Comments on: Are You a Stuff Junkie or an Experience Junkie?

By: Audrey Scott

Audrey Scott — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 07:55:50 +0000

@Katrina: Thanks for contributing an enneagram look at this discussion. I’ve read a bit about enneagram but don’t yet know all the types yet. Now I’m curious about what #7 is…

By: Katrina

Katrina — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:33:09 +0000

you are all enneagram type no.7

By: Audrey Scott

Audrey Scott — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 22:43:52 +0000

@Patricia: So glad you found our site! Thanks for commenting. Health insurance is a big concern for many people and we know many people who are committed to their jobs just because of the health insurance coverage. For our travels we use World Nomads travel insurance that includes health insurance coverage for emergencies and basic care. It has a $100 deductible which is much better than many comprehensive health insurance policies in the States. You could find more comprehensive expat health insurance that would be a bit more expensive, but that might suit your needs. When we go back to the States we usually get short term insurance so that we are covered if there is an emergency. We usually tell people that if we get sick or need ongoing treatment we’d probably go to Thailand. The care there is advanced and it’s still reasonably priced (for most things).

By: Patricia

Patricia — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 22:12:26 +0000

Just found your site today. Nice article! I love to travel (I am a travel agent) so I will say experience. I would sell all of our belongings and travel much more, but it makes my husband nervous:) It is not so much the stuff he is worried about but the health insurance that comes with a steady job. What do the two of you do about that? We are both healthy and pretty young- but anything can happen! I hate to feel like he is working in a job he does not even like just for insurance. I am a US and an Irish citizen (than you grandma) so I guess I could get treated in the EU if anything happened. What about other areas though?!

By: Audrey Scott

Audrey Scott — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 16:46:37 +0000

@KLC: I think I remember reading that same NY Times article! We all have choices we can make based on our values and priorities, but we also need to balance that with obligations and jobs. Sounds like you’re living a life in line with your values – saving money where you can, traveling in a simple and solo manner, but not neglecting your obligations. And I so connect with the idea that you come back a different person than whey you left – travel and getting outside that comfort zone can do that. The difficulty is staying that different person…

By: KLC

KLC — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 04:37:04 +0000

I love this post. There was an article in the NY Times a few years ago that I distinctly remember that basically said experiences in the end give people longer-lasting happiness. I have so many friends that say they won’t travel alone, that they don’t have the money, but then go shopping with money that could have been used to travel. We all make a choice. I live in NYC, it’s an expensive city, but I try my hardest to save as much as I can so I can travel for a few weeks a year by myself (I travel constantly for work). It’s not ideal, but such is life. I have a dog, significant law school debt, and I can’t seem to find a way to completely break away from that right now, but I do what I can and am inspired by those who have been able to. And you’re so right about people thinking you are spending time on a beach or living a jetset lifestyle. When I travel alone, it’s a growing experience for me. Despite living a nice life in NY, I travel cheap, stay in places where I can meet others and immerse myself in the culture. I come back a different person than when I left. Still trying to figure out a way to balance it all…

By: Audrey Scott

Audrey Scott — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 21:29:36 +0000

@Chasing the Donkey: I think we’re all a bit of a hybrid, but the question is when pushed to choose which comes out on top? And yes, stuff that makes one’s life easier & a short cut is pretty great.

By: Chasing the Donkey

Chasing the Donkey — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 20:38:23 +0000

What a great question to ask myself – I’m a hybrid!

Althought I’ll admit I do REALLY live my stuff…especially anything that makes life easier or is a shottcut!

By: Audrey Scott

Audrey Scott — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 18:42:57 +0000

@Lanre: Glad you enjoyed this post and thanks for sharing it with others!

By: lanre

lanre — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 13:04:24 +0000

Hi, nice article. Good job you guys are doing here. I’ll definitely share this post. I’m an experience junkie and loving it. I can relate to your analogies. Presently, I’ve been able to do 14 countries. Read ‘my law of attraction.’