Lodging
- WWOOF
- GOOD: learn a skill, meet cool people, engage in community, guaranteed bed
- BAD: lack of solitude, daily grunt work requirement, too much routine
- Couchsurfing
- GOOD: meet local friends, stay in better homes than I could normally afford
- BAD: no privacy, accountable to someone else's schedule, can't have all my things
- Hostels
- GOOD: meet other travelers, in-the-know info for local sights and spots, cheap
- BAD: no privacy, no space for my things, security, sharing facilities, tourist vibe
- AirBNB
- GOOD: usually a well-maintained space, solitude, room for things, guaranteed bed
- BAD: someone else owns the space, no help with transport or questions
- Local rental unit
- GOOD: landlord to help, legal contract, I 'own' the space, solitude, room for things
- BAD: no forced interaction with community, tied to a lease
- Friend/Smithie network
- GOOD: free or cheap, seeing my favorite/new favorite people, very short-term
- BAD: no privacy, accountable to their schedules, no space for things
Income-generation
- Busking
- GOOD: unique show could pay for daily food in right areas/set list, no obligation to work
- BAD: various laws about busking, not skilled enough on instruments, no guarantee
- Translating: eLance, oDesk, Pandora Language Services
- GOOD: choose my own work schedule, get to work on language skills, marketable later
- BAD: no guarantee of work, have to develop own business, language skills need work
- Hostel work
- GOOD: can be insular and stay in hostel and work for my keep to get established, easy
- BAD: on a schedule, must clean other people's mess and be around hostel vibe, no place to escape to, living and working in the same place can be tricky
- Import/export
- GOOD: enjoyable work, make local connections, art daily
- BAD: business management is not my strong point, or enjoyable, trick laws for exporting
- English teacher
- GOOD: guaranteed income, easy work for me, better pay than other local jobs?
- BAD: regular schedule, no room for spontaneity
- PT childcare for expat community or hotel
- GOOD: maybe flexible work schedule? easy work, high pay for expat or tourist parents
- BAD: maybe regular work schedule? all-day childcare doesn't inspire as much as art
- Blogger: advertising
- GOOD: easy money AFTER everything is established, make connections with bloggers, etc.
- BAD: feelings of being tied to computer, don't connect to real local community, business know-how
- Music tutor for expat community or local school
- GOOD: make music all day, higher pay than other posible jobs,
- BAD: regular schedule, not actually music, just ESL music/childcare
- Travel consulting
- GOOD: travel for work, make connections, earn lots of money, flexible schedule + vacay
- BAD: lots of up front work to make connections, pressure to conform to industry norms
- Installation art commissions
- GOOD: thrilling work, creative every day, high pay, publicity, connect with creatives and support good causes
- BAD: pressure to produce would mess with creativity, hard to get materials, connect with community when abroad
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