Would I be mad.

[BrightSpells]

I'm in a bit of debt - nothing huge and could be cleared with a year of beans on toast.

I have a mental health condition. Years of therapy, it's got better, it's got worse, it's still there.

I'm fed up with my life. I feel like I'm doing the same thing day in, day out, going nowhere.

I want to shake it up completely.

Would I be mad to sell my (much loved) house and buy a b&b abroad? I don't want the life I've got here. A b&b would provide all the things I love doing (cooking and cleaning, good weather) and give me the life focus I'm craving. I worked in a 140 bed hotel for 6 years, it was the best job I've ever had. I did actually really enjoy it, so I wouldn't be going in blind.

Shall I be brave?

The only things that are holding me back is a very elderly pet who is in very good health, the fear of it going wrong and not having my lovely home to come back to.

@BrightSpells
My advice is that a) the grass is not always greener and b) you can't always leave your troubles behind by relocating - they go with you.
If you have mental health issues, taking on a business with all the uncertainty and stress seems a little mad, when you have debts already. Could you even raise the funds? Do you own your home now?

Things to consider..

1 this idea sounds like a 1-way street. never being able to come back to the UK

2 When you are older would the country provide good healthcare?

3 Can you afford it? You need a proper business plan. If you are in debt now (how much?) it suggests money is not your strong point. How do you know you can run a successful business? Liking the idea and having worked in hotels is not the point. This is about being business savvy.

4 Running a B&B is very hard work. The thrill of doing it and changing smelly sheets, dealing with tricky guests who don't pay etc is not the same as working for someone else where you can leave at the drop of a hat. You get no time off, might employ staff who are not reliable and cause problems.

I think you need to look long and hard at all of it and see if it's a fantasy based on running away.

Can you not make your own life here more interesting? What's wrong with it now? B&B is routine too and after a year you may be pig sick of it all.

You will still be the same person with the same issues wherever you live. I'd start by trying to make life here better first and then think again.

It sounds fab. But do so with caution, can you still access the healthcare you need, can you speak the language (eg therapy with interpreter can be tricky), do you have support systems you haven’t thought about that are part of your everyday life now eg people you see regularly, phone contact isn’t the same

What I mean, it sounds amazing but ensure it is a thoughtful decision not an impulsive one

It would be extremely hard work, and in my experience, you take yourself with you with ever you go. Problems do not magically disappear and then you have to deal with them somewhere where you don't know anyone and have a foreign language to deal with. If you have no dependents/ties, if I were you I would look for a job with accommodation abroad and rent out your house to start with. Start to learn the other language and get a feel for what it's like to live there. We have friends running a chambre d'hotes in France and it is not for the feint hearted.

It's not an impulsive decision. I've been debating this in my mind for years.

Debt isn't really an issue and could be cleared easily. It's not an ideal situation but was unavoidable due to unforeseen circumstances.

I'm well aware of the implications of being solely in charge, like I said I've worked in this industry for years and absolutely do not have rose tinted glasses. It's long hours, shitty pissy jobs and often thankless. I enjoy it though.

And yes, I own my house.

The idea of looking for a job with accommodation is a good one though. I'll look into it.

If you are so sure it's for you, why ask us? :)

I had relatives who ran a B&B. It is very hard work. As a woman on your own, there are also security issues (if you live in the B&B), and dealing with very awkward customers. It's nowhere the same as being in the industry as an employee.

The main query is whether you can run a business. Being in debt now is not a good sign- if you can clear it why aren't you? (I'm playing devil's advocate!)

I think you should make a list of why you want to do this, other than just boredom at the moment. Anything day after day can become boring.

What work are you doing now?

You may simply replicate all the issues you have now but in a different country, as others have pointed out.

Certainly, depending on what your MH issue is, won't you find the added stress of a business hard? Only you know.