Organizing Housing and Infrastructure (Smartphone) Before a 6-Month World Trip

Good morning. This is Karaage.
Since it's Saturday morning, I decided to change things up and had a fried chicken set meal at Gusto.
"Fried chicken in the morning" is the best feeling.
The top photo is of adults and children in Madagascar. It was a mysterious timeline.

Now, today is about 2. Living and Infrastructure (Housing and Communication) from my "List of things I did before leaving the country."

In today's article, the mobile phone section is a must-check for backpackers.

I want to write about it, but I've started to think myself that I'm not getting into the travel stories at all... I want to insert a few photos from my trip before getting into today's topic.

Looking back at the photos, I feel nostalgic and remember the excitement of that precious time. Photos and memories are so vivid and mysterious.

Now, let's get motivated and write today's post!

2. Living and Infrastructure (Housing and Communication)

• Canceling housing (transferring furniture, moving-out procedures, stopping utilities)

• Mobile phone situation (changing to a budget plan, researching eSIMs)

• Issuance of an international driving permit

Having worked in sales and contracts as an agency, I began to handle things with awareness and responsibility, focusing on the contracts even when I was the customer.
I used to dislike the stiffness of contracts, but through my work, my mindset changed to wanting to start things properly, thinking about what happens when the relationship ends, with the attitude that "the end of money is the end of the relationship" and "in the eyes of the law, the contract is everything."

Also, a few years ago, I moved out of a place I was living in in a rush, only doing a light cleaning.
At that time, I had the experience of being properly scolded by the owner.
I felt sorry for my parents who raised me and the teachers who took care of me for becoming an adult who could hand over a room without even cleaning it properly.
Since then, although it's a matter of course, I have become conscious of "leaving it more beautiful than when I arrived" when moving or leaving a hotel.

• Canceling housing (transferring furniture, moving-out procedures, stopping utilities)

So, it's time to move out.
This time, my destination was my parents' house, and I planned to live there after returning to Japan.
I knew I wouldn't need home appliances or living supplies, and since I would be living a wandering life for nearly half a year with a backpack, I anticipated that I could live with fewer things even after returning, so I threw away a lot of clothes.
I handed over appliances and furniture to friends who were just starting to live alone or gave them to former colleagues. I paid about 17,000 yen to a recycling shop and second-hand goods collector for the remaining large furniture.
I think requesting the local government's bulky waste collection is the cheapest way to dispose of things, but I wanted to recycle if possible, so I hired a contractor.

For the moving-out procedures, I re-read the contract and:
・Gave 2 months' notice for the move-out date
・Contacted the gas, water, and electricity companies with the move-out date and new address
By the way, I cleaned the room because I was grateful for the time I spent there, but there is another benefit to cleaning.
Cleaning and repairs are done after moving out, but if you clean it yourself, those costs are simplified, and you get some of your security deposit back. I got almost the full amount back.
That's a huge amount of capital for my trip. Thank you to my previous landlord.

• Mobile phone situation (switching to budget plans, researching eSIMs)

Regarding mobile phones (smartphones), I think it's common knowledge for backpackers to make them SIM-free.
Since more people are switching to budget SIMs, this might be well-known even within Japan. If you have a phone that you signed a contract for at a store, it might be SIM-locked, so it's better to ask.

Depending on where you go, the smartphone itself can often be a source of danger. Depending on the model, you might be seen as wealthy and become a target for pickpockets. In developing countries, used phones are resold at street stalls, and everyone keeps using even cracked phones.
You can tell if you look up their annual income, but in some countries, buying a smartphone is equivalent to their annual income. Yet, they still own them. It's hard to imagine what the market structure is like.

As written extensively in other articles, taking out your phone or wallet in crowded places is equivalent to sending a message that says 'I'm waiting to be pickpocketed,' so I'd like to proceed at my own risk. I didn't use an iPhone, but rather an Android (Xiaomi) that I hung around my neck and used by tucking it into my pocket or bag.

Now, a common mistake in the mobile phone situation is the pattern of canceling your Japanese SIM because you're signing up for an overseas SIM.It's fine, but
・Your phone number will change after returning to Japan
・Surprisingly, sites for airline tickets, hotel reservations, and tour bookings overseas often require
SMS authentication.
These two are the blind spots.

If you are with a major carrier, I believe you can keep your phone number for a certain period,so you can reactivate it after returning home (I'm not sure about the current status, so it's essential to check individually).

SMS authentication requires a phone number, so it's fine if you sign up for an overseas SIM with a phone number (or SMS), but it's surprisingly expensive if you buy one for every country.

I used a
◯ In Japan: kept my phone number by continuing the cheapest budget SIM plan
◯ Overseas data communication: eSIM (purchased SIM cards a few times)
I managed my smartphone communication during my 6-month overseas trip with this dual-wielding approach.

Specifically, I switched to
Rakuten Mobile's 'Saikyo Plan'and kept 3GB + a phone number every month.
It costs 980 yen (excluding tax) per month, but since I was in the middle of a point-back campaign for switching, I was able to cover almost the entire period during my trip with points, so it was effectively free.
It's a method of switching SIMs only when SMS authentication is needed. It's a hassle, but since you don't have to authenticate every day, I managed to get by.
Backpackers end up looking for a place to sleep and transportation every day. It's no exaggeration to say that life involves credit card payments and authentication every day.

Also, Rakuten Mobile allows 2GB of overseas roaming every month, so it was useful while in countries I stopped at for transit, or when airport Wi-Fi wasn't connecting. It didn't work in Madagascar or Kenya, but this was a nice perk.
Also, it was good that I could use my smartphone immediately from the airport after returning to Japan, as it saved me the trouble of re-signing a contract.

For eSIMs while overseas, I used Ubigi.
https://www.ubigi.com/

If you link your credit card to the app, you can start using it on the spot by choosing the country, duration, and GB, and it was also good that I could choose plans that could be used across multiple countries, such as 'All of Southeast Asia,' 'Europe,' and 'Africa.'
I used Ubigi almost exclusively.

• Issuance of an International Driving Permit

Regarding this, I wrote about it in the 'Change of various addresses' section of yesterday's article, but
you can get an international license issued at a police station, but it seems it often takes several days, so I was recommended to get it issued on the same day at a license center (it takes about an hour).

As a result, I didn't use it much, but there were places where I could go on road trips, and since I have a medium-sized motorcycle license, I was able to sign up for tours where I could rent bikes in Southeast Asia, so it was good.
By the way, when I was in New Zealand on a working holiday in college, I had a car for about half a year, but I definitely recommend sightseeing while moving around in a rental car.
They drive on the left and have right-hand drive cars just like in Japan, and there are actually many Japanese cars. It's rare to find places with complete public transportation, and it's a waste not to be able to stop wherever you like. If you rent a car, you can also save on accommodation costs by sleeping in the car.Poor backpackers often cover their expenses with physical stamina.

That's all for today. Next, I will write about '3. Money and Card Management'.

While writing today, I thought, 'Will this be useful to anyone?', 'There seems to be a lot I haven't written down', and 'This is hard to read...', but my way of summarizing and dividing the items to write about is still poor!
Practice is the only way!
I will continue to prioritize writing, and I will also pay a little more attention to readability as I write.