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Thread: Travel challenge?

  1. #21
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    My son spent a month in Vietnam. He loved it. He met locals and spent days with them ... stayed in simple lodgings ... everyone was quite welcoming and he had a great time. Very cheap.

  2. #22
    Senior Member Ultralight's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alan View Post
    My mortgage company punished me by forcing me to pay back what I borrowed, with interest. Bastards!
    Sorry to hear that.

  3. #23
    Senior Member Ultralight's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tammy View Post
    My son spent a month in Vietnam. He loved it. He met locals and spent days with them ... stayed in simple lodgings ... everyone was quite welcoming and he had a great time. Very cheap.
    Cool! Was it easy to get a Visa?

  4. #24
    Senior Member iris lilies's Avatar
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    Dont do Ireland. The UK is expensive.

    vietnam! I have a big yen to see that country.

  5. #25
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    How about Bulgaria?
    I have a friend who was born and raised there. Then she came to the US 22 years ago and settled in the San Francisco east bay area of California, bought a house, paid for it in 15 years with dog grooming wages. Two years ago she decided to go back for an extended visit. Packed up her house and rented it out for a year. Enjoyed staying mostly in the capital city of Sophia, seeing old friends and traveling around to their national parks and monuments, sent lots of very lovely nature and culture pictures. Then decided California is still better and returned! She's been back a year now, and says she feels she made the right decision to come back but she loves to vacation in Bulgaria!

  6. #26
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    We recently went to Oaxaca, Mexico. Would be interesting to get to the Pacific coast there and enjoy it because it still is pretty much off the general tourist group list. Oaxaca is a beautiful city that is very walkable, friendly, ultimate in foodie paradise, buses to other small towns with markets and festivals.

  7. #27
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    He didn't complain about getting the visa - I assume it wasnt a problem.

  8. #28
    Senior Member The Storyteller's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by iris lilies View Post
    Dont do Ireland. The UK is expensive.

    vietnam! I have a big yen to see that country.
    https://www.avoyatravel.com/Cruises/...ect=t&rtinc=55

    Includes da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hanoi.
    "There are too many books in the world to read in a single lifetime; you have to draw the line somewhere." --Diane Setterfield, The Thirteenth Tale

  9. #29
    Williamsmith
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ultralight View Post
    In many senses, the future is always unknown.

    When you are deep inside the student loan crisis you learn all sorts of little details that regular folks are not privy to. So I will try to explain these details, but in ways that don't bore you to sleep.



    The PSLF program does not really work this way. Granted, in year 9 it could go poof. That would mean I would go onto the 25 year plan, which means I would pay the $250 (which is based on my income -- income goes up, so does payment; income goes down, so does payment). If it went poof after 9 years, then I would have 16 more years to the 25.



    Again, this is not how the PSLF program works. Imagine it this way: It is like paying a fine.

    I screwed up and took out way too many loans. The government realizes I am in over my head. They came up with a plan to punish me but not financially burn me at the stake. So they base your fine on your income. And you pay that fine once per month for ten years. Then your punishment is complete and you record is expunged. Make sense?



    Any government job (Federal, State, County, Local, City, etc.) and any job with a 501c3 with qualify me for the PSLF plan. The job has to be full time, 35+ hours. Let's sat I get laid off from my job for a year. I notify the government at my layoff. My payments get reduced to $0, or a get a forbearance of some sort. Then let's say I get another government job. Okay, I pick right back up where I left off with my PSLF program. But that year I was out of the program would not count for anything.



    The black hole I was referring to was if I gave more money to the government than my monthly payment. Remember, my payment is more like a fine. So the rules of debt you are accustomed to just don't apply. Principal and interest and such don't come into play.



    If I have more traditional debts -- which I had until about 3 years ago -- I would not indulge in travel. Like when I had my car payment I just paid like crazy and ate rice and beans.
    In other words, it doesn’t in the least bit resemble capitalism and has more than a coincidental similarity to socialism. You are beholden to government for most of your productive years. And as long as you work for the government...it’s all good. But maybe you lose your full time job and the economy goes to crap and we go to war with some 3rd world country with rogue nukes and the government runs out of volunteers to fight for Uncle Sam. You think maybe that debt might be held against you are perhaps in exchange for 2 years of service....they might just forgive you again? Just one example but a scary one. Canada might even reject you then.

  10. #30
    Senior Member Ultralight's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Williamsmith View Post
    In other words, it doesn’t in the least bit resemble capitalism and has more than a coincidental similarity to socialism. You are beholden to government for most of your productive years. And as long as you work for the government...it’s all good. But maybe you lose your full time job and the economy goes to crap and we go to war with some 3rd world country with rogue nukes and the government runs out of volunteers to fight for Uncle Sam. You think maybe that debt might be held against you are perhaps in exchange for 2 years of service....they might just forgive you again? Just one example but a scary one. Canada might even reject you then.
    We're a mixed economy -- we have lots of capitalism and a small chunk of socialism. A little more socialism would be nice.

    Yes, I am beholden to the gubmint. As you were in many senses and as you still are.

    Others are beholden to corporations.

    Pick your master.

    Either way, I would rather pay this "fine" than pay the whole amount.
    And to be honest with myself, I am not especially good at anything (except catching fish and scribbling some words on papers). So even if I did not have this debt, I would likely work for the gubmint anyway, though perhaps in a different capacity.

    Also: Your vision of the future seems a bit far fetched. Maybe it is time to write that novel you have always wanted to write.

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