i'm quitting everything... what would you do?

[Coffeecuppony]

I can't believe i'm saying this. I'm so scared and excited

I'm in my late 20s, live in a large UK city, have run a small business that has afforded me to live but not thrive. I have had the same panics and stresses day in day out for the last few years and something has to change.

My friends make four times my salary in their corporate jobs and dislike their jobs. i just know that life isn't for me. I just need new experiences so I can figure out what excites me.

I am going to quit everything, sell all my stuff, move country, and start a whole new life, and try and become a writer.

I have enough savings budgeted to last two months so wherever I go I will need to find work - preferably doing something fun and different e.g. tourist guide. Hopefully one day I can be a full time writer.

I would love to write business books and also comedy but have a lot to figure out yet.

I need somewhere inexpensive, warm climate, exciting new experience and safe for a lone women.

I currently own and live in a small derelict flat which I need to renovate before I move so I can rent it out and have a little income but at least cover my mortgage. I will spend most of my savings on these renovations.

I have given myself until June next year to move which feels very close but is enough time to plan.

I don't yet have kids but would like to in the future which is a lot easier for moving. I just have no idea how to go about moving and getting work in another country.

I just know I can't live my current life anymore.

What would you do ? Where would you go? Do you know of any opportunities? How do I not become broke? How do I become a writer?

Are you writing in your current life? Or is it just something you want to have a bash at when you move?

Exactly. As a ll myself, you need deep pockets. Yes, you can get ll insurance to cover loss of income and accidental damage. But what about intentional, such as vandalism? This is not covered.

Can't you sell the business for someone to develop? The goodwill and shoppers who use it.

What about Georgia. You can stay for a year.
What about house sitting/pet sitting. There is an Instagramer I follow who is going around UK and Europe house sitting. No idea of cost or how easy it is.

@SaintHelena I have thought about this but realistically it would be very hard to sell and not possible to run from elsewhere

@AlviarinAesSedai thank you I never would have thought of Georgia

My business has made over seven figures but that is in revenues not profits so some people would say thats successful others not.

Does “over seven figures” mean an 8- or 9-figure business?

Surely if it’s that’s successful, selling it as a going concern is a good option? Or, better still, appointing someone to manage it in your absence and still having an income from it?

Damn girl! Big plans! Are you aware how much writers get paid per thousand words? Because it isn’t much! Try doing a few jobs and see how it goes.

But listen - the real money is in proofreading not writing. Do an accredited course, take a few jobs before you quit anything. Get really comfortable with it before you make any big decisions.

Writers spend a lot of time alone. They are always stressing about deadlines. It’s hurtful when your work needs revisions and your clients might ask for multiple revisions. You have to have samples of work- and lots of different types of work.

What type of writing are you thinking of?
blog?
articles?
copy?
books/ebooks?
scripts for influencers/film/tv?
posts?

Do you know anything about writing SEO? Do you know that these days your work is passed through plagiarism tools, and has to be compliant with certain rules? Did you know there is a reason a lot of writers do posts about “7 tips for effective living?”

Basically, put your toes in the water first. Learn to swim. Take courses. Read. Listen to people. Practice. Ask yourself if you can do this for ten hours a day.

Also, think hard about where you want to live- culture shock is real. Look at the cost of living, weather, culture, social life, expectations, risk etc etc.

It’s a great adventure and I wish you luck. But please, do it the sensible way!

Whadda said it best. If this was on AIBU I'd be hitting the YABU button hard!

If you have a job that can be done fully remotely, have you considered something like Remote Year, where they organise the travel and accommodation for groups to see the world, different location every month, and everyone does their existing job remotely from cool places? Remote Year

This all sounds like an escape fantasy rather than a real plan. Building work always costs more than you think it will, and you have no buffet. You plan to write a book about being

(pressed send) an entrepreneur while being on the run from your not very successful experience of being an entrepreneur...

I would think again.

Buffer not buffet!

@Whadda sorry just over 1 million and nowhere close to 8 figures. I just want to get out from it really. I am unhappy running it, and it would be very very hard to sell as I have tried.

@Mindthegob I would love to write e books. I know all about SEO. I have thought of a blog but I don't read them myself so I can't really understand why others would be interested in reading mine. I wouldn't rely on this for income so I would want to focus on books which is my passion

@anotherneutralname that sounds really interesting thank you

I dont understand how you can get a job in tourism in another country if you only know English and struggle with languages. It limits your countries.

As PP’s said, there is not much call for tourist guides who do not speak at least 3 languages (incl local language) A friend of mine has just qualified as a guide to take people into wild and very bio diverse areas of this country (Latin America) He speaks French (he is French), fluent Spanish, and English. It took 2 plus years to get the qualification. His visa was a student visa until he qualified - and there are fees to pay on each university term as well as very rigorous attendance checks. It isn’t that easy these days to just rock into a country and stay on a whim…..
but it’s good to throw everything up in the air and see what settles ! At least you have the will to change, altho’ it may be closer to home than you think right now. Good luck !

You need to learn the language of whatever country you move to and if you can't I'd recommend only English speaking countries. When I lived abroad the people who couldn't or refused to learn it had a very very small world of just other expats. They couldn't solve problems, deal with even minor issues etc without help or integrate into normal life and everything becomes more expensive/faffy if you have to find an international English speaking doctor, dentist, hairdresser, plumber etc or services that can translate for you.

I think it's probably not a great idea to change industries and change countries simultaneously, and in your shoes, I would want to have a really secure financial plan before doing this.

I'm a professional writer and make a good living from it- but almost all of my income is from commercial writing. I've written and self-published three ebooks, and it's much harder to make money from than it was in the past. Most writers (including me) make barely anything from it. If you're serious about it, you'll need to know how to market it and probably plough quite a bit into paid advertising to get it off the ground. There are loads of bloggers who say they make huge sums from self-publishing, but I think it's actually incredibly rare. A lot of them are trying to shill online courses on how to make it as a self-published author.

What platform are you planning on using to self-publish? I'd say go for it but don't rely on it as a source of income!

I don't understand your business - if it's turning over a million, how are you living without any savings or resources, and why wouldn't anyone want to buy it?

Definitely do the travelling. Oz is good, you used to be able to get a 2 year visa? Not sure about simultaneously writing a business book. Do the travelling first and get as much as you can out of it, then think about the book

I wish I could do this - before having kids is the only time you can really do this sort of thing. Wish you the best of luck on this adventure!

You can do this OP, I've up sticks and started over in a new country on my own twice!
It takes balls, ability to live frugally and being open to opportunities and work.

If you can afford the course fee, I suggest you get your TEFL qualification. Countries all over the world need native English teachers, and many places pay quite handsomely. That can be your main gig while you set up your writing (and your new life!) On the side.

Look at visa requirements, lots of places will help with that if they employ you. The institute you take your TEFL at will help you find work overseas. A TEFL is a great skill to have under your belt - you can work anywhere!

A few interesting places off the top of my head - Thailand (Chiang Mai in particular), Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Uruguay, Georgia, Albania, Montenegro, Slovenia, Slovakia, Costa Rica.

Have you done much solo travel before OP? It helps if so, as will make things feel less daunting, but absolutely not a requirement.
Check out some solo female travel blogs to get ideas of where digital nomads set up shop - Adventurous Kate is one i can think of off the top of my head, but there are loads more.

Good for you OP, bloody brilliant.

Plus, if it doesn't work out, you can always come home. Make sure you don't burn all your bridges here so you have a small safety net to fall back on in the UK. Good luck!

Write it now. And when it's a success go nuts and sell up and move.

Why do you think you'll be able to write somewhere else?

Van life !

may be the answer

Do you speak another language? Do you think you will be able to learn another language? no - I really struggle with languages

You're not going to get a tour guide job then. In fact in effect for this to be realistic you're stuck with English speaking countries, which would need visas.