For example, as an American, you might be eligible for a two-year working vacation visa in Korea. The requirements vary, but you typically only need two-way airfare and a modest amount of cash to prove you won't become a hobo. :-)
Exactly! That list doesn't include Germany unfortunately, but I ended up going for the Blue Card instead, which is pretty easy to get if you have a university degree and work in an high-demand industry (like tech). Here's another comment I wrote on that topic: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6647761#up_6648443
Interestingly, it's supposed to be available in all EU countries, but I haven't found much information about it that's not specific to Germany, so it's possible that they're still rolling it out in other countries.
Check this out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_holiday_visa
For example, as an American, you might be eligible for a two-year working vacation visa in Korea. The requirements vary, but you typically only need two-way airfare and a modest amount of cash to prove you won't become a hobo. :-)