Comment by djsumdog | Hacker News Reader

Comment by djsumdog | Hacker News Reader

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I quit my job and lived out of two bags for eleven months:

http://khanism.org/perspective/minimalism/

When that failed I had to get a real job again, but got sick of it after a year and a half:

http://penguindreams.org/blog/leaving-full-time-jobs/

Then I took off on the road again and eventually had to return to the full time job/life:

http://khanism.org/perspective/a-tale-of-two-journeys/

I did something. I failed .. well maybe not failed so much as just didn't find a way to sustain myself. But each time I hope I get a little better at it.

And yea ... at least I tried. One day I'll be dead. At least I got to see Singapore, feel the wind of New Zealand, ride through the deserts of Australia, do a radio poetry show on the 8am commute in Perth.

He made some bad decisions. We can see that in the retrospectiscope. I agree I had trouble reading it. But yea, respect for trying. He lost a ton of money? Well as long as he can save enough to pay for his kids' education, at least he has a story to tell and they can learn from him.

It's all relative. I can see the bad and see the good. You gotta try, or else you're just gonna die in your cube.

> Well as long as he can save enough to pay for his kids' education, at least he has a story to tell and they can learn from him.

I didn't get the impression that this was the case from the ending.

> I still have an outstanding HST situation, and I face the prospect of personal bankruptcy.

> We can barely afford the place, but I wanted my daughters to have their own rooms—like they did before I sold our house. I may have to moonlight as a bartender to make sure the rent gets paid, but my girls are worth it.

It sounds like he barely has enough money to pretend their status hasn't changed, since that's important to him. I don't want to rag on the guy, but nowhere in this piece does he seem to consider paying for his childrens education as a significant life goal. Playing restaurant seems like it was his dream, not seeing his children grow up successful.

The cost of education in Canada is much lower then the US. My undergrad CS degree (Earned in 2008) cost me <$30,000 CAD for tuition and textbooks. Decent university, no scholarships.

ehh if you're in state no that's not "much" cheaper, but it is like half off. $12935.28 CAD / year for the university I went to, a four year degree would cost $51740 CAD.

> as long as he can save enough to pay for his kids' education

That sounds like a good thing but there's another story on HN where commenters are complaining that it's bad! Rich bankers paying for their kids' education and helping them become rich too. That it's unfair to poor kids. People have such arbitrary and inconsistent opinions. No matter what you do, people are going to believe it's wrong.

Bit dramatic and a false dichotomy. It wasn't like he didn't have other choices.

I think you made a pretty solid decision when you moved from the States to Australia.

A thousand times this.

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