Jumping on that Train
When I was in my mid-twenties and everyone around me was settling down, I decided to have a late gap year and went to Spain and England to work as an au pair. Afterwards, I went back to school and then started and finished a university degree.
When I was in my early-forties, I decided to do an apprenticeship and become a qualified chef. Actually, I did this because I wanted to immigrate to Australia, but I ended up in Scotland and lived and worked there for nine months. Later, I became a digital nomad, travelled all over Europe, and finally settled in Poland.
Now, I am 50+ and on the road again, exploring new ideas and wondering where I will end up next.
It was always easy to restart, to find out if I could do better, to chase my dreams, and I always wondered why it was hard for others to make these kind of decisions and why they got stuck in a life they did not enjoy.
Why was and is it so easy for me?
First of all: It was not easy at all to make these decisions. But I know, for a lot of people, it seems like it was easy, as I make “hard and fast” decisions far more frequently than most people. I was thinking about this quite a bit, and today, a lightbulb went off: I am an opportunist – not in any negative form: I don’t do things at the expense of other people – but in the very positive form, as I try to make the best of every situation. I jump at opportunities.
If you imagine life as a country full of tracks with trains, running randomly, you will see some people patiently waiting for trains to pass and others stepping on the tracks to stop them (guess what happens to them). But then there are also those people jumping on the trains and seeing where they take them. It might be a fast track to a place they want to go anyway, but sometimes it might be a distraction, and they end up somewhere they didn’t want to go. I think I am one of those people who like to jump on trains. And, by the way, I am not saying it is the best and easiest way to live your life. Not at all.
The story behind the decisions
As said before, I knew for some time I needed to try out other places to find one to finally settle down for life. But I procrastinated, as I have had an easy and well-organized life in Poland: a nice flat and amazing landlords, I know my way around town, and much more. But I never settled fully, which is partly my fault, as I never learnt the language (I did try, though).
Now there is a wedding coming up at the beginning of April. My cousin is going to marry his long-term partner in Duisburg, Germany. Straight away, I wanted to attend badly, but at the same time, I didn’t want to leave my apartment unattended. This feeling was so strong, I internally cancelled the wedding, and it was only my cousin’s fiancée’s encouragement that changed my mind.
Sorting through my options, I then realized attending the wedding was an opportunity to leave my life behind. Instead of leaving the apartment unattended, I could pack up my stuff, cancel the lease, and leave to search for a new place. And so, I decided I would visit Romania and maybe even other places after the wedding.
On which train will I jump next?
I don’t know. Working in an industry with a glass ceiling when it comes to pricing, I was researching low-tax and low-cost countries, and this took me down a rabbit hole: taxes and social contributions, health systems and availability of good internet, cost of living but also finding international or German communities.
Then my current landlord contacted me. I had told him I would leave at the end of March and would be away until at least May 2. He put the apartment on Airbnb, and someone was immediately interested in renting it until mid-May, maybe longer. So, he asked me if that was okay. How could I say no? Prices are skyrocketing, and we all need to make do. However, I felt sad and anxious. Coming back to Rabka in May had been my back-up plan.
It took me a bit to realize this was another opportunity, the universe telling me it was time to cut strings and move on, to use the momentum and visit other countries. There were a couple of options on my wish list. However, I am also an entrepreneur, and I need to find a new “base” for my business as soon as possible.
There are many options: Paraguay and Uruguay, which I already visited in the past. Romania and Bulgaria lure with low taxes and are within the EU. Portugal and Ireland are not long-term options for settling, but I would love to visit those countries, nonetheless. And there are options in Africa and Asia, which I have not even thought of – yet.
On which train would you jump?
Author
Britta
I have been an au pair, a tourist, an explorer, and a nomad – looking for nice places to visit and the one place I want to stay forever.