to ask what you would do

[nineyearsago]

if you had no children, or partner, and a job that you could conceivably take anywhere, but did have a mortgage, a cat () and family in the UK?

I'm in the mood for dreams, I think.

Hmm! I would probably rent the house out (with the cat included) and teach the family to Skype while I took my job to Canada. Probably the Western edge somewhere. If I settled there, great, if not, I would move on after a year or so and go down to the States (not sure which one) and try my life there. When bored of that, I would go to Lake Como in Italy for a while and probably end up coming back to the UK after an amazing 3 to 5 years exploring and trying new things around the world.

I would go abroad to work - at least temporarily. I would rent out my house, find a long term cat sitter (family??) and go whilst I had the opportunity.
I did this myself more than once in different locations before kids and husband and would happily do it again but DH says no way he would leave lovely Yorkshire .

Dream locations would be pretty much anywhere in Europe..

Do you think you would REALLY work abroad, though?

It's a nice thought but I'm not sure it really appeals to me, I think that I would be very, very lonely.

I'd still be in bed nursing a hangover and remembering a brilliant night while desperately trying to figure out the name of the guy lying next to me! lol kidding

When I was in that position I'd have been too scared. Now I'm a LP with a dog and a mortgage I'd tell my younger self not to think twice and go for it. It would be too good an experience to miss and you could always come home if you're not happy.

I don't want to work abroad. Interesting that lots of people say they would though.

I was in that exact situation 10 years ago. Rented out the house and the cat and jumped on a plane. Best thing I ever did, came back 3 years later a better person

Ooh, what did you do Red?

I'd be too scared to do anything and plod on as before probably. I'd love to be someone who would jump on a plane and do the whole adventure thing, but I'm far too dull!

haha Outraged I am probably the same.

I keep thinking that if I was reading a book about my life I'd probably wonder why the heroine didn't do XYZ!

We did it. I had none of the above other than a husband. We wanted to move house, so we were looking somewhere commutable to both our jobs. And we both wanted new jobs, so we were looking somewhere commutable from home. Then we realised if we did everything at once then did it matter where it was?

6 years later and we're never going home.

In some ways it would have been easier being single. We worked together, so spent every minute of every hour of every day together at first. Single and I'd have had to be a lot more outgoing and made friends quicker. Now we're settled and we love it.

One thing to consider - once we told people we were going, lots of older friends and colleagues each had their own story about when they were younger and had an opportunity to go to Australia/New Zealand/USA/random other placem and they hadn't taken it. One person said they took it and went home 5 years later. All the rest then say wonderin what life would have been like. I know the grass isn't always greener, but if you have the opportunity, do you really want to be sitting there in 20 years wondering what if...?

I would def try to live in NY for a year after renting out my house. Then in Portland, then Montreal.
By then I would know if I want to come back to Europe.
I would then move to Singapore and for another year in India.

Assuming I had some savings and could rent or sell the house to sustain me I'd be dropping cat at my mums and dipping my feet in cape tribulation within the week before exploring zanzibar and Tanzania.

In fact if I could afford it I'd be doing that as soon as DC was born and hit 3!

But I don't WANT to it isn't as if I've been offered a job. I work in a field where, feasibly, I COULD work abroad, but don't want to. I know I'd be very lonely. I also am crap at learning languages.

I am considering a move to London but it is so incredibly expensive.

London is fab! But, yes, very expensive.

If not moving abroad, what about travelling? You could do an organised tour so you have other people to travel with.

Or take up a new hobby? Go to university? Sell house and buy a 'project', try your hand as a developer?

I started as an overseas rep and then moved into disaster evacuation work, it's tough going and the money was shit but as life experience goes, just amazing. I was 27 and got a major sense of perspective from it!

So go without working, take a year out of real life can you afford to?

Btw dh and I are now discussing skipping the country this is your fault!

Oh and I reckon you'd be less lonely travelling than in London. You are never alone if you travel you always meet kindred spirits.

I definitely couldn't afford to be without an income for a year - blimey, can people honestly do that?

Have been to university and no desire to go back. I really don't want to go abroad, in any context - thanks, though.

But I can feel myself in a rut and am not sure how to address it (not by going abroad, I know it's a dream for a lot of people as this thread shows but to be honest for me it's a nightmare.)

Move within the UK?
Start a new hobby?
Write a novel?
Have a change of career?

I had those things but no pet, and I moved to France to work ,twice, coming back to England in between. I then went for a short term job elsewhere in Europe, over a decade later, I am still here, married, children, etc etc best little jaunt I had

Go for it- you can always return if it doesn't work out, but chances are, it will.

Unlike most people on this thread I wouldn't move abroad - I went from Northern Ireland to England and that was quite enough. London is amazing - its like all the countries in the world in one place imo. Yes its expensive but you learn to work with it.

I'd save as much money as I could during the working week and while at home, and have as many holidays/trips as possible. Stay in youth hostels and enjoy the flexibility of being able to get cheap flights, or go on group activity holidays as often as possible. I'd probably also get involved with a voluntary group that interests me and offers some kind of social life.

I wouldn't move abroad, I'm a home girl at heart, but I'd still do as much travelling as possible.