We should all thrive, not just survive.
I mean, that was my whole reasoning for applying to work in far off locations & different countries/continents (aimed for tropical & beach) because I knew I was going to work like a dog my entire career so I may a fucking well live in a beautiful place. 35+ years later I think I did well enough to accomplish that.
I’m looking into doing that currently. I built a reasonable savings for myself enough I could go back to college in another country. Thinking of brushing up on learning and then to work in a new place
My son is currently in the same boat, he’s gone to check out (talk to counselors , look for housing, and jobs) and will be transferring his school in the spring for his final year, and has a job lined up at the beginning of the year (with housing) until classes start. He’s back home until then helping out in our place.
On another note, the anxiety and stress about the existential dread of working until you die is going to be there and my only advice is my experience in breaking up my short term goals- I only have to survive X years here doing this and then go to college, then another X years there , then X year in each position until I reached a “sustainable” place/salary with a partner and kids at this point to be witnesses to my (many failures) shenanigans.
I say X years because sometimes it was years, sometimes months. For example I signed up for 4 years in the Air Force, but that was broken down into 2 months basic, 2 months training school, 2 years overseas base, 1.5 years US base with a 8 month temporary duty overseas again…each part was shitty, but less shitty than the time before and in some interesting places.
I guess what I’m trying to TLDR is that if you break up your early life I to smaller achievable goals it will help you get to where you can have a life.
Now housing and pay is another story that, man…good fucking luck and know you have most (some?) of us Gen Xrs cheering you on.
