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My Gap Year Has Been The Worst Decision I Ever Made
Yeah, you read that correctly. Last June, Maggie and I decided to take a gap year abroad and move to Ireland. It sounded like the perfect idea. I was just finishing my Master’s and we both had zero clues what we wanted to do in life. Why not whisk away to an exciting country to forget all of our problems? WRONG! This gap year has been the worst decision I’ve ever made and here’s why. Now as you may remember, my fellow Coddiwompler wrote an article back in August 2016 that told you why taking a gap year would be the best decision you ever make. Don’t remember it? Go…
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Amazing Travel Shoes to Help You Dominate the World
One of Maggie and I’s biggest debacle is what shoes we are going to pack for the big move. You want to make sure you have shoes that could handle every possible scenario but also don’t want to pack too many. When traveling, you need reliable shoes you can depend on to support your arches. It would be terrible to waste a day exploring because your feet are wrecked! Here are some amazing travel shoes to help you dominate the world! ***This article contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated for any purchase made by clicking on them. Thank you for supporting The Coddiwomplers!* Sperry’s Sperry’s are amazing and…
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What You Need to Know When Looking for Jobs Abroad
You have decided to move abroad. That’s awesome! What a great decision. Butttt you know you are going to have to get a job, and if you’re looking for a good one, you are going to have to start searching before you leave. That can be tricky finding a job across the pond. There is the time difference, different phone numbers, and no good way to tell if the position is legitimate. However, it is doable! So here is what you need to know when looking for jobs abroad! Right Visa Before you can go start working in any other country, you need to make sure you have the correct…
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Why Traveling Should Be a Part of Your New Year’s Resolutions
That time has come again to make our new year’s resolutions. A new year, a new you and you have a list of things you want to accomplish. More than likely you have getting healthy, spending less, etc. But did you add traveling to your resolutions? Traveling is one of the best ways to grow and discover more about yourself so why not make that a top priority? Here is why I think you should make traveling a part of your new year’s resolutions. Travel on a budget Unless you are some kind of millionaire, when you choose to travel you are doing so on a budget. You save up…
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The Purge Pt. 2
Yes, it is time again to go through all of my stuff and figure out what has to go, with part 2 being the hardest. The holidays are usually the best time of the year but this year it makes getting rid of things even harder when you’re constantly getting more and more gifts. Although I am of course grateful, getting more stuff only makes it harder to let go when the time comes. So here is how I was able to purge more of my things and get closer to moving abroad. If you have not read the purge pt. 1, look over it now before continuing! As mentioned…
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How to Handle Your Last Holiday at Home
We are already in the swing of things for this holiday season. With Thanksgiving having just happened, you need only to blink before Christmas and New Years are here. But what if this is your last holiday season stateside? This is the last time you will be surrounded by this much family for a while. For me, Thanksgiving was my last holiday because I am not going home for Christmas or New Years. We tend to complain that time with family is not a vacation but rather more work but if this is the last one with them for a while, what would you do differently? Here are some things…
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How to Handle Your Health Care When Moving Abroad
When I decided to move to Ireland I just figured that all other details would resolve itself, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts. However, after reading many other travel articles, talking to my fellow Coddiwompler, and listening to my mother questioning my every move, I realized that there are many details that have to be thought about. One big one is health care. Up until now, I’ve been resting easy because I am under my parents’ health care plan. However, that all ends when I turn 25. I will be turning 25 while I am in Ireland. So not only is it goodbye America but also goodbye cozy health care.…
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The Purge Pt. 1
Gaining the courage to pack up and leave is a big moment of your life. You become so wrapped up in the excitement of moving away and starting a new adventure that you forget about reality. Specifically, you forget about all of your crap. I wouldn’t say that I am necessarily a hoarder, but I have accumulated a LOT of things over the years. I obviously can’t take all of this stuff with me to Ireland so I have had to do the hardest thing there is to do: Purge. I love love love my stuff but getting rid of it is hard. So I have decided to break up my…
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Travel Company or Independent Research When Looking to Travel the World?
You always want to make the best out of your traveling experiences. You want to take as much in, do as much as possible, but also remain in the individual moment. This can be quite difficult to plan for and may take some outside help. So should you go through a travel company or just plan it yourself? Well here is what you need to know when considering a travel company or independent research when looking to travel the world. Companies So when I say companies, this ranges from travel agents or travel companies that will plan your adventures for you. You can find companies that will do as little…
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How to Stay Focused When You’re So Flippen Excited to Leave
I was so excited to write about this because this is something that I have the hardest time with. Staying focused and in the moment when you’re so flippen excited to leave. The second I make a grand decision, I’m ready to carry it out. Deciding to get a tattoo? Let’s go right now! Thinking about cutting my hair? Let’s pull out the scissors! While this can be an exciting quality because I want to live life to the fullest, it’s also a curse because I then want to drop all responsibilities and keep moving forward. Sadly, I don’t have that option this time because I have some pretty big…
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What to Expect When You’re Expecting…To Make Big Life Decisions
Life is comprised of many big life decisions. The decision to leave home. The decision to go to college. Buy your first car or maybe in my case, move out of the country. While these are exciting occasions to you, the people that are most important in your life might not be as enthused. And of course, no matter what you say to yourself, it is always hard knowing that not everyone can accept what you are doing. So here are a few things to expect when you’re expecting to make big life decisions. Telling Your Family via GIPHY So I have always been one to run any idea past my…
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Why I’m Cashing in the American Dream for the Millennial Dream
Why do you want to do this? Why do you want to move to Ireland? Why would you want to move across the world with no promise of a job, no guaranteed housing, and no familial support? These are the questions I have been repeatedly asked from my family and loved ones that have known of my plans for a while now. Why? I am 23 years old and about to finish up my masters in May. I have been going to school since I was 6 and have been doing what is always seen as the next right step so why would I not want to continue on with…
