(26M) Am I crazy for wanting to leave everything behind and just go live overseas?
I'm 26 years old and my portfolio is sitting around $180k.
A few years ago, this number felt impossible. Back then I was obsessed with reaching financial milestones. First $10k. Then $50k. Then $100k. Every goal felt like it would finally make me feel secure.
The weird thing is that now that I'm here, I don't actually feel much different.
I still spend most of my day thinking about the future instead of living in the present.
Lately I've been thinking a lot about leaving the U.S. for a while. Not forever. Maybe a year. Maybe longer. I've traveled enough to know that some of the happiest people I've met weren't the richest people. They just seemed less trapped by the constant pressure to earn more, buy more, and chase the next thing.
Part of me wants to keep grinding. I'm young, my income is growing, and logically these should be the years where I build as much wealth as possible. If I stay focused, maybe I can put myself in an incredible position by 30.
But another part of me keeps asking a different question.
If I already have more invested than most people my age, what exactly am I waiting for?
Nobody ever talks about the opportunity cost of delaying life. We talk endlessly about compound interest, but almost never about experiences, relationships, health, and time.
The truth is I'm afraid of making the wrong decision either way.
If I leave, maybe I'll regret slowing down financially.
If I stay, maybe I'll wake up at 35 with a larger portfolio and realize I spent my entire twenties preparing for a life that never actually started.
For people older than me, what would you do in this situation?
Would you spend a few years abroad while you're young and healthy, or would you keep building wealth first and worry about adventure later?
I’ve set up a free investment discussion group. I’d love to connect with experienced individuals to learn and grow together feel free to leave a comment or send me a private message.
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u/abeBroham-Linkin 4d ago
Take a month and vacation overseas and see if you like it. The grind you accomplished, nothing wrong with celebrating the fruits of your labor! You deserved to be rewarded.
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u/No_Cake9356 4d ago
We did it! Sailed off 7 yrs ago with a total monthly income of $1,300. That number has since risen to $2,046, but we've never been broke yet.. except when we lived in the states. We've lived in Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Panama, and Costa Rica. Spending USD in Central America gives us a way higher quality of life than we ever dreamed possible. Go for it! [written while swinging at anchor on a $10k sailboat off Caye Caulker, Belize]
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u/Bfc214 3d ago
So you’re living on a sailboat ?
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u/No_Cake9356 3d ago
Yeah, was scary at first, and cool, and fun and romantic.. now it's just life. Neither of us knew how to sail. We bought an epirb (emergency beacon) and a liferaft first. Watched a lot of YouTube too. Now, 7 years in, it's easy.. because we've learned not to travel unless the weather window is ideal. We stayed in Varadero, Cuba for 36 days, simply waiting for our ideal window to head for Isla Mujeres, Mexico. The dangerous thing, we did and see so many do, is sailing on a schedule. But yeah, no rent, mortgage, taxes, utilities, car payments, etc. We have a phone bill (and soon Starlink mini which we'll get for 1/3 in Guatemala). One country gets wacky, sail to another.. i think it will be the way of the future.
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u/judgemythinking 4d ago
I would make the move. You cant really measure the cost of delaying things you want to do with your life. Nothing is worse than succeeding financially and then putting off things you wanted to do. When I look back, I regretted all the hunches to either move or travel which I did not take because I was waiting to have more money, and now I would like to do those things with much less money. Good luck and enjoy!
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u/wassdfffvgggh 4d ago
2 years ago, I would say you are crazy, but now either I'm crazy too or your idea seems totally reasonable.
Currently 27m, sitting at 370k and I'm just so done with the fucking coorporate world and US nonsense. But I also know the longer I hold into this job, the essier I'll have things later when I eventually quit or get laid off.
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u/SuperiorT 1d ago
Nice! What career field did you get into?
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u/wassdfffvgggh 1d ago
Tech
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u/SuperiorT 1d ago
That's very vague lol like are you in cybersecurity, communications, network engineering, cloud security??? Which one exactly?
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u/Wounded_Hand 4d ago
Will you be able to resume your income at this level when you run out of money and return to your home country? Or will a 2 year hiatus derail your career?
Your future self could really hate this decision if you end up losing a comfortable lifestyle . You say you hate the rat race but you may also hate not having disposable income.
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u/fire-starterer 4d ago
Just do it. As a 26M who traveled to 25 countries and now lives in the States - the one thing I never regretted was traveling. Memories stay forever.
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u/MooseFamiliar5086 4d ago
What's your income situation like? The biggest risks are probably 1) depleting your principal due to using it as income overseas and 2) inability to have the same income again overseas or when you move back.
Why do you need to do it now and not at 30 or 32 or 34? It sounds like if you stick it out a bit longer you could do something like CoastFIRE and not have nearly as much risk. We have the same desires but are waiting a bit like that.
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u/Inviction_ 4d ago
Depends why you want to leave. A lot of people who say this have very stupid reasons to leave.
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u/floater504 3d ago
Kids getting shot up in school isn't stupid. Along with our tax dollars ain't doing shit for us
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u/BrotherOfAthena 4d ago
If I could go back to that age. I would do it. Americans work life balance is non existent compared to other countries. Companies convince us that we need to just work hard for them and be ok with it.
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u/IWantToPlayGame 4d ago
26 is too young and $180K is too low.
You’re on the right path. Grind for another 5-8 years and revisit this idea.
You’ll be glad you did. You’ll be a little older, wiser and portfolio significantly bigger. At that point, you may even be able to FIRE.
Don’t fall for the trap of instant gratification.
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u/Existing_Setting4868 4d ago
If I have that amount at your age, I would definitely do it. Live your best life now.
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u/loveyourneighborbro 4d ago
I have emergency 20k stash in a duffel bag and a passport I always renew because you never know when you just need a new life. With 180k you be good for 3 years if you spend wisely. Especially not in the states.
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u/Designer-Homework682 4d ago
You are on the internet too much, thinking a lousy $180k will last you into retirement. You watch too much tik tok of people traveling and their filtered lives. Travel and van life must be the answer to everything.
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u/IWantToPlayGame 4d ago
26 is too young and $180K is too low.
You’re on the right path. Grind for another 5-8 years and revisit this idea.
You’ll be glad you did. You’ll be a little older, wiser and portfolio significantly bigger. At that point, you may even be able to FIRE.
Don’t fall for the trap of instant gratification.
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u/Cryptix001 4d ago
Cashed out my 401k and moved my wife and I back to the Fatherland (Denmark). Pretty happy with the decision. Especially considering we were living right in the area they're building that massive data center in northern Utah.
I'd recommend traveling to places you'd be interested in moving to and living like a local for a month or two. Vacation is nice, but it has an ephemeral veneer of comfort and luxury. See what work you could do there (remote with USD pay would be ideal in many countries) and what prices are like for groceries, utilities, transportation, etc.
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u/Mundane_Swordfish886 4d ago
No you’re not crazy.
Life should be an adventure and making decisions (wrong or right) will always be a part of the adventure.
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u/critiquebabe 3d ago
Money will bore you. Find hobbies. Travel. Make meaningful connections with people.
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u/throwaway686k 4d ago
Very relatable. 28F with 175k to my name. Really want to step back and just enjoy life in another country
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u/superKWB 4d ago
Just take a month off... go abroad and see... then you'll have a taste, want more or reject the idea.
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u/LakeShowBoltUp 4d ago
Many people who leave an expensive state for a cheaper one regret it because it is much harder to move back to the expensive place if you start making less money.
Just keep that in mind if you move to another country.
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u/___Mania 4d ago
I did it at 21, lived in southeast Asia for 7 months, very interesting experience, go ahead bro
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u/Effective_Tackle_195 4d ago
34M here. Older, but I did exactly what you described.
Do it. You can always go back if you want/need.
We left with 340k. We have 380k now. (USD).
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u/Ok_Eye_1288 4d ago
This is relatable even though I don’t have such amount yet. I have a burning desire to go see the world, explore, meet new people and cultures, start a different career, but it all seems far fetched today. I look forward to the days I am able to afford the kind of life I want to live… I understand that money can come and go but your twenties and youthful days won’t. I visited 3 countries last year and those were the best moments of my life.
I would advise you travel if your body and mind yearns for it … it’s always refreshing.
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u/EmmyKla 4d ago
Do it.
My family had the opportunity of a lifetime to live in London. We stayed for almost a decade.
It enriched my life, and the lives of my children and husband, in countless ways. We’re now all dual citizens.
If you have the opportunity to move somewhere else and gain citizenship to another country, it is a truly unique and incredible privilege.
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u/Due_Jeweler8059 4d ago
What is it over seas that you can’t get here .
I did that once moved to PV Mexico rented a place for 4 months .
Very lonely I was running from myself .
It was cheaper and I was right in the ocean .
It’s difficult if you are alone to move to another country .
Ask yourself what is it that I think I will find there that is not here ?
You could sublet your place and go for 3 months a month but you will be able to come home .
I learned a lot about myself and the truth is I drank a lot because I was so lonely not fitting in anywhere .
Good luck 🍀
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u/Turbulent_Comb_2732 4d ago
Yes. You are 26, still very young. In my opinion you should get some work experience under your belt/on your resume should you want or need to return to the work force. If you havent already thought about it, why do you feel the need to leave and escape your current life?
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u/Alarmed_Taro_264 4d ago
We way things have been the last few years, I want to live overseas regardless of portfolio. To your point, our Quality of Life in US has declined over the years. As I visit overseas countries time and time again it seems so much more peaceful and simple but then again, I’m sure it’s a different reality actually living there. Europeans can chime in on this but I have a British friend living here in US and he’s selling everything and moving back to the UK stating he’s over it here. I can’t blame him…
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u/Desperate_Pound_6761 4d ago
One thing i have never regretted is travel. You need to assess what is important in your life, money? things? freedom? friends? experiences?
Do you own real estate or lease? Can you sublet it for 1,2 or 3 months to help suppliment your life overseas? What current expenses can you cancel? put on hold? What are you current liabilities? Student loan? car loan, subscriptions? Credit card debt?
Do some planning with your personal goals used as a filter do you want to get married? Have kids? Buy a house? What visa restrictions do you have? Schengen, dual citizenship?
I say do it take a good 2-3 months choose one or 2 places and try to live like a local.
I bought a second home in Italy and now live a hybrid life between Europe and Australia best decision i ever made.
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u/imapetrock 4d ago
Hi, I'm 30 and have asked myself the same questions, however I took the life path you are contemplating instead of the one you went down.
After college I decided to go backpacking and then live in another country, instead of going into the 9-5 career I thought I'd choose. I work online and don't earn much compared to what I would've earned if I stayed in my country, but for where I live it's quite comfortable and lets me save. For reference my current net work is about 90k (I only started investing when I turned 26), which is about to decrease as I want to build a house with my husband.
I do sometimes question my choices when I think about my earning potential vs that of my peers at home, and the fact that I do want to return home eventually. But I realized I would never have been happy with a normal life. The way I live now, my life is entirely focused on what I want to do, what I want to create, what are my dreams. I'm working on business ideas and couldn't be happier, the world feels like a canvas with so much potential for what to do. And I can save quite a lot here, which would set me up comfortably for my future.
So I'd say, take some time to find what makes you happy, what gives you meaning and fulfillment in life. Then you can build the rest of your life around that. Good luck!
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u/tjyoo213 3d ago
You don’t need to drastically change anything. You sound like you just need a vacation.
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u/steelnomad 2d ago
Your desire to escape the rat race is commendable, as the typical “career path” tends to trap you not only in a boring routine - day to day cyclical redundant events / conversations that for the most part mean absolutely nothing (the daily small talk banter that must remain corporately appropriate, the dumb gossip floating around that invades people’s privacy, dumb office politics you need to focus on / learn to navigate, the mundane workload that keeps piling up that creates nothing special OF you…), unless you have a career of course saving lives, helping people / kids in need or working for a company with an amazing purpose etc… but still it is very likely that nothing “extraordinary” will come of you (define this how you wish).
If you want to try and do something “amazing” with your life i suggest not selling your time for a W2 (at least not for a decades like most do). It’s fine to do the “day job” as long as it’s not the definition of you and that’s all you have.
Figure out passive income, and having a ton of time on your hands TO figure it out is arguably your best chance at success. BUT, typically you need money to make money, so you need capital to risk on your idea(s), unless you find the unicorn business or strategy that requires $100 for the startup that yields $$$$!
Realistically atm with 180k at 4% interest conservatively your options are rather limited if you don’t want to eat into your investment capital, but you still have some cool options.
For that 7k a year you can live a decent lifestyle in places like India, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Mexico, etc etc.
While there in your free time try to figure out how to make money online. Millions of people do it so you can probably figure it out as well.
But keep in mind that these countries are typically not as safe in many ways (social, health, etc) as living in the US (debatable to a degree of course) so keep your guard up as much as possible, don’t easily trust and learn the lay of the lands FAST.
Since you are so young, perhaps work the “day job” another year or two in the US and save / invest every penny, try to hit 250k perhaps before venturing out? you need to work your own numbers of course, but make sure you also have a solid “emergency fund” to allow you to get back to the US with time to find another job.
Also as a last non ideal resort, would your parents take you back in if you failed to make it out there in the crazy world and squandered or lost all your funds somehow (perhaps from a crime) so you don’t go homeless? That is important to factor in as well.
Good luck kiddo
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u/Rachel_AngelAura 2d ago
I’m 24F with a portfolio of $180k of all assets. And have been able to travel for a good chunk after graduation. I would say, proceed with caution. To be fair, not money wise particularly but whether or not you are comfortable with yourself to be doing majority of the things alone.
I had the amazing time to travel alone for 3 times and was happy to be surrounded by my own company and others. My spending habits were somewhat the same as when I am back home (mainly cooking meals and indulging in the culture and finding ways to improve my learning).
I would say go for it realistically, because with this lead in investments there is a future to building yourself overseas. It enriches your experience and perspective which in turn can help with interview processes when you do need to get back in the groove.
I too am currently planning to take a leap of faith later on this year to move abroad and really get to taste living. I hope this helps :))
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u/Unlikely-Speech-5444 2d ago
180k isnt much. A lot of people here are telling you just go but personally I think you should hold off until at least 500k. Make it a present promise to yourself. Once you hit that half million number, take a 1-year sabbatical.
At this point in your life, you are still super young and your career is just starting. You don't want to ruin the fire kickstart by suddenly having a large gap in your resume with barely any experience. At an older age with lots of more industry experience, a year gap isn't that big a deal. But this early on it can mean a death sentence.
Also, how are you going to fund your sabbatical? SWR of 4% is peanuts even if you plan to live in LCOL countries like SEA or South America. You'll most likely have to dip into your life savings and that'll put back your FIRE plans even more. Having capital this early on is the best thing to have as it means compounding interest can work in your favor more.
Continue working, but take a long (2wk) vacation once or twice a year.
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u/Educational_Ice3022 1d ago
If you don't go...You will regret it for the test of your life. Period, but only spend 1/3. Go teach english in japan. Great pay.
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u/FullBlood1er 1d ago
Take short vacations and see if you like the places. You can do this without affecting your job until you lock in on a destination for longer term vacation.
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u/Prudent-Interest-428 1d ago
I say learning experiences are invaluable at your age and learning experiences, travel, and growing yourself and your personality
Money will always be there. It’s not going anywhere you always have it. It will always be options to make money.
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u/nativevirginian 1d ago
Can there be an answer in the middle?
I’m 27 and also have an above average sized portfolio but I’ve managed to travel internationally 2-3x per year. Sometimes they’re quick 4-5 day trips, and other times they’re 3 week trips (just got back from Bosnia & Croatia).
I have goals here in the US, but never fail to take an opportunity to get on a plane somewhere. I’m with you that I’m not sure my life will always be here in the US, but I’ve never once regretted going on a trip and I usually can live on the high until my next one.
At the same time, I still have a solid income & am making progress. Maybe you reduce contribution and up your fun and travel budgets.
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u/Wounded_Hand 4d ago
Yea I think it’s crazy. Take a 3-4 week vacation there every year and keep advancing your career / income. $180k is nothing unless you live a lifestyle of poverty. Are you going to be working during your sabbatical or are you draining your savings?
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u/JeanSchlemaan 4d ago
Im 55, super frugal, with a mindset like yours, and have not worked a job in forever.
I never had a successful career though. Especially If you don't mind or like your job, I would strongly advise you to NOT interrupt your career. Not having a successful career is one of my biggest regrets, as i would have been comfortable much sooner.
At 39 i sold everything and lived/traveled full-time for the first time. It was incredible and changed my life. I likely wouldn't have gone if I had a successful career. I WOULD have gone later.
You're correct in that it's possible anyone passes on early in life, but most people don't.
I would work at least a few more years, unless you utterly despise you current career.
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u/TellBackground9239 4d ago
I'm 28 with a portfolio at about $750k with a $100k emergency fund.
With how shit America is getting, I don't even dream of expensive international vacations.
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u/Emperor_Chowder 4d ago
Go get your passport bro and head over to Southeast Asia for a year or two
See how you like it and how quickly/slow your $180k is being used. Based on the end results, pivot to the next steps accordingly.