Turning 30, feeling a bit stuck, and thinking of spending 6–12 months abroad — has anyone done something similar?
Posted by North_Importance55@reddit | expats | View on Reddit | 4 comments
Hey everyone,
I’m turning 30 soon, and lately I’ve been feeling a bit… stagnant. I’m single, no big commitments tying me down, and I’ve been seriously considering spending six months to a year living abroad.
It feels like the right time to do something bold before settling down somewhere — to shake things up, get inspired, and see what life looks like outside my comfort zone.
Right now, I’m looking at a few cities: Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Florence, and Paris. I’m open to other ideas too — mainly I’m looking for somewhere that’s: • safe for a solo traveller • has a good art and design scene • has an active social / cultural life • and where it’s not too hard to meet new people
If anyone has done something similar (maybe a “gap year” for adults, remote working abroad, or just living somewhere new for a while), I’d love to hear how it went — what you learned, where you went, how you met people, and whether it was as life-changing as people say.
Any advice, resources, or stories would mean a lot. 💫
ashbyatx@reddit
Do it…..you can always go back to work. When I was 29, I quit my job and moved to Costa Rica for a year. Lived with a local family, went to a language school and spent my days surfing 🏄. After 12 months I started to get a little itchy and knew it was time to go back. It was the experience of a lifetime and will always remember my time there. BTW…..I fully retired 5 years ago at the age of 47 so taking a gap year will not ruin you financially….i can personally attest to that.
carltanzler@reddit
What's your citizenship? Budget? What's your plan for a residence permit if you want to stay for more than 90 days? None of the places you mention have a digital nomad visa.
HiOnLife3@reddit
I've done a lot of traveling and lived in different countries for a few years at each of those countries.
Now that I am retired, I feel like I am just settling down but still travel.
The whole concept of doing this and that then settling down to not do what you really want is crazy.
Pale-Candidate8860@reddit
What's your citizenship? If EU citizen, then why not? If not, then you could apply for a working holiday visa in multiple countries.