{"id":438108,"date":"2026-06-23T08:45:03","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T06:45:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/?p=438108"},"modified":"2026-06-23T21:53:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T19:53:18","slug":"various-reactions-whv-decision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/various-reactions-whv-decision\/","title":{"rendered":"Reactions I got when I decided to go abroad on a Working Holiday Visa"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Working Holiday Visa (WHV)<\/a> is arguably the most loosely defined and flexible among all international mobility programs out there. While other visas are issued for a clearly defined purpose (e.g., studies, work, internship), the working holiday can mean anything, or nothing at all. It\u2019s a blank canvas waiting to be coloured by countless possible experiences. Perhaps it is precisely because of this lack of structure that it can draw criticism and concern.<\/p>\n

Hundreds of former working holiday makers have shared the reactions that they got from friends and family when they announced their decision to go abroad on a working holiday.<\/p>\n

This article is based on my personal experience (as a former working holiday maker myself) and the stories of fellow travelers I\u2019ve met over the years, both online and in real life over the past 16 years. Nothing is made up!<\/p>\n

The people mentioned below are only described factually. This isn\u2019t about judging whether they’re right or wrong; it\u2019s simply about shedding light on the kinds of comments that prospective working holiday makers might get while preparing for their adventure, words that can wound, discourage, or create doubt. Sharing them here may help others feel less alone and better equipped to move forward.<\/p>\n

The skeptics<\/h2>\n

There are the ones who ask what you\u2019ll do over there, whether you have a job lined up, where you\u2019ll live, and if you know anyone locally.<\/p>\n

There are those who say that the destination is too far, that your home country is big enough, or who ask what will happen if you run into trouble on the other side of the world. They make it clear that they won\u2019t be there to help.<\/p>\n

Some say a year is way too long. \u201cA few weeks of vacation is plenty\u201d, they\u2019ll argue.<\/p>\n

Then there are those who simply don\u2019t believe in you, your adaptability, or your resourcefulness. They\u2019ll assume you\u2019re not cut out for such a big move.<\/p>\n

Some can\u2019t wrap their heads around why you would want to do odd jobs abroad instead of working in what you went to school for. They don\u2019t understand your dreams or your \u201cwhy.\u201d They\u2019re not curious about travel, aren\u2019t drawn to a nomadic life, don\u2019t crave adventure or discovery, and just don\u2019t see the appeal.<\/p>\n

Others see the Working Holiday Visa as just a waste of money. They\u2019re blind to the things that it can bring you: boosted confidence, meaningful encounters, freedom, improved foreign language skills, and a broadened worldview. They might say it\u2019s frivolous and pointless.<\/p>\n

There are those who believe you\u2019re acting on a whim or chasing an unrealistic fantasy. Some won\u2019t believe you\u2019re serious until you actually get on that plane.<\/p>\n

Some will accuse you of running away. They\u2019ll say the grass isn\u2019t always greener on the other side and that leaving won\u2019t solve anything. They\u2019ll claim you must be seriously lost to go so far.<\/p>\n

Others will say you\u2019re either too young or too old for an experience like this. They won\u2019t understand why you\u2019d leave everything behind for the unknown. They\u2019ll urge you to stay put and do what people your age are \u201csupposed\u201d to do.<\/p>\n

Some won\u2019t grasp that your dreams and ambitions don\u2019t look like theirs. For them, life is about job security, a good salary, and retirement contributions. They can\u2019t comprehend that not everyone defines \u201ca good life\u201d in the same way. <\/p>\n

There are those who think you\u2019re giving up stability for no good reason. They don\u2019t understand why you\u2019d deliberately risk everything. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve traveled before, they might roll their eyes and say \u201cAgain? Haven\u2019t you had enough fun?\u201d They\u2019ll worry that you\u2019ve chosen this lifestyle for good. Some will be disappointed you didn\u2019t follow the plans they had in mind for you. And they might still judge your decision even once you\u2019re back from your stay abroad. <\/p>\n

There are people who will expect you to show a detailed plan, even when you explain to them that your actual plan is to have no plan! They don\u2019t see the beauty in embracing the unknown.<\/p>\n

Some will feel abandoned and hurt. They\u2019ll cry, get angry, even walk out of the family dinner when you share your decision. Some will ask if you’re leaving because you\u2019re unhappy with your life or with them. Some won\u2019t speak to you for a while.<\/p>\n

There are those who won\u2019t support your choice and won\u2019t understand the ones who do.<\/p>\n

There are people who\u2019ll say, \u201cI could never do that\u201d, who are genuinely worried for you. They might also have preconceived notions about your chosen destination. <\/p>\n

If you’re leaving with your partner, some will ask, \u201cWhat if it doesn\u2019t work out?\u201d Worse, if you\u2019re going without your partner, some will assume there are problems in your relationship, or even guilt-trip you for abandoning them.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re traveling with your kids, some will resent you for taking their grandchildren so far away.<\/p>\n

Some people will treat you like a child, laying out all the obstacles you might face, belittling your chosen destination.<\/p>\n

Some will think you’re foolish, certain you won\u2019t make it. They\u2019ll believe you\u2019re throwing away everything you’ve achieved: your job, your degree, because they can\u2019t understand how you would pick back up where you left off.<\/p>\n

Some will tell you it\u2019s time to grow up and to stop dreaming. They\u2019ll ask how you\u2019ll pay your mortgage, what you\u2019ll do with your apartment, or worry about you having to sell everything here to start over there.<\/p>\n

Some believe they have a better plan for your savings than wasting a year abroad. They\u2019ll be convinced you’re losing a year of your life.<\/p>\n

Some will act like you owe them explanations, forgetting that you are a responsible adult, free to make your own choices.<\/p>\n

Some simply fear that you’ll never want to come back.<\/p>\n

The ones who get it<\/h2>\n

And then there are the ones who get it. <\/p>\n

The ones who would\u2019ve done the same, if they could. The ones who encourage you.<\/p>\n

There are those who pose valid questions without trying to dissuade you. Those who promise to follow your journey, hope to visit you, urge you to savour every moment, wish you nothing but amazing memories. Those who are impressed by your courage. The ones who urge you to \u201cGo for it!\u201d<\/p>\n

There are those who are certain this experience will help you grow into a better person. Those who only want one thing: for you to be happy.<\/p>\n

And sometimes, the skeptics eventually become the ones who get it. It might just take them some time to understand. <\/p>\n

I can only encourage you to focus on the ones who do support you and to always remember that the final decision is yours.<\/p>\n

Embarking on a working holiday is certainly a big decision, but at pvtistes.net, we believe in the value of the Working Holiday Visa because we\u2019ve lived it ourselves, and we\u2019re here to cheer you on and to help you do the necessary preparation. You\u2019ll be joining the hundreds of thousands of other young people who take the leap every year.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tNeed more convincing? Here are 16 Reasons to go on a working holiday<\/a>.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Working Holiday Visa (WHV) is arguably the most loosely defined and flexible among all international mobility programs out there. While other visas are issued for a clearly defined purpose (e.g., studies, work, internship), the working holiday can mean anything, or nothing at all. It\u2019s a blank canvas waiting to be coloured by countless possible […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":392560,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[201,906],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-438108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-actualite","category-prepare-your-trip","pays-all-en","pays-andorra","pays-argentine-en","pays-australie-en","pays-austria","pays-belgique-en","pays-bresil-en","pays-canada-en","pays-chili-en","pays-colombie-en","pays-costa-rica","pays-croatia","pays-cyprus","pays-czechia","pays-denmark","pays-equateur-en","pays-estonia","pays-finland","pays-france-en","pays-germany","pays-greece","pays-hong-kong-en","pays-hungary","pays-iceland","pays-indonesia","pays-ireland","pays-italy","pays-japon-en","pays-latvia","pays-lithuania","pays-luxembourg","pays-malaysia","pays-malta","pays-mexique-en","pays-monaco","pays-netherlands","pays-nouvelle-zelande-en","pays-norway","pays-perou-en","pays-poland","pays-portugal","pays-singapore","pays-slovakia","pays-slovenia","pays-coree-du-sud-en","pays-spain","pays-sweden","pays-taiwan-en","pays-thailand","pays-turkey","pays-royaume-uni-en","pays-uruguay-en","pays-vietnam"],"acf":[],"comments_count":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=438108"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438108\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":458690,"href":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438108\/revisions\/458690"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/392560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=438108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=438108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=438108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}