Quote from hannahm on November 20, 2024, 10:06 am

I've always wanted to travel and dreamed of making my way around the world by picking up small jobs to add to my funds. Lemon picking in Italy, summer resort in Greece, ski resort in the alps, camp in America, animal sanctuaries in Africa etc. I had a boyfriend since I was 17 who was dead against it so I never went.

I now find myself in a situation where I have the freedom and money to go, but I'm not sure if I should take the leap. Rather than the casual work I dreamt of in my youth, I now want to teach English as a second language. I no longer want to be a nomad, even though I want to travel. I prefer the idea of settling somewhere for about a year (sights on Thailand), incorporating travel here and there but with a base to return to. It's something I feel I should get out of my system, but I'm scared of what happens next.

I think my main concern is what to do when I return. I'll need to find another job and although I have no ties and can live anywhere, at my age it's difficult to make new friends and form new relationships. I'm 35, female, and no kids. I only have a few 'good years' left before having kids is no longer on the table. If I was younger and in this situation, I'd just go. I just don't want to come back, get a job away from friends and family and be lonely because I took this risk.

I wrote a list of my options. I have two contracts for the same job. One is a part time contract and one is zero hours. My part time job starts back in September but my zero hours won't start until October. I've also fallen out of love with my job and the city, but if I choose to stick with it I'll make a decent go at it again. I was going to buy a house last year but it fell through.

1. Quit completely, go to Thailand to do TEFL, teach English, to fund travel around SE Asia, live in Thailand for a bit.
2. Only quit contracted job so have zero hours to come back to, spend money travelling, go back to work just on zero hours (can't get a mortgage if I do this).
3. Only quit contracted job so have zero hours to fall back on but still aim to do option one. Can return to a job if needed.
4. Travel up to when work starts, go back as normal, accept being stuck in that city, buy a house and make the best of it.

Part of me really just wants to leave but my life now is safe. My job is safe, I can afford to buy in the city where I work, I know it. If I go now I'll have to start again.

I'm torn on what to do.