The stress of living abroad
Holy flying shitballs! You just scored the best job of your entire professional career. Ignore the fact that your “entire professional career” is relatively brief. The point is, you just landed your DREAM job. Best part? This dream job is going to PAY you to travel the freaking world. HELLLLOOO Globe trotter!
When you arrive at your new assignment, your new home city sparkles with a sheen of gold (or dirt?). Everyone is super welcoming. You get set up in a cute little apartment downtown, your housing costs are covered. Your travel costs are covered. Shoot, you even get a food stipend. This is straight BALLER!
While all of your friends are still trapped in their 9-5s, you’re posing for your insta on sunny isolated beach, Mai Tai in hand. You make sure to document your magical life – the bizarre new foods, the exotic creatures that hang out in your garden, the awe-inspiring vistas. What doesn’t often make it to your feed, is evidence of just how miserable you are. They said this would be an adventure but this blows.
For one thing, your job never seems to stop. It feels like you’re tied to your phone 24/7 trying to prep for the meeting to the meeting to make sure that you give an accurate update to your boss’s boss’s boss. You’re jetting off to random little towns and villages to check on your projects, which at first seemed really cool, but man what you wouldn’t give for just a chill weekend at home.
Then again, a chill weekend at home reminds you of the fact that you’re stuck in this random country with no friends or social outlet. The culture here feels foreign and intimidating, and while according to TripAdvisor there are 100s of bucket list items to check off, you feel too lonely and isolated to even bother.
How much longer are you willing to let this drag on for?