Am I Mad?

LegacyUser

I'll be turning 30 in 3 months and I've been wondering what do I want to do with my life.

My current situation:
I moved to Dublin nearly 4 years ago for my current job but I've lost all love for it years ago (I work in IT) and the CV building project I had stayed for has just been cut from the budget. It's a cushy number and I've been able to save up a fair bit but I think about handing in my notice everyday.

I had previously lived in a small city in the UK before coming to Dublin and while it was good for my CV I suffered socially as I had no friends outside of work and nobody to do stuff with at the weekends as my work friends had their friends. So when I moved to Dublin I the first thing I did was go to Meetups and they have been great to me as I've made so many friends from it. But on the flip side of it I've lost count of all the leaving parties I've been to at this stage.

My love life has left a lot to be desired mainly down to me being too shy to say anything to girls I have been interested in.

I've recently started learning Spanish (I'm still shockingly bad but I've a few words) and I would love to be able to speak it with some fluency. I had actually started out learning new stuff for me to get a new job but I dropped it all for Spanish.

Anyway to the point, I've become a bit bored of my life at the moment as I'm not doing anything new and I seem to living my life in repeat. I'm currently thinking of quitting my job without another one lined up then go to New Zealand (I'm into my adventure sports so this seems like the place to go) for a month, then go to Spain for another month (do an intensive Spanish course), then go to another Spanish speaking country in the Americas for another month and finally come home and see if I can get another job.

While I'm okay with disappointing my parents (by leaving my job with a major multinational company) I'm nervous that I'll struggle to find another job when I would come back and cutting off the money tree is another worry despite having a good bit of savings to support myself. There is also a friend I met recently who I'd like to give me a reason to say but that is a story for another day.

Am I mad for thinking of doing this?

December2012

Could you take a sabbatical so you have some guarantee of employment when it's up? It might make you and your folks more confident about your plans.

Also, work on the issues that are preventing you getting to talk to girls.

LegacyUser

Sounds like a brilliant plan! Don't set a time limit though, hit the road and see what happens. And don't make any specific efforts to overcome you shyness, by the time you've finished the trip, I'm pretty sure that will have taken care of itself.

BetsyEllen

OP if you can comfortably afford to do it and have nothing else keeping you here then go for it.

I am 30 and would love to have this opportunity.

Life is not all about work and you are still so young - plenty of time to worry about work later!

It's not as if you'll be coming back and starting all over again from nothing.
You have good experience and I assume good references - so you should find a job when you get back.
Just make sure you keep a bit aside so if it takes a month or 2 to find work you are covered.

ManOfMystery

Go for it, while you're still young enough and free of enough responsibility to do so. How about even spend an intense 6 months saving (not going out much, etc) so you can build up even more of a buffer in your savings, and set this aside as an emergency fund for when you come back rather than using it when travelling? Just in case it takes you a while to find work again.

I work in IT also and I can say with some certainty that when I'm in my 70s, I'm not going to think back with affection and sentimentality to all those times I sat in front of a computer screen. Travelling to New Zealand and Spain to enjoy adventure sports and their culture? That's a different story entirely, and will generate many memories for you.

Plus, New Zealand is a fantastic place. Spent a month with family who live there a few years ago. I adore Ireland but NZ remains one of the few countries on Earth I'd emigrate to.

pc7

Do it, do it, do it! As other poster suggested maybe try save a bit more. Queenstown in NZ is one of the best spots I've been too, so much to do sport/adventure wise. I'd add a few nights in Hong Kong if you can on the way over or back, it's a great city, so different to here.
Life is for living, IT work is good to come by (even temping) so I wouldn't worry. You get one shot at it, have a ball!

LegacyUser

December2012 wrote: »

Could you take a sabbatical so you have some guarantee of employment when it's up?

I enquired about it in work and the max I can take with approval from work is two months but I could bump this up to three with my holidays. But my manager would have to sign this all off which I wouldn't be confident about. I also don't like my job at all and it has been showing my work for the last two years and I would be looking for a much higher salary in a new job. On one hand it'll give me a job to walk back into and I don't need to say anything on my CV about the gap in my CV on the other hand I'll be stuck for time and I'll be afraid I won't push myself to find a new job once I return back.

ManOfMystery wrote: »

spend an intense 6 months saving (not going out much, etc) so you can build up even more of a buffer in your savings.

I was thinking on going around November time (when the weather here gets a bit crap) and in total I've got more saved up then I would earn in a year before tax. So I've got a good chunk but I've worried about blowing away even though I've no plans to buy a house/car anytime soon.

December2012 wrote: »

Also, work on the issues that are preventing you getting to talk to girls.

Guessed wrote: »

don't make any specific efforts to overcome you shyness

At Meetups* I'm not shy at all actually I'm very social and I've got plenty of female friends its just I've got issues with moving from friends to more than friends.

* = I do realise meetups are much easier to meet people then in other social events and hostels can be harder too.

LimerickSports

your not mad bro, i wish i had your life

bee06

Got for it! I wish I had when I was younger. My sister left her job a few years ago and went travelling for 6 months. I was delighted she did it and so jealous as well.

Leogirl

Go for it. Don't wait for life to happen, make it happen. Enjoy yourself!!

greencap

I never knew what the fck to do.

I lied to myself about wanting this or that.

After all my years this is what I've finally discovered, in no particular order.

I want to:

(1) be able to eat when I want.
(2) be able to sleep when I want.
(3) be able to **** when I want.
(4) be able to socialize when I want.
(5) be able to work when I want.
(6) be able to study what I want when I want.
(7) have good health.
(8) have some wealth.

More or less sums it up.

Not for everyone, not glamorous. But after a lot of philosophizing and going down various mental routes and half assed dreams I find it to be my true aspiration.
Maybe I've saved you some time, may not. If nothing else its a good target and from such a place you'd have a strong basis of happiness to venture out.

tomwaterford

Apply for a whv to nz,think 30 is the cut off age

Afaik its expensive country to travel,give yourself an option to work aswell even casually???



Would love to learn spanish/travel argentina for a few months

LynnGrace

Go for it. Life is too short (I know that is a cliche but it's true!) to spend your time working at something you are not particularly enjoying. Now is the time and you seem to have a good head on your shoulders re saving etc so you won't be stuck for money while traveling.

All the best.