Tell us what's happened to you recently (that's interesting)

Good luck!

Thanks! The speed of things has kind of been surprising to me. I have been mentally prepared for a 2-3 month minimum search so if this pending offer works out then I’ll consider it to be lightning fast at only a few weeks. I have roughly 7 years of experience so I’m far from some wise old greybeard. Although my beard is starting to get a little grey…

Thanks!

This is a little on the “lame” end of the “interesting” spectrum, but it was enjoyable to me, and something that’s happening in an online game reminded me of it.

Yesterday after my son’s soccer game (1-1 if you must know…ties are dumb) I dropped him off at the house of one of his friends and went to find a place to do some work. There was a little tavern right around the corner from the house and they had Wifi so I went there. I walked in and the bartender, all dressed up in green (I’d totally spaced on it being St. Patrick’s day at that point…though I was wearing a green ring, so there’s that), looked at my shirt and said, “Oh! Bayern Munich!”

I remembered I was wearing one of my Bayern jerseys, which I always wear to my kid’s games.

“Yeah,” I said. “My son got it for me as a gift.”

She said, in an obviously German accent, “I’m German.”

“I got that. You have a lovely accent.”

“Thank you.”

Then I went to sit down and a dad and his two daughters sat down at a table behind me. There was a rodeo going on on the screen in front of me as I worked. I grew up riding horses and have been to rodeos, but I don’t like them anymore, but it was interesting to see female riders in this part of the rodeo. I was totally unaware of that.

Behind me the dad explained rodeo things–completely incorrectly–to his daughters, and then proceeded to hold forth on the kinds of beers and wines he likes, and how he will only order Guinness on this day because he doesn’t usually like it. He also hates American Beers.

The girls dutifully listened. It was clear this was a “weekend visitation” kind of circumstance, since he was talking to them as if in an interview.

The aforementioned bartender came to take their food order and the dad said to her, “I hate American beers. German ones are better. Don’t you hate American beers?”

The bartender said, “No. I like them.”

I don’t know why, but this whole exchange pleased me greatly.

-xtien

Anyone who says they hate American beers hasn’t been in a bar in 10 years.

Yup. Honestly I think American beer is the best in the world, simply because there is such a strong variety of styles and tastes available. The Germans and English simply don’t have the breadth of offerings.

Now if there is a specific style? You may find an old world brewer that’s better. A Czech Pilsner or a Belgian Trappist maybe. Or a German Schwarzbier. But odds are for every style that has a foreign 10, there is an American 8-9 available.

And I dare anyone to top the USA on the IPA game.

The changes in the American beer industry in the last 10-20 years have been amazing. Sure, there are good foreign beers but America is no longer dominated (except in commercials) by the Buds, Coors or Millers.

Exactly. Even national brands, or super regional. can be great. Lagunitas, New Belgium, and Deschutes in particular stand out to me as tremendous brands with national distribution. Some of my favorite beers are made by them. And being in the PNW is beer heaven, aside from the fact that their over fascination with IPAs can make my preferred maltier styles hard to get.

I was solicited to take a job overseas. Normally I wouldn’t consider it, because the monetary difference isn’t huge. However, I’ve decided that I’m tired of air traffic control (got into it for the adrenaline, but it’s become a source of ever-present ennui), so I want to save up money fast so that I can go back to school and be on the other side of things.

Which leads me to…wow, the amount I’ll save by not paying US taxes, and also not having any living expenses. Once I did the math, it was a no-brainer.

Anyway, I’m leaving North America soon. The target for them was 3 weeks from initial contact to me departing US soil, which has been just overwhelmingly fast. It’s not going to be fun, but it’s going to save me lots of money, and also help me with my medical bills. Plus my vacations will be in Seychelles and New Caledonia, which I’ve skipped until now due to travel time.

Anyway. GAH.

Man good luck with that.

Shame that means you won’t be able to visit the PNW for some hikes while I’m here, but sounds like an exciting opportunity.

Any more information you care to, or are able to, share regarding he job and location?

I’m taking a stab at Australia, given your choices.

Yeah, I’m really shooting myself for losing out on those opportunities, but I’m currently slammed working 6-and-1s with the FAA, and we’re averaging like 400 hours of OT a year, much of it mandatory, so…lol. Sucks to leave the government teat, though, as it’s a very safe place to be.

Also, very surprised that someone knew about the Aussie assignments. They do like us going there, but in the end, if you’re coming from a higher-level American fac, it is not such a good deal. I still considered going there with a bud of mine, but it wouldn’t have gotten me ahead. (Also tried for New Zealand but they won’t do that, and good for them.)

Anyway, if you like people named Stan and Afghan rugs, you’d like where I’m going. Austere to say the least, but at the busier places, it’s about the best way to rack up cash quickly, if you’re willing to avoid American soil. And if I like it enough, I might try to do the Dubai gig for a year or two with an old employer, which is where they just back up dumptrucks of mad scratch for you.

I’m not married and have no kids, so for me it’s the quickest means to an end! Please keep posting trip reports in the hiking thread. I will have to live vicariously through y’all. Probably post some of my old ones, too, I guess.

Well my morning run had a beautiful clear skies where from the Tualatin valley by the Hillsboro airport I could see Mount St Helens and Mt Hood. Both about 60-70 miles distant as the crow flies (and beyond the 1200” sylvan ridge which blocks their view from most of the valley), so I’m eyeing an early season ascent to the top of the St Helens crater if I can get it.

I’ll be sure to post photos if I can pull it off.

Good luck man, and have some of the local style goat and chicken for me. I quite got the taste for it while visiting India.

All the best on the new job and new country @Hal9000. I hope it’s as smooth as a transition as possible and that you have reliable internet access so you can keep in touch with all of us here at Qt3.

You might still be on the hook for us taxes.

That would be amazing. I might have asked before, but have you done Ape Cave? Also, thank you. I plan on making the most of it there, and later on exploring that section of the world when I have off time.

@marquac I’ll be treated pretty well compared to some, and my friends over there say that they make sure we get everything we need. Internet’s not the fastest, but I chat with an old supervisor all the time and it’s OK! Gonna get caught up on all of Tom’s youtube videos while working out. :D

@legowarrior they provide us with free tax guidance every step of the way, and none of my friends who’ve done and do it have gotten nailed yet. Really only happens to us if we throw in the towel early or try to make our way back stateside a lot. For me all that will be back in the US is our expensive/good medical care and MOUNTAINS! Missing the latter’s gonna kill me.

I have, once with my kids in tow as well.

Unfortunately a week ago my phone bricked on an update, and the photos are lost.

I was recognized at work today, and as part of that won an all-inclusive Caribbean trip. Which hey, that’s totally awesome! It’ll be my first trip outside the country, excluding a few day drives to Canada. On the other hand, I’ve got to get a passport squared away, have no one in mind to invite (the trip is for 2), and can have some bouts of social anxiety during overly long social events - and there are a few mandatory company things during the week. So this could end up anywhere from a total blast to an absolute trainwreck.

Make sure you consider the tax consequences of the prize. I’m not an accountant, but I’m pretty sure that the value of the prize will count as income and you’ll have to pay taxes on that income, which will be at your marginal rate. The tax cost could easily be 1/3 or more of the value of the trip if your state taxes it too. Think of it as a non-cash bonus.

A new passport can take a few months to arrive, though you can pay expedite fees can make it much quicker.

Bring some books to read on the deck in the sun, go on some of the offered tours, think of it as a time to relax, read, and see stuff. Suffer through the company events, but don’t worry about them too much. My experience is that you can interact socially as much or as little as you want on this kind of thing.

Also I’d you need some alone time just tell everyone you caught a norovirus and hang out in your cabin. Everybody will believe that.

Hey, congratulations on the recognition! Have fun on the trip, even if that means spending a good chunk of it alone. Hang out on deck watching the waves or something, surely people won’t bother you too much.

Congrats! Is it a cruise or are you going to a resort?

If it’s work-related you may not have to declare it. Are there any work meetings you need to attend?