Life choices.. (advice?)

FrenchBlade

FrenchBlade

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2,124
Location
South of France
I'm just venting, so if I bore you, just skip this post

[rant]
Ok, so life has it's ways of throwing you opportunities/chalenges when you least expect it...
Someone dear to me has shown up back into my life (after 4 years) with an interesting job oportunity.. in latin america.. :shock:

I've moved around ever since the age of 11 (emigrated a couple of times), and currently living in France (I'm not french)
Languages have never been a problem for me, so that is not the biggest of my worries, what I'm worried about is upheaving my life again.

The job in question is similar to what I do at the moment, except with a lot better conditions. (food, lodging, expenses and salary)
(and of course the slight fact that it's halfway around the globe...)

I could chuck all my life belongings in storage, and bugger off to another country again. (and have dreamed of doing this often!)
But when the opportunity presents itself as it does now, in the shape of a pretty solid proposition.. it scares the bejesus out of me.. :eek:

I've been told by many that I'm "instable" in the fact I don't commit long term on anything. (renting, short-term contracts, relationships etc..)

My current situation is pretty "stable", I just moved to a new apartment, have a decent job (2 years in, nothing great), good friends, something most people yearn for..
But am I truly happy? That's the "big" question, and I've no idea. :?:
My friends are all popping out kids, getting married, and buying houses.. and I'm just that plonker that's still a "vagrant" and can't settle down :?

Nothing is certain, since I've only just applied for the position. (I managed to gather enough courage for that!),
but from what I've heard, I'm a pretty good candidate.

Some of my family & friends will go ape (Hi Mum!), and other will encourage me, but in the end, I have to decide myself.

Has anyone else had to make a life changing decision, and how did you go about it? :roll:

My brain is hurting, and the 2 people that can talk sense into me are not available. :x

Oh and on topic, and what's available shaving wise in Latin America? ;)

[/rant]

Max
 
Five years ago I went to Tibet for 6 months at the age of 45, never havng been anywhere apart from living in Ireland and England, and short trips to France, Spain, Germany, and a few months before I went to Tibet, India.
Certainly, I was looking for something. And some of it I found. But in the end, I realised, that for me anyway, it is a bit pointless always looking for somewhere else.....
I am in a different position, as I already had a very long term partner, a daughter and at that stage two grandchildren, and all were not at all happy about me leaving, for which I occasionally feel a bit guilty. But sometimes, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do!
But I think maybe when you find yourself always looking elsewhere, you need to look more within. Not to say put up with second best, or make do. But I came to realise that in my case anyway, really I was running away from myself....and that can be a bit like trying to get away from your shadow on a sunny day.
I don't suppose that has clarified things at all! ;)
 
This is all personal opinion -

You are what you are.
I had a very good friend through school and for a few years after.
Tobe. He was an inveterate meddler, explorer, business savvy, Life savvy and never one to shy away from a risk. He had a set of goals for his life and the drive to get them - (A Pristine Jag Mk2 by 18 was one - he managed that one with very little hassle). He wanted to see what was out there.
The complete opposite of me, I had no real goals beyond settling down with someone i loved, having kids and being happy.

Initially when we left school we went and did what everyone else that didn't make it to Uni did - We got jobs , Girlfriends and knuckled down.
Me, i was happy as Larry - i hooked up with a wonderful girl and my own plans were going great.
Tobe, not so much. His relationships didn't last, he was fractious and he wanted out.

So, he upped and joined the RAF.

20 years later hes been pretty much everywhere. Hes owned his own company , owned a house , met a girl , had kids and tried to settle down back in the midlands.
Suffice it to say hes upped sticks again and hes now working in Scotland - he looks as happy as ever.

Go with your heart. Sod what everyone else is doing, that's their thing. You have to do Your thing.
Your not married , i assume your not in a seriously long term relationship , you have no kids. No one relying on you to be there.
Your situation allows you to be the adventurer.

If the idea of this job excites you, if the idea of moving halfway round the globe to a mysterious new country gets the pulse pounding, then you have to take the opportunity or your going to regret it at some point in the future. Plus lets face it, if you hate it - you can always come home.
But if you don't go - you will never know.

Not everyone can be as adventurous and free as yourself , Not everyone can be satisfied with a settled and 'stable' life.
Take the opportunities that are given, and enjoy life.

Live the dream FB.
 
I'm someone who always had trouble sitting still, I'm all settled now but still get the itch to go away often just more short term now. Only thing I can say is you when it's time to stay put because something like this wouldn't of even been an issue and yes it usually involves a girl.
 
Attero said:
This is all personal opinion -

You are what you are.
I had a very good friend through school and for a few years after.
Tobe. He was an inveterate meddler, explorer, business savvy, Life savvy and never one to shy away from a risk. He had a set of goals for his life and the drive to get them - (A Pristine Jag Mk2 by 18 was one - he managed that one with very little hassle). He wanted to see what was out there.
The complete opposite of me, I had no real goals beyond settling down with someone i loved, having kids and being happy.

Initially when we left school we went and did what everyone else that didn't make it to Uni did - We got jobs , Girlfriends and knuckled down.
Me, i was happy as Larry - i hooked up with a wonderful girl and my own plans were going great.
Tobe, not so much. His relationships didn't last, he was fractious and he wanted out.

So, he upped and joined the RAF.

20 years later hes been pretty much everywhere. Hes owned his own company , owned a house , met a girl , had kids and tried to settle down back in the midlands.
Suffice it to say hes upped sticks again and hes now working in Scotland - he looks as happy as ever.

Go with your heart. Sod what everyone else is doing, that's their thing. You have to do Your thing.
Your not married , i assume your not in a seriously long term relationship , you have no kids. No one relying on you to be there.
Your situation allows you to be the adventurer.

If the idea of this job excites you, if the idea of moving halfway round the globe to a mysterious new country gets the pulse pounding, then you have to take the opportunity or your going to regret it at some point in the future. Plus lets face it, if you hate it - you can always come home.
But if you don't go - you will never know.

Not everyone can be as adventurous and free as yourself , Not everyone can be satisfied with a settled and 'stable' life.
Take the opportunities that are given, and enjoy life.

Live the dream FB.
Click to expand...

Reminds me of one of my favourite books:

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I'm inclined to put my feet firmly in the 'go for it' circle of this particular Venn Diagram.

I don't know how old you are, or a great deal about your personal circumstances (apart from what is above).

All I know is, he's called the sti......

No. Too much Top gear.

All I know is, that at 42 years of age, I look back and see opportunities that I didn't or wouldn't take, and really should have done. That isn't a reflection on my current life. I am married, we don't have any kids, and have a very stable home life, but there are plenty of times when I look back and think "if only I knew then what I know now".

Probably my biggest one was when I repairing photographic equipment. I used to do some "private" work for an ex-teacher of mine who became a videographer. He approached me and said that he and a party of photographers/videographers were of to Kenya for a month-6 weeks to do some filming, and he asked me if I would like go along as their resident Repair Technician.

I declined. I'd just bought my first house, and my girlfriend (who is now my wife) had moved in, so it was a fairly big time of my life. I look back on that opportunity now, and I could cry.

Ian
 
As they say Max, this isn't a rehearsal. I also like John Lennon's thought that life is what passes by whilst we are busy doing stuff. In 1966 I left home in Glasgow to travel down to Liverpool to join the City Police there. (I was too short for any Scots Force). The 2 years I spent there (first time away from home apart from holidays) getting lodgings sorted, arranging my finances, learning to do washing, ironing & domestic things worked out really well for me. Since then I've always tried to fight against the inertia which would hold me back from trying things. In my case that's more fear of the unknown than anything.

So, if you're unsure it seems to me there are 2 ways to think of it.

1) You know deep down you are so keen to try this you want a bit of validation from some guys in a forum whom you don't know, but who really like you.

2) You can see it as a great opportunity however you feel that if you go for it this may be saying goodbye to one of the last realistic chances you have of settling in to a certain type of lifestyle which, because you don't have it and many of your friends have, you still have a yearning for.

I can only say, looking back over my life, I have always regretted occasions where I followed my head rather than my heart M8. "To thine own self be true" as the bard said ........ or, was that unattributed Bacon. Now see what you've done !

Best Wishes. JohnnyO. \ :roll:
 
As I have become older I have become more and more risk averse, well it's hard not to when you get married and have children.

I have moved around the UK a lot though, having lived down in the south west of England, Scotland and Norfolk and I am of the opinion that moving around is good for personal development.

My only concern with the decision that you face is the country itself Mexico. From what I have read elsewhere Mexico is quite a big oil exporter at the moment, but its oil is running out fast and when this happens it may cause quite severe economic problems.
 
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