ajfehl

Yeah, I get taxed on the housing money that they pay out on my behalf, too. Forgot about that.

I'm currently traveling without a tax home, too. Like you, I gave up my rented place and am going to stay with my folks between assignments, but don't have any bills there and haven't lived with them in ages. My pay did decrease greatly once I realized I wasn't eligible for the tax free advantage- it's just a little more than what I was making at my previous job. But I traveled as a way to get somewhere new, not as a way to make more money, so it didn't dissuade me at all. It's still better when you consider that you aren't responsible for rent anymore! My take home pay per week is perfectly reasonable. I take whatever housing they offer, too- no way am I going to add stress to myself trying to find temporary good housing. Leave that to the professionals. My health insurance seems reasonable, too, although I don't really use it so I don't know the ins and outs of it. I started traveling for exactly the same reason: I needed a change and couldn't commit to something because I didn't know what I wanted. And I'll keep traveling til I figure out what I want. Yes, it seems totally daunting, and it took me a good long time to find that 1st position (see some of the other threads here) but it all worked out and I couldn't have made a better choice. Good luck with whatever you decide :)