I need help making a big decision

Age matters in my response.  What is it?

I'd travel.  'Course that's what I do.  Let me know if you need any advice/recommendations on Japan, China, Tibet, Thailand....anywhere in Asia including New Zealand.  It all rocks-go, go, go!! When are you going to have another chance?  GO!!  Oh, and youth hostels are totally the way to go if you do it alone.  PM me if you want another pep talk or photos.    (I love to travel!). 

And, just for the record, I am TOTALLY impressed with your 14 hour IM finish!! 

I'd get my best friend (or significant other) and go sit on the beach in Belize for at least a month. You can travel all over Central America/Mexico from there if you want. $15K goes a loooooooong way there as well.

Travel, if you don't do it now, you may never have another opportunity like this.  By the way great time on the IM!!!

Adios
Dave
 

A few years ago I took 3 months off work and went hiking in the woods.  It was the one of the best choices I have ever made.  I have so many great memories of that 3 month trip, it makes years in a cubicle bearable.

 You have plenty of time to work and make money.  See the world now while you are free of responsibility.

Yeah, I mean you just did something less than 0.01% of the population have done.  Don't be proud, feel bad you're not as fast as yellow dawg...

 You're awesome, I'm not big on traveling, I'm all about toys toys toys

robin314159 - 2007-04-24 2:39 PM

You can get a LOT of bike for $3k regardless of the manufacturer! Get a good bike box and take it with on some of your travels! Either way, go see the world. This opportunity may not present itself down the road.

Cheers!

Tom 

I would go with IMWA and a new bike. FWIW, I am a single, 27-year-old female. Also, I do not consider $15K enough on which to quit my job and go travel for half a year...but that's just me. I am told I am cheap.

I LOVE traveling, but am all for pursuing all my tri goals now while I am young, healthy, and single. Besides, the tri stuff interests me more at this point. A trip to Australia to do an IM sounds far more exciting to me than a trip to anywhere in the world to site see (at least right now). But you have to choose the option that excites you the most. Do you get more excited when thinking about traveling the world or trekking around Asia or South American; or when thinking about training for another IM and traveling to Australia to complete it?

Hey Ironman!! 

I went to Australia for LC Worlds last November and it was AWESOME!!  At the Hostel and on the scuba trip we took, we ran into several 20 somethings that were on travel for 6 months or so.  They would get money by working at a mango 'plantation' for a couple of weeks and stay in a hostel.  You can do things on the cheap if you look hard enough. 

My recommendation:  Buy the Tri bike, train for IM WA and spend 2-3 weeks travelling around Australia after the race.  I wouldn't travel before if you want to do well.  I learned that.  :P

And for all that is holy, take Quantas not United if you're leaving from the states.  Trust me on this one.