To do something totally different at 40

[Mooshamoo]

I'm 39. I live alone. I live in Ireland. I own a small house outright from an inheritance.

I'm very lonely and I'm not happy really.

I was considering doing something really radically different than most people do in their forties.

When I was in my early thirties I backpacked around the world for two years and I really enjoyed it.

I have my house up for sale and I just had an offer on it. I will get about 90k. It's a v small house.

I am considering using the money to go and travel for a couple of years around the world . In my forties. If I stay in the cheaper countries I can eek the money out. I will also volunteer at points on workaway com, so I will stay in those places for free.

I would leave my current full time job. But I also work a couple of hours part time in English teaching which I could do from anywhere. Which would help to sustain me.

It's not the normal thing to do in your forties I know, but part of me really wants to do it. The cons are I won't be building up a career in Ireland - like I'll never get to manager level in a sensible career. I know when I went travelling for a couple of years in my early thirties and I came back, I was kind of at the bottom of the ladder sensible careers in Ireland. IE "years of travel" does not look great on your CV.

I also think it's a little irresponsible to choose a different path to the norm in your forties.

However part of me really wants to do it. What do you think. I've no kids and I am single

Do it, life is for living.

There's nothing irresponsible about living the life you want if you're not happy in the life you have.

Go and experience the world.

Sounds amazing. Can I come?

Do it! Live your life, if you don’t do it now you never will.

If you think this will make you happy, I say go for it.

Life is absolutely for living and you never know who you might met along your journey.

What do you think you will regret more when you are old- having done it or having not done it.

I’d be packing…

Is there a way you could keep the house and fund this by online teaching? I think returning to a stable house which is outright owned by you in your mid 40s would be so much better feeling than returning to an uncertain future where you may not even be able to get a mortgage? You could rent out the house and live off that too?

Don't sell, rent, then you can return T it. Don't use the money to go to travelling. Because then your'll have nothing. Save, then go travelling, then return and decide what you want to do.

It's only considered "irresponsible" in your 40s because most people happen to have children or mortgages or whatever that makes it much harder/more selfish to do a trip like this at that point.
But that doesn't apply to you - just go for it! Take all opportunities open to you! X

Many would kill for this opportunity, get packing!

Keep the house, rent it out, use an agency for all management/maintenance issues. There's a nice income for you whilst you travel. If life brings you back home, you'll have somewhere to live or money to rent somewhere.

Basically please be careful you're not setting yourself up for a fall! I'm 40 with a big mortgage and I am already seeing friends pay theirs off around me. It would suck to be 43 and have to start again in that way. But travelling sounds really fun and you can definitely make it work! You could try and get a teaching English job somewhere like Singapore and then travel around the far east over weeks/weekends.

The only reason I'm wary about renting is that Ive heard a few nightmare stories and I don't see it as guaranteed income. My mother rented a house out once.

The tenants stopped paying rent for months and then just refused to leave the house. And he was a big burly man. She had a lot of trouble trying to get them out of the house. So they lived in it rent free for about six months before she was finally able to get them out. And they destroyed a room

No way would I sell the house, you may never be in a position to buy again and rent is getting so expensive, being mortgage free as you get older will give you huge security.
Can you save to travel and then teach English abroad? I did this years ago and had an amazing couple of years.

Do it. You’re not happy, this is a risk but it’s a calculated risk and I bet you’ll love it

Owning a house hasn't actually made me happy though. It hasn't added a lot to my life. It's made me feel stuck in a small town. In small town Ireland where this not much to do. Owning a house isn't for everyone I think.

I think i would prefer to teach English aborad and rent somewhere abroad.

But I will have the money from the house sale to help me while I'm abroad too. Thanks for the opinion though. Thoughts and ideas are all welcome

Where will you live on your return and how will you fund it?

I'd rent your house out - get it fully managed.

Sell all your stuff.

If in a year or so the hassle of renting is outweighing any income you're getting then consider selling.

I think the current housing market is difficult for sellers.

I think it's a lovely idea. The reality is you'd return to no home and no career. If you can't buy again then will you struggle in old age? Do you have a pension?

I would rent out house. Then get guaranteed work abroad teaching English. You could move around for a few years, but at least you'd have a home to return to.

I think if I decide to go travelling for a few years, I won't return to ireland then. I will go and teach English abroad somewhere. Or I can keep travelling all the time, and work online from my laptop to fund it

Yeah there's definitely pros and cons. And I know which is the more sensible option.

Do it but keep the house.

Get land lords insurance to cover any missed rental payments and enjoy yourself.

How exciting!! Good luck x

And at the end of your jaunt, you would have depleted your savings, have no permanent home and be largely unemployable after a long period out of the workforce 🤷🏼‍♀️

I’ve taught English abroad. It’s pocket money really for students.

Yes thats all true. But It depends what you want out of life.

I've taught English abroad. Salary isn't great. But the experiences of getting to see new places was great.

Since I've come back to Ireland. I own a house. My salary is better here.But I'm totally miserable. There is absolutely nothing to do in this small town in Ireland that I'm in. Really not many groups to go to or anything. I'm not happy.

However I will think it all through. I have to think of the future too.

Do it! You sound quite miserable at the moment. You deserve to be happy and have amazing experiences!