Well, the title of this post says it all, doesn’t it?
Last week I quit my day job and booked a one-way plane ticket to Germany.
Okay, you’re probably really confused. Let me start from the beginning:
About 10 days ago, my boyfriend Nic asked me if I would consider moving to Europe with him. He has a 7 month break before he finishes up the last semester of his masters, and has some strong job leads in Germany. In typical Krystal fashion, I just laughed at him and told him that I couldn’t go. I have a job, responsibilities, and I need to keep saving money. We discussed it off and on for a few hours, then dropped it. He wasn’t going to go without me, and I was content on staying in Vancouver.
The next morning, while I was at my day job, I kept replaying our conversation over and over again. I couldn’t concentrate on anything but what we had talked about. What was really stopping me from going? My day job? My mortgage? I realized I was about to turn down a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to move to Europe. Who does that!? That’s not the type of person I am. I seize opportunities all the time in my professional life – why should it be any different in my personal life? So I took a deep breath and told him that we should go. He was thrilled, and I was nervous but really excited for such a huge adventure. I’ve never traveled outside of North America before!
Over the next few days, we nearly went crazy with planning as we talked about what we would do when we got there, submitted the paperwork for our Visas, bought travel insurance, and booked flights to Paris. Our plan is to spend two nights in Paris before moving onto Germany. It’s up in the air as to where we will end up living because it depends on Nic’s job situation. But it looks like we’ll be based out of Stuttgart.
My day job
It’s tough to leave a job that I love. I have never worked at a place like this before – where the work is interesting, and my boss and co-workers are amazing. I wasn’t sure how they would react to me leaving, but they’ve all been nothing but supportive. Which makes leaving even harder, but I know it’s what I want.
Even though some might think I’m silly for quitting a well-paying, stable job so I can go hang out in Europe and write in coffee shops all day long, I really think that eventually, I would have quit anyway. It was getting to that breaking point – where I’d have to choose between my day job, or cutting back on my freelancing. The last couple of months have been really hard, and I was starting to lose focus. But I didn’t think it would be this soon, and I wasn’t planning on leaving for quite a while.
Freelancing
Now that I will be living in Germany for the next 7 months, my goal is to give full-time freelancing a try. I’m really nervous because I don’t know how I’m going to do now that I have to rely only on my hustle to pay the bills. It will be an interesting and much needed experiment.
Right now, I make about $30,000 through ongoing writing contracts. This doesn’t include any blog income, one-off writing assignments, or miscellaneous freelance projects. Over the last 3 months, I’ve averaged a gross monthly freelance income of $4,344. Which puts me at around a $52,000 annual salary – and that’s just with part-time effort (25 hours/week). Not enough time to really reflect how much I will make over a longer period, but it gives me some idea of what I can expect if I continue to work hard. My hope is that by dedicating more time to maintaining my blog and seeking out new opportunities, I will be able to grow that income out even more.
And the great part about this whole plan is that if I don’t end up being able to bring in a decent income, I can just get another job once we move back to Vancouver at the end of August. In fact, I already have a really good freelancing offer lined up for when I return. I don’t want to get my hopes up about this potential job, since you never know what might happen over the course of half a year, but if it does actually work out the way I want it to, I think it could be one of the best opportunities of my life. It combines everything that I’m looking for, in an industry I love, and working for a person I truly believe in. That’s a rare find these days.
Money
I don’t know where to begin. My cash flow will depend entirely on how successful I am as a freelancer. I will still be paying my mortgage while we are gone (I have rental restrictions so I can’t rent it out – not that I’d want to for such a short time frame anyway, and with me being out of the country), and Nic will be paying most of the rent for whatever place we find in Germany. I will help out with whatever I can, and contribute to the bills and groceries, etc.
Because I’m a little uncertain of my financial position, I’ll be suspending automated contributions to my RRSP/TFSA. Instead, I’ll make manual deposits since I might not be able to contribute the $300-400 bi-weekly that I’m currently saving. I’m also going to drop my mortgage payments down to the minimum $1,098/month for the 7 months we’re gone, and hope to stash away some money to make a lump sum payment in May. Again, it depends on how much money I can bring in. I’m being extremely cautious with my money until I get more comfortable working without steady income. You all know I’m going to try as hard as I can to make this freelancing thing work, but I also need to be smart about this. By quitting my day job, I’m essentially losing 50% of my income. That’s a lot to try to make up.
I have just over $8,000 in my Emergency Fund should I need it. But since I applied for a working Visa, I can always pick up a random job in Germany to help make ends meet if it actually came down to it. And if I really get desperate? Well, I can just come home. Basically what I’m saying is that I’m confident in my financial situation while abroad. I may not be able to save as much or pay as much to my mortgage, but I won’t be going into debt because of this trip, and the chances of me having to touch my Emergency Fund are slim.
Germany
Moving to Germany with Nic still feels like a dream. I’ve never traveled outside of North America before, so I’m thrilled to be going. This is exactly the kind of adventure I was looking for, and I can’t wait for all of the fun things we will be doing when we’re there. We’ve got a couple of friends who have already expressed interest in coming to visit us, and we both know some people scattered throughout Europe. I’m looking forward to weekend trips out of the city, visiting all of the surrounding countries, and just being a part of a different culture and environment. We already have a list going of countries we must visit during our stay. :)
As most of you know, I’m a very practical and cautious person, and I don’t take decisions like this lightly. So it took a lot of courage for me to push past my fears and change the course of my life forever. Because I mean, come on. I just quit my day job. I am now a full-time freelancer. AND I’m moving to Germany. I don’t even know who I am anymore! :) This is exactly what the beginnings of financial independence should feel like – not having debt and money hold me back from once-in-a-lifetime opportunities like this.
Aside from moving to Michigan when I was 17, this is probably my biggest leap of faith. But I believe in myself, and I believe in Nic. The next 7 months are going to be a fantastic opportunity for both of us. Me, to try becoming a full-time freelancer. And him, to get such an amazing opportunity to work in an architecture firm and gain real experience before finishing his masters. I think we’re both excited and nervous and scared out of our minds. But in the very best way possible. And I’m so glad that we’re doing this together.
14 more days of work. 41 more days until we get on that plane. This is actually happening.
146 Responses to “Why I’m quitting my day job and moving to Europe”
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That was the greatest post I read today. I’m so excited for you, and amazed/proud at how well you have managed your money to be able to do this. You’ve inspired me to focus again and do what I need to do to be as free as you are. Congrats!!
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This is so exciting! Congratulations for following your dreams!
I really enjoyed this post. Good for you for taking a risk like this. I’m not too much older than you I believe (early 30s) and I find as I get older it is harder to take risks like this. There can be a lot of pressure to take the secure route, but the fact that you have been building up your freelance work for awhile will put you in a good position when you are gone (as you’ve explained).
In future posts it would be good to have more information on how you make this work. I’m wondering what type of work visa you got. I know that some of the programs are age specific, and designed for younger people.
In addition to checking out health insurance, also try to get someone (or a few people) that can check up on your place every now and then. Maybe a neighbour or trusted friend. Just someone to collect the flyers, turn the lights on every now and then, so that it doesn’t look vacant. 7 months is a long time to be gone.
I will definitely be writing more about the logistics surrounding the trip, as well as the money situation (obviously). I’ve already purchased travel/health insurance, and have a neighbour to watch over my place, collect my mail, and turn my car on every once in a while. :)
Wow! I hope you have the time of your life! Can’t wait to hear all about it!
WELL DONE. Seriously. I can not say enough good things about this plan. You are indeed taking an enormous leap forward in life here, both professional and personally, and of course it is not without risk. But this is exactly the kind of risk you SHOULD be taking at this point in your life – the kind of risk we should ALL be taking at the point you’re currently at. It is not a risk born of recklessness, but of reason and the promise that there will almost certainly be a reward.
THIS is exactly the kind of thing that all of your hard work and persistence was designed to help you take, and I promise you: YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT. It may not turn out they way you expect – and that’s fine – but it will turn out splendidly…I have no doubt.
I’m just so, so, so very excited for you. :)
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Reading your comment makes me less nervous and more excited to go. So, thanks. :)
I recently started reading your blog (and love it by the way) and just wanted to say congrats. That is some amazing news! Visit all the places in Germany that I want to! (I’ll get there someday)
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Good on you for seizing the opportunity! Best of luck on your grand adventure!
Well holy crow. Congratulations Krystal! This is absolutely fantastic, I am so happy for you! I know you were contemplating making the jump to full time freelancer a while ago, and what a way to do it! You’ll absolutely love it in Europe. I spent a year in Europe when I was younger and I can’t wait to go back. Congratulations to both of you! :D
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I wish I was so brave! You’re right though… this is a ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY and it’s so smart of you to latch on to it.
When you come back to Vancouver and if you decide to take job interviews, it will be so easy to explain why you picked up and left your last job: (1) you were keen for a new perspective, (2) you don’t want to let fear prevent you from taking advantage of opportunity, (3) you wanted to develop your brand and entrepreneurship, etc.
Congratulations and good luck! I can’t wait to read your posts about your new adventure. :)
I had to read to read the title twice. Then I looked to see if this was a post by a guest blogger. But it’s you and I’m so happy for you! I can’t wait to read about your experiences in Germany. I was born in Stuttgart, so I hope you post lots of pics!
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Haha yeah I think that’s the reaction from most people – they thought it was a guest post. :) Born in Stuttgart! That’s awesome – when did you move away?
I did the same :)…reading it twice, scroll it up and down page to make sure it wasn’t a guest post :).
Krystal, congrats!!! You are so brave, you are unbelievable!!! I had the opportunity to live in England for 8 months when I was younger and it was amazing! You will love it!
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Congrats! I’m so excited for you and totally jealous as well!
This sounds super duper exciting! Congrats on your new adventure!
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Perhaps you should set up a new domain name: GiveMeBackMyFiveEuros.com
Congratulations – that sounds like quite an adventure! If you’re going to be in Stuttgart, maybe you should check out a Porsche factory tour! :)
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All Nic keeps talking about is renting a Porsche to drive on the Autobahn, so I have no doubt we’ll be visiting the Porsche factory more than once while we’re there. :) And he’s already talking about going to some car show in Switzerland!
Wow and congratulations. I started reading your blog about a month ago, and you never cease to amaze me. This is a really good opportunity and living in Germany is a wonderful experience.
The only way to get great experiences in life is to push ourselves out of our comfort zones! Good luck and keep us posted on your adventures.
Just started reading your blog not to long ago as well. Congrats! Takes a lot of guts to do what you are doing, I think it’ll be awesome.
Wow this is amazing. I too had to re read the title several times…. and make sure that it wasn’t a guest post. Congrats and all the best!
Long time reader here. I too, thought it was a guest post. This is an opportunity you wouldn’t likely have as a parent so do it while you are young and have the time of your life. He sounds like an amazing guy!
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Agreed. If I didn’t take this opportunity now, I’m not sure I ever would. Sometimes I can really get set in my ways. I like routine, but that often comes at the cost of missing out on opportunities. Not this time though. And yeah, he is an amazing guy! ;)
I heard germany is fairly expensive. There is a high rate of unionization which drives up costs. They are even losing business and factories (ironically lost a BMW factory to Alabama USA which has no unions and much cheaper labour) But hopefully you will find a high paying job
Well neither of us will be at high paying jobs. He’ll be paid as an intern, and I’ll be a freelance writer. Money will probably be a bit tight, but we’re both pretty frugal people. I know we’ll make it work.
Wow, this sounds like an amazing opportunity!!!
Congrats!
I think this was an awesome decision.
Kudos to you for the courage to try something bold, new and very, very exciting :)
All my best to you and Nic,
Mark
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Congratulations.
After you’ve been self-employed for 7 months, you’re going to learn something very interesting – you don’t need a 9-5 job and an employer to earn a living. There’ll be no going back after that!
The decision to do it is the hardest part. Actually doing it is substantially easier.
Thanks Glenn, I hope you’re right! :)
I picked up and moved to Barbados a year and a half ago(and I’m still loving the adventure), and I can confidently say you will not regret this move. You only live once, live it up!
That is so exciting! I just came back from spending 8 months in Germany, it was very exciting.
Have a blast and I look forward to reading about your adventures.
This is so awesome! You’d never have been able to do this while in debt, the freedom must be amazing!
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Wow Krystal! Congratulations! As someone who recently spent a year in Europe (France, to be specific) working after graduating from university I know that you’ll have a fantastic time. Opportunities like this don’t come around that often, and being in a financial position to take advantage of them kind of makes the hard work and the frugality worth it (In my opinion). Not to mention that you’ll have plenty of blog fodder. I look forward to seeing articles on exchange rates and the dreaded culture shock/Reverse culture shock. I acquired a few unorthodox money saving methods while I was over there, let me know if you’d like to hear about them.
I am so happy and excited for you!!! :)
What an amazing opportunity – both personally and professionally. This is the kind of financial freedom that I hope to have one day. Thank you for being such an inspiration.
I also thought this was a guest post!!!
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This is fantastic news! I went on exchange to France and it was the an amazing experience! You’ll absolutely love living in Europe, the trains go everyyyywhere and you can get ridiculously cheap flights, so travel isn’t even that expensive. Have some macarons from Ladurée and a tarte aux framboises in Paris for me! I went up often when I lived in france : )
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Honestly, congrats and have fun! This must be amazing for you. I remember you were really upset a few years ago about not being able to travel or do what you wanted to do due to your debt etc., and look at you now. Sticking to your goals allowed you to do this.
I lived in Stuttgart for 3 months for work and travelled A LOT in Europe and around the country so if you need advise etc, let me know. Really.
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Ohh you lived in Stuttgart? I am definitely going to be e-mailing you! Probably a lot. :P You’ll wish you hadn’t offered, haha.
Hoping to get lots of pictures from your extended honeymoon. A picture is worth a thousand words so if you can’t write, a picture would be as good. Good luck and I’m sure wedding bells are ringing!
Ah, this is so exciting! Congrats, Krystal!
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Omg congrats Krystal! That is SO exciting. So happy for you, and I know you’ll have a blast! Word of warning though: Europe is expensive. Be prepared to dip into your emergency fund, but remember that many of the experiences you have will be once-in-a-lifetime. It’s worth 5 Euros for a macaron from Laduree in Paris.., :)
The trip is still over a month away, and I am already freaking out a little bit about how expensive it is. Just researching rental rates in Germany makes me want to die a little inside.
Exciting! My husband and I moved to Germany right after our wedding, and we have found it is not really much more expensive than the States (I can’t say much about Canada, though). If you have some time, I would recommend taking a TESOL course (you can do them online sometimes). Even if you aren’t thrilled with the idea of being an English teacher, it’s a really nice back-up plan.
How cool! I did something similar with London, was meant to stay a year and have now been here for seven! And seriously, get to Berlin. Having travelled all over Europe, it is my favourtie European city these days. I would move there in a flash. Enjoy yourself!
This is so exciting!! Congratulations on the big career change!
I like that there is an enddate (7 months) and it’ll be almost like going for 6 months to travel! You’re going to see so much of Europe. All the flights are so cheap in Europe.
Maybe you could write about some travel blog posts too!
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Wow I’m so excited for you, I even told my husband, who has no idea who you are or that I read your blog!!! LOL Best to you.
I too had to check if it was a guest post!! This is such exciting news! I remember when you decided not to take that rtw trip I was a little disappointed cause I couldn’t wait to read about your adventures.
Last year I decided to do something similar, rented out my house and took off for Spain and I don’t regret it for a second.
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This is so incredibly exciting! Congratulations on your upcoming adventure. I hope you love every minute.
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Congratulations! I’m so excited for you. I also had my qualms moving to the US though I knew that I’d like it here. The move itself shook me off a bit because it was going to destabilize our family for awhile. Being able to move countries is such an exciting experience and I’m sure you won’t ever regret this decision. All the best to you and Nic!
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This is my first post on your blog (I’ve been reading for a while though!) and I just have to say CONGRATULATIONS!
I have complete trust that you’ll make it work. The lost opportunity cost of working a job here is hardly sad when you have this amazing opportunity. Go forth and make memories. I hope you have a blast :)
I’m pretty sure this blog post was supposed to be sarcastic. I mean, seriously, why would someone with a mortgage leave a full time job in a down economy to go to Germany for 7 months because their relatively short term boyfriend (yes – not husband, common law partner, or even long term boyfriend) has “strong job leads”? Can’t fool me.
@Why???:
Because she can…
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:)
can and should are not synonymous
Are you saying that nobody should ever do anything bold with their lives? Or take any sort of chance when there’s a chance of failing?
Sure, I have a mortgage, but so what? I have savings in the bank, and good freelancing income coming in. And yeah, I’ve only been going out with my boyfriend for a short time, but who cares? It’s not like we’re getting married or having a child. We’re just going on a trip together. :)
As you must already know, an open blog will sometimes attract dissenting viewpoints so I apologize if you were only looking for comments to sing your praises. To be fair, I don’t completely disagree with you though. When I was younger and more immature, I had similar dreams too.
It’s unfortunate that you didn’t follow those dreams. Who knows what wonderful things you missed out on!
It’s interesting to see how millennials view life these days. They’re not looking to be tied down, what they value in a career and life is completely different from prior generations. I’m in my early 30s and sometimes question if my Corporate job is what I really want to be doing. But in the end, call me old fashioned, I feel it’s the easiest way for me to afford the lifestyle I want. But for others like Krystal, it’s an experience – one that may prove valuable later in life, but one won’t know unless it hapens.
Since I read your post yesterday, I’ve been thinking about how awesome you are for taking advantage of a wicked opportunity! Hadn’t gotten around to posting a comment but after seeing the one above, figured I should!
Obviously you’ve covered all your bases – you’re still paying down your mortgage, you’re still working but instead taking a chance on freelancing- something you may have ended up doing anyway. As for your boyfriend, heck who cares if you met him yesterday or 10 years ago. You’ve worked your butt off to become financially secure and have totally earned the right to go on this adventure! Congratulations! I look forward to hearing about it :)
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How exciting!! My sister quit her job and moved to Germany this year because of her husband’s job, and it took some getting used to but she is having a blast. She highly recommends Rosetta Stone and learned German quickly. She had trouble not having a routine or job or obligations at first, but she actually found some English graduate programs over there and is now enrolled in one getting a Masters degree at a German university. Tuition is SO cheap there. Just an option. I am so happy for you and wish you the best!!!
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This is something I would never do, I simply don’t have the courage. I envy you Krystal for taking this risk and taking a chance on a new opportunity. I am sure you will make this work, and like you said – if it doesn’t, you’ll just come home early.
Best of luck and remember “a life without risk is a life not lived”.
This is so cool! I’m actually in the same situation you are in! After 3 months of yes and no’s, I finally agreed to move with my bf to Italy!
But even to this day, I still wonder if I am doing the right thing. Are you in the same boat?
I’m in the process of gathering documents for my visa, I’m going on a student visa. It’s so nervewrecking!!
Good for you Krystal!!! I’ve been following you for a while now…first on Moneyville then on GMBMFB and I think you are simply fantastic. Follow your dreams and btw, do you think we’ll ever get to see a photo of you and your awesome bf together? Ha ha, thanks!
Hahahaha yes I will be sure to post photos of Nic and I while we are away. In fact, I created a Tumblr page for my travel photos, which I’ll share before we leave.
Enjoy Krystal!
I lived over in France/Belgium for 2 years, and you will definitely enjoy yourself.
As far as traveling to other countries, there are definitely awesome train deals and budget airlines. Personally, I love Ryanair – but there are others. My wife and I have done Paris to Rome for 15 Euro Total, Rome to Dublin for 2 euro total, and dublin to Paris for 30 euro total.
Money may be tight, especially at first, but don’t let that keep you from enjoying what will be an experience of a lifetime – especially since you can do it for so cheap if you just put a little effort into it.
Again, enjoy! :)
Wow…I love this news! In 2007, my then-boyfriend-now-husband and I took a leap of faith and moved to Bermuda. Like you, it was a crazy quick decision and we were scared out of our minds, but beyond excited. Four years later, we’re still here and it has, hands down, been the best experience of my life.
I just (like, two months ago) made another crazy, quick, life-changing decision and am off to London, England in two weeks to start law school. In my experience, the best decisions are the ones you make with your heart, even when your head may be providing you with plenty of reasons to be nervous or scared.
Congratulations on taking a leap of faith. You will never regret doing this. You would absolutely regret NOT doing this.
P.S. Your hometown is my hometown too. I miss it every day. :-)
Weird, this is basically what I have done in the last month. My husband and I both quit our stable, well paying jobs in Canada and have moved to Australia to work. It was an opportunity too good to pass up. I have switched over from blogging about sewing to personal finance at asiaandbam.blogspot.com. I could not believe how expensive relocating is!!!!!!!!
[...] Quitting my full-time job to take on a freelancing career is probably the scariest, riskiest thing I’ve ever done in my life. Sure, I could end up killing it and becoming a freelancing rockstar. But, I could just as easily fail. The point is, I don’t care. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to succeed. So that in the end, if I do end up failing, I’m still really winning. [...]
Krystal I am a personal friend of Squakfox and I can’t be happier for you. Life is meant to be lived to its fullest, taking every opportunity that comes your way while being financially responsible too. I just posted on my facebook profile how I paid off my mortgage. I mentioned how I probably could have done it even more quickly than I did (less than 13 years) but I enjoy living my life to its fullest. I have lived overseas twice once in London, England for five months, and once in Melbourne Australia for 12 months. I am who I am because of the incredible (and not so incredible) experiences I had overseas. Go with open eyes and the desire to learn from everything around you. You will not regret it! Karen
[...] has quit her job and is moving to Europe!! I really admire Krystal’s approach to not only cutting down her expenses, buying a house [...]