and I loved learning a little extra.

Buck, who posts here once in a while, is moving to Granada, Spain for a year. http://bucking-the-trend.com/moving-to-pomegranate/

You've got pretty great access to Africa if you are in Al-Andalus (Andalucia), so that's cool.

I haven't the slightest about the sorts of jobs you'd be able to pick up, although there's always being an English teacher/tutor.

[englyn]

Having travelled(ish) overseas for 5 months a couple of years ago, the time goes by REALLY QUICKLY.
Letssee, 2 weeks with husband in USA (he was there for 6 months for work, which was my excuse to go travel), 3 weeks in Guatemala (2 homestay with local family while getting 1-on-1 Spanish tuition, 1 week touristing), 2 weeks backpacking in Germany, 4 weeks in France mostly staying with family, 2 weeks in Ireland helpx (like wwoofing) and 2 being a tourist; 2 weeks staying with family in England and a quick visit to London; 3 weeks back in USA with husband while he finished up work and then we drove from Cleveland to New York, sightseeing along the way.

Wish I could have spent twice as long in Guatemala on Lake Atitlan, it's beautiful, friendly, and outrageously cheap.
The rest was about right. The bits of my trip where I stayed with people (language school homestay, family, and Helpx) were a really important part. Highly recommend helpx.
Don't recommend trying to find work in Spain, youth unemployment there is now 50%.

[Silvie]

I vote for Barcelona. It is right by the sea, so not too hot in summer (as opposed to Andalucia, which gets really really hot in summer), it is a really great city with lots of everything: culture, great food, beach, great places for sightseeing, mountains, and it's only 3 hours from Andorra if you like skiing. It's also quite cheap compared to other major European cities.

[Emg03063]

I'd go cruising.  There are many boat owners who offer unpaid positions on board in exchange for crew who are willing to take on crew without experience, and many of them cover all expenses during the cruise.  All you really have to do is learn to keep a watch and/or cook (maybe), and get yourself to and from the boat.  I've never done it, but it is a pseudo-pipe dream of mine.  Find the right boat, and you'll have the opportunity to visit plenty of countries.  Lots of crew are multi lingual, so there is potential opportunity to learn a language as we'll.  The clearinghouse for matching crew with boat owners is here:  https://www.findacrew.net. Search for inexperienced passenger positions.

Last time I was in your situation, I hiked the Appalachian trail.  I enjoyed it tremendously.

[phred]

It would help if we knew what your degree will be in.
As for WWOOFING, you work at different farms for different crops as the harvest period changes.
    There are also UK based summer resorts in the cheaper parts of Europe.  Extra credit if you can work at them through September.  Only English is needed.
  Can you pick up a certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language?
  Maybe stay home and do some useful volunteer work - something with a bit of responsibility?

[Thegoblinchief]

No direct experience with Spain, but I've always gotten the impression that anywhere besides Madrid is a winner. The wwoofer thing sounds interesting, and potentially a great way to do slow travel.

In general I would use the time to TAKE YOUR TIME, just simply in a foreign context. Which sounds exactly like what you're doing :)

[WorkingOnStubble]

I'm actually visiting France in a few days, but so far my experience of French has put me off. I dislike the sound (Despite it being apparently one of the nicest sounding languages), and don't much care for the country itself, in a reasonably unknowing sort of way.

I may look into WWOOF with my girlfriend. She's mentioned a holiday together could be a thing, but I don't think a traditional holiday is particularly fun. Doing this together could be very interesting, especially if I could convince her to do absolutely no English the entire time we're there (Best way of getting a language quickly imo!)

I think I'm quite good at not walking around dark alleys at 2am, so I'm probably fine on the not getting mugged front. ch12, thanks very much for the city references, I'm searching into them with all the spare time I have. English tutor definitely is a reasonable one, and there's a lot of opportunity for being an au pair for children, which I think would let me get as much of their language as they would of mine if I did that!

Englyn, helpx sounds very similar to WWOOF, and so I'll definitely look into that as well if I decide to do that sort of thing. Thanks for the recommendations!

I hadn't thought about cruising, thanks for the idea emg03063. My uncle has done that sort of thing in the past, and he's in a really good place now, having experienced a lot of the world. I'll definitely look into it!

Phred, my degree is in Maths and Computer Science, super relevant to my soon to be job as a Software Developer. My 6 months here is really not needing to be relevant to the job I'll be taking. A certificate in TEFL would cost me slightly over £1000, which would probably be reasonably made back in the job such a certificate would earn me, but it's quite a large commitment as it'd take a month to earn, and then I'd have to find a job, and go from there.

Thanks so much for all the replies guys, I'm trying to keep up with all the suggestions, but there's a lot of stuff where there's so much to look into that I don't really have much of a chance at the speed you guys are firing off ideas!