new guy, hello all! - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

complacently_unsatisfied · 04-21-2009, 05:28 PM

Hey everyone, names Danny U.S. type.
Brief background, 22 Years old in the Military (took that dive after I blew my scholarship partying) got just under a year left until I say bye bye and move on to greener pastures. I plan on taking my educational benifits from being a Veteran and going to school in Kyiv, Ukraine to finish up my degree and learn Ukranian. But before I hit the books I plan on backpacking Europe for a few months, here for the insight and hey who knows might meet a friends or two.

Might be a little over-rated and a bit cliche, but I WILL Run With The Bulls.... And hopefully not die. As for serious physical injury, I'll tackle that problem when/if it happens.

Questions, comments, smart ass remarks... Feel free I look forward to em'.

Cheers and happy trails,
Danny

**pinknic38** · 04-21-2009, 07:12 PM

Hey Danny, welcome to the boards! You on active duty? I just got off active duty in September - was livin' the dream at good ol' Ft. Bragg!

awesome with the travel plans - be careful with wanting to use your GI Bill to go abroad, you might have to do an "exchange" program with an accredited US university - but just make sure you do the research. I've been dealing with the GI Bill these past months, so if you need any info as far as the process of receiving it, hit me up.

but welcome!

complacently_unsatisfied · 04-21-2009, 07:39 PM

Good ole' Ft. Bragg bet you don't miss that a bit... Been there a couple times hate the place. But yeah man still active duty, 10 months and counting down! Thanks for the info and invite for ?'s. I'm studying International Relations right now and wanted to learn Russian because thats pretty hot in demand for fed jobs but the only VA approved school in Russia with an International Relations program was in Moscow crazy expensive/crazy hard to get into. Found a school in Kyiv, Ukraine VA approved they've got Int. Relations and they do a preparatory language course for way under the GI Bill payout. Sounds good so far, guess I'll see how it plays out.

You on the GI Bill a/d or Post 9/11? I'm still confused by the new split.

Thanks again.

**Canadian Bacon** · 04-22-2009, 12:31 AM

Welcome to the boards Danny!

Yeah quite a number of us have run with the bulls at some point... and you will also live to tell the tale.

**pinknic38** · 04-22-2009, 05:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by complacently_unsatisfied

Good ole' Ft. Bragg bet you don't miss that a bit... Been there a couple times hate the place. But yeah man still active duty, 10 months and counting down! Thanks for the info and invite for ?'s. I'm studying International Relations right now and wanted to learn Russian because thats pretty hot in demand for fed jobs but the only VA approved school in Russia with an International Relations program was in Moscow crazy expensive/crazy hard to get into. Found a school in Kyiv, Ukraine VA approved they've got Int. Relations and they do a preparatory language course for way under the GI Bill payout. Sounds good so far, guess I'll see how it plays out.

You on the GI Bill a/d or Post 9/11? I'm still confused by the new split.

Thanks again.

LOL of course I don't miss Bragg! I had a pretty sweet job in the army so once I'm done with school I'm hittin up those federal jobs too, so I hear ya! nothing cool like a linguist, but whatever.

yeah I know the FBI is hardcore after some linguists - esp Russian and all those eastern European languages. nice to see the VA approves some schools abroad. I was looking for a MA program in London or somewhere in Germany and I'd literately have to get into Oxford for the VA to give me my $. Lame.

anyway, I have GI Bill a/d but then the Post-9/11 starts this fall term for everyone eligible, but honestly the benefits don't change much at all in terms of $ cos my school is already paid for through an ROTC scholarship so it's like 100 or 200 mroe a month for me which I've got no complaints about. if you enlisted for the kicker (or "army college fund") that's a separate piece of paper you gotta mail in or you won't get it - I've been dealing with that issue for some time now but the backpay will be sa-weet!

anyhoo...

**Elizabeth** · 04-22-2009, 08:07 AM

privet danny!

I'm studying intl relatins w a focus in russia/eastern europe as well

I love ukraine! have u ever been? kyiv can be a bit expensive as well...I think of it as a mini moscow...but yeah moscow is outrageous

complacently_unsatisfied · 04-22-2009, 07:25 PM

Canadian Bacon,
I appreciate the encouragement bro. Your gonna have to fill me in on the details. I've started some preliminary planning for my trip I shootin for a year from now. Still got a million questions, not even sure where to start.

Pink,
Yeah hopefully it pans out, I'm looking more toward Dept of State, Diplomatic Security Service... One thing I do love about the service is travel, the more I'm gone the happier I am and from what I've gathered they're gone A LOT. So ROTC huh, they're scholarships are saweet I got really close to doing that my first go at college. Guess that means you goin to the dark side

Lizz,
I have heard it's a good bit more spendy, never been but it looks to be my best option for study in that area. I take you've been? If so you gotta give me the scoop if your willing!!! Moscow would be incredible too, funny people mistake it for cheap and under-developed... It's great the assumed outlook on the rest of the world people have, lol but can't say I not guilty of the same.

Thanks again all!

**pinknic38** · 04-22-2009, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by complacently_unsatisfied

Yeah hopefully it pans out, I'm looking more toward Dept of State, Diplomatic Security Service... One thing I do love about the service is travel, the more I'm gone the happier I am and from what I've gathered they're gone A LOT. So ROTC huh, they're scholarships are saweet I got really close to doing that my first go at college. Guess that means you goin to the dark side

yep full tuition at Ohio State, stipend twice a month and $400/quarter for books... not too shabby. in exchange for a bunch of bullshit (what else is new?) but yeah crossing over to the dark side haha. not going back to active duty though, doing reserve or guard when I get my commission so I can go to DC and work for one of the 3-letter agencies

the state dept has some SWEET jobs in that area, even if you're fluent and just want to work for like a Russian or Ukranian consulate... that military background will push your app to the front of the line. have you been on usajobs.com?

**expatben** · 04-23-2009, 03:22 AM

Welcome Danny!

**Elizabeth** · 04-23-2009, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by complacently_unsatisfied

Lizz,
I have heard it's a good bit more spendy, never been but it looks to be my best option for study in that area. I take you've been? If so you gotta give me the scoop if your willing!!! Moscow would be incredible too, funny people mistake it for cheap and under-developed... It's great the assumed outlook on the rest of the world people have, lol but can't say I not guilty of the same.

Thanks again all!

Will trade ya for info on those fed jobs for Russian speakers. How much $$$ we talkin? Still undecided what I'm going to do after school, but I'm leaning more towards the linguistic aspect than the intl relations aspect of it.

No way Moscow is cheap and underdeveloped...damn...it has the highest concentration of billionaires in the world.

Anyway I promise u will like Kyiv...I have not met a red blooded American male who does not love Slavic girls

I haven't visited in a year. I'm studying in Budapest right now but not sure if I'll have the funds to go before I leave. I first visited two years ago when there were pretty much no tourists. There was one hostel in Lviv and 3 shitty Ukrainian ones in Kyiv. Now there are a bunch of hostels springing up everywhere. Everyone is going to know about it by 2012 because they're hosting some big football tournament along with Poland. Upgrading infrastructure and building new stadiums...all that stuff. Better to see it now before it becomes the new Krakow...overrun. Already Wizzair flies to a couple cities in UA so its only a matter of time.

**pinknic38** · 04-23-2009, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lizz

Will trade ya for info on those fed jobs for Russian speakers. How much $$$ we talkin?

federal gov't is hard pressed for some Russian fluency... go to USAJOBS - The Federal Government's Official Jobs Site, and do a basic search for like "russian" or something, or search the job category, and most of them start out at around 80k-ish/year depending on the job/agency. the majority of them are six figures.

it's a lucrative biz to be able to speak a critical language in the federal gov't if it's your cup of tea!

-----end thread hijack :D