Moved From NYC to Portugal, Give up Job, Took a 12 months Off; Finest Choice

Once I moved solo from New York Metropolis to Lisbon in 2022, quitting my distant job wasn’t a part of the plan.

Nevertheless, a number of months after settling into my new life, steeped in a tradition recognized for its relaxed tempo, I might not ignore simply how burned out I had been for years.

After HR knowledgeable me they’d be drastically slicing my wage and practically all of my advantages, I discovered myself at a crossroads.

Fortunately, I’ve all the time been frugal. I made it my quiet mission for the remainder of that yr to pad my financial savings account as a lot as attainable.

That winter, I mustered up the braveness to lastly pull the plug and give up. As a lifelong planner, I needed to make peace with not figuring out what would occur subsequent. All I might do was belief that if I absolutely dedicated to the remaining I wanted, readability would come.

It is one of the best resolution that I by no means might have made if I had been nonetheless residing within the US.

I stuffed my days with curiosity as a substitute of urgency

It helped immensely that I used to be now residing in a metropolis extra reasonably priced than New York, and in a rustic the place a visit to the ER is not a monetary threat. (Sarcastically, I skilled my first-ever emergency surgical procedure not lengthy after — reinforcing that I would left the US simply in time.)

I used to be amazed by how full my life felt with out work, and that “full” did not should mechanically imply hectic.

A part of that was as a result of being a naturally curious individual: I discovered new issues, tried new actions, explored new locations, had deep conversations, and indulged in analysis rabbit holes, with out feeling responsible that I “ought to” be doing one thing else as a substitute.

Nevertheless, the extra profound shift arose from tuning into the rhythm of a metropolis that is not dominated by urgency. I took every day extra slowly — in true Portuguese trend — and targeted on what introduced me pleasure, peace, and luxury.

I distinctly bear in mind one random Wednesday once I hopped on the prepare from Lisbon to Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage Website simply 40 minutes away. I used to be enchanted by the attraction of the Portuguese city, the colourful Pena Palace crowning the misty hilltop, and the crisp scent of forest air. I breathed it in and exhaled slowly, awestruck that magical moments like this had develop into my new regular.

I had given myself the uncommon present of merely current, and little by little, I felt my inventive spark coming again.

I initially estimated that I would get better from burnout in three months, however by March, I had barely scratched the floor. I turned extra intentional about chipping away on the conditioning of American hustle tradition, and step by step quieted the voice in my head telling me to be extra productive.

What began as a three-month sabbatical changed into six — and earlier than I knew it, a full yr had passed by.

I am rebuilding my life round my well-being

Transferring to Portugal and taking a yr off basically reshaped my relationship with work.

As an alternative of returning to a 9-to-5 job, which I knew would jeopardize my well-being in the long term, I freelance now. I benefit from the shoppers I work with and dedicate extra inventive vitality to my very own tasks. This helps me prioritize my well being over frantically attempting to optimize each spare minute I’ve.

Just lately, I celebrated my three-year anniversary of residing in Lisbon and can be making use of for Portuguese citizenship as quickly as I am eligible on the five-year mark.

On this new chapter, climbing the company ladder holds no enchantment for me. I am constructing one thing way more significant: a lifetime of deep achievement and internal peace the place my curiosity and creativity take the lead, and I not measure my self-worth by my productive output.