The Big Change
Published October 19, 2019
Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
- Oscar Wilde
This year I turn 50 years old. Ugh, I can’t believe I put that in writing. But there it is, half a century of being on this planet. And like every middle aged person before me, I had a bit of a moment where I looked around at my life and asked myself if this is all there is or if I wanted something else. Turns out I did want something else and had for years. So I quit my job and moved to Spain. Which probably leads you to believe this was a rash decision to walk away from my life, but that isn’t exactly true. I just pulled the trigger this year. I have been moving in this direction for at least seven years and putting it in place with each choice I made. So how did I do it? Where did I start? What even possessed me to want to do this in the first place?
To understand my decision you probably need to understand a bit about me. I am the product of divorced parents who lived on opposite sides of the U.S. From a very early age, I spent my summers traveling to see my father and living in his bohemian, artistic and outdoorsy lifestyle. The remainder of the year was spent in a small Midwestern town where farming prevailed. We didn’t have much money but my mother and I loved animals so we had a menagerie of dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, chickens, etc. I credit this with giving me a strong work ethic. The cultural differences between these two worlds were pronounced and exciting and cultivated my love of travel. I am also a frustrated artist. Meaning, I am frustrated that I didn’t follow my first passion when I left college and went into the working world. Fear and lack of income definitely influenced that decision. I was attending a prestigious art school and ran out of funding, plain and simple. I don’t come from a wealthy family, I had to pay for most things myself (with some help from mom). So when I landed a job as an administrative assistant within an advertising agency, I took it. And that led me to where I am today. I continued to grow within the advertising world focusing on media strategy - where, when and how much to invest ad dollars to influence people’s purchasing decisions. I’ve worked for small agencies, large agencies, at website companies and directly at some of the biggest brand names in the world. Success, right? Sure, it is one definition of success. However, my definition has changed as I have gotten older. Success to me now is about freedom. Freedom to go places, see new things and experience new cultures. Freedom to choose where I work, literally and figuratively. Freedom to change my mind and travel plans at a moment’s notice. Freedom to experience the world.
Great, you’re saying to yourself, sounds like a wonderful ambition but not everyone can just quit their job and go about wandering the world. People have commitments - bills, mortgages, family, etc. etc. etc. All of that is valid and my lifestyle may not be for everyone. But it can be done if you prepare in advance. As I mentioned, I’ve been thinking of this for years. In that time were career choices, three to be exact. Each choice getting me closer and closer to my goal. I chose jobs based on earning potential and global mobility. This was done with specific intent to get myself a nest egg that would allow me a financial buffer as I transition into self-employment and to put me in a location of the world that would act as my home base for travel. I sold my house and rented instead to give me the flexibility required to jump on a global rotation when it arose. I researched and researched and researched where I wanted to go (Google is your friend, start there and keep digging). Topics included cultural interest points, weather patterns, cost of living, safety, political situation, whether it was trendy (therefore oversaturated with people and content) and dog friendliness. Also, I did not stop traveling. That was a conscious decision to continue to spend money on travel versus putting it into the nest egg. Ultimately you must build a budget that balances the things you need and want to do. Want a nice car/things/house? then you have to accept sacrifices elsewhere. Seems obvious, right? But this is where your dream can go off track, you continue to spend & spend and don’t save anything. You use money to make excuses why you can’t make that trip or that life change a reality. Been there, finally stopped doing it. You should too. Now when it comes to family & children, can’t help you with that. I am a single person whose only dependents are two dogs and they like to go wherever I go.
So here I sit, in the kitchen of a small Spanish townhouse I purchased as my home base. From here I will be overlanding (aka road tripping but much cooler) throughout Europe. I’ll be sharing my experiences, my photography and any guidance that might help you get out there and find your own adventure. I hope you continue to follow along.