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36yo: Career at home vs. Simple life abroad?

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Re: 36yo: Career at home vs. Simple life abroad?

#11

Post by Slaboli »

codebitdaily wrote: post #10

At 36, the 'simple life abroad' often looks like a dream, but the 'career at home' provides the leverage for future freedom. The middle ground that worked for me was focusing on 'local-first' projects that don't require high-bandwidth office politics. If you can decouple your income from a specific geography while keeping your career growth, you don't have to choose. But remember, a simple life is a state of mind—mov…

Thank you! So in my situation, would this look like getting my CPA license in Turkey and then weighing my options for geographic mobility afterward? I initially need to commit to one path, as legally (and location-wise) I’m unable to pursue both at the same time.

Re: 36yo: Career at home vs. Simple life abroad?

#12

Post by haute_cuisine »

It's interesting that you frame the question as what is wiser. Here is a quote from Naval about making decisions, I hope it would bring more clarity.

Decisions:

- If you can’t decide, the answer is no.

- If two equally difficult paths, choose the one more painful in the short term (pain avoidance is creating an illusion of equality).

- Choose the path that leaves you more equanimous in the long term.

Also, never outsource decision making to anyone who doesn't bear the consequences of the decision.

Re: 36yo: Career at home vs. Simple life abroad?

#13

Post by Slaboli »

haute_cuisine wrote: post #12

It's interesting that you frame the question as what is wiser. Here is a quote from Naval about making decisions, I hope it would bring more clarity. Decisions: - If you can’t decide, the answer is no. - If two equally difficult paths, choose the one more painful in the short term (pain avoidance is creating an illusion of equality). - Choose the path that leaves you more equanimous in the long term. Also, never outs…

My real struggle is deciding which battle is worth fighting. I need to choose the path that is painful now but will compound into greater value, stability or status in 5 years.

Is it the pain of career building (Turkey) or the pain of geographic isolation (Portugal)? Your insight forces me to ask: which pain is more likely to yield the best long-term return?

THANK YOU!

Re: 36yo: Career at home vs. Simple life abroad?

#14

Post by aristofun »

It’s wiser to invest in independence of any external circumstances. To get some valuable skill, for example. To be flexible enough to relocate.

Also you don’t go to another country for a “better living standards”.

You go there to get out of your comfort zone, to grind, to prove yourself, to learn etc. unless you’re already rich you’re going to struggle in one way or another for a while. Only your kids born there will be able truly and fully enjoy all the “standards”. That’s the brutal truth.

Re: 36yo: Career at home vs. Simple life abroad?

#16

Post by tacostakohashi »

I'd suggest staying in Turkey.

I've done the expat/migration thing myself, there are some upsides for sure, but it can also be quite draining being a bit of a social misfit, not having a much of network/connections, dealing with the linguistic/cultural/administrative issues of visas, etc... in many ways you're just forever at a disadvantage to the locals.

I also don't see Portugal as being a big step up from Turkey in the grand scheme of things. Both basically europe, mediterranean, decent standard of living but kind of second-tier economy, etc. If anything, Turkey is obviously bigger, has some bigger cities, more of a range of lifestyles, etc.

I think migration/expat life can be worth it if you're moving to silicon valley, tokyo, new york, shanghai... or somewhere that is a centre of gravity for your industry (like australia for mining, texas for oil, shenzhen for hardware manufacturing, etc...), and the income/growth potential is many multiples of what you can get at home, but I wouldn't be doing it for a modest, largely sideways move.

As for your 10k EUR... obviously, beware the sunk cost fallacy. Also, these things aren't permanent, if you want you can do it for 6 months or a year, see how it is, if it's great, stay, if it's not... go back (or somewhere else).

Re: 36yo: Career at home vs. Simple life abroad?

#17

Post by [deleted] »

codebitdaily wrote: post #10

At 36, the 'simple life abroad' often looks like a dream, but the 'career at home' provides the leverage for future freedom. The middle ground that worked for me was focusing on 'local-first' projects that don't require high-bandwidth office politics. If you can decouple your income from a specific geography while keeping your career growth, you don't have to choose. But remember, a simple life is a state of mind—mov…

[deleted]

Re: 36yo: Career at home vs. Simple life abroad?

#18

Post by codebitdaily »

Slaboli wrote: post #11
codebitdaily wrote: post #10

At 36, the 'simple life abroad' often looks like a dream, but the 'career at home' provides the leverage for future freedom. The middle ground that worked for me was focusing on 'local-first' projects that don't require high-bandwidth office politics. If you can decouple your income from a specific geography while keeping your career growth, you don't have to choose. But remember, a simple life is a state of mind—mov…

Thank you! So in my situation, would this look like getting my CPA license in Turkey and then weighing my options for geographic mobility afterward? I initially need to commit to one path, as legally (and location-wise) I’m unable to pursue both at the same time.

That is a tough but classic strategic bottleneck. If I were in your shoes, I would view the CPA license as a 'foundational asset' rather than just a local permit. Even if you don't stay in Turkey long-term, having a specialized certification often signals a high level of discipline to future international employers. However, the legal inability to pursue both paths simultaneously is the real constraint. My advice? Commit to the path that builds the most 'portable' skill set first. If the CPA process gives you a deep understanding of international standards, it’s a win regardless of geography. Don't see it as being 'stuck'; see it as building the leverage you'll need to negotiate a much better 'simple life' abroad later on. Leverage always precedes freedom.

Re: 36yo: Career at home vs. Simple life abroad?

#19

Post by yodsanklai »

aristofun wrote: post #14

It’s wiser to invest in independence of any external circumstances. To get some valuable skill, for example. To be flexible enough to relocate. Also you don’t go to another country for a “better living standards”. You go there to get out of your comfort zone, to grind, to prove yourself, to learn etc. unless you’re already rich you’re going to struggle in one way or another for a while. Only your kids born there will…

> Also you don’t go to another country for a “better living standards”.

Why not?

Re: 36yo: Career at home vs. Simple life abroad?

#20

Post by aristofun »

yodsanklai wrote: post #19
aristofun wrote: post #14

It’s wiser to invest in independence of any external circumstances. To get some valuable skill, for example. To be flexible enough to relocate. Also you don’t go to another country for a “better living standards”. You go there to get out of your comfort zone, to grind, to prove yourself, to learn etc. unless you’re already rich you’re going to struggle in one way or another for a while. Only your kids born there will…

> Also you don’t go to another country for a “better living standards”. Why not?

Because as a foreigner you start from scratch, no social network, no connections, no understanding of culture, mentality etc. You know, basic stuff, obviously.
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