Hi everyone, I’m a french man of 31 years old going through a pretty intense depression after spending much of my 20s on the road. I am now in australia in a beautiful coastal town where life is sweet and people are incredibly nice. Thing is: I have been awfully depressed for the last year. I’ve seen most of my friends settling down, establishing themselves in France or australia long term through intense efforts to obtain their permanent residency getting married etc. I always saw myself living abroad, but never made so much effort to settle down anywhere. I’ve only worked in hospitality in the various countries I visited after obtaining my master’s degree in business (which I feel now is what people do when they don’t know what to do for a living). I consider myself open minded, speak three languages fluently, but I always had trouble with anxiety and self confidence. Now that I feel my travel life to be over, I am wondering what to do next. I feel like moving back home with my parents and look for a job somewhere in Barcelona or Toulouse where my family is. But I’m afraid my resume will make me unemployable anywhere. I’m also scared about my financial situation and my capacity to readapt to Europe after living in countries where life was so much easier. I feel like I just need a bit of shared experiences or encouragement. Anyway, it’s good to let it out.
What about teaching English abroad? I know it’s the thing a lot of expats do, but with a Master’s and a TESOL/TEFL certificate you could easily get a job as a foreign teacher. That’s what I’m doing and I’m finally back in the country I love working for a great school. It feels great to be working towards a career rather than just another job, and I can afford my own apartment for the first time. It’s a bit of a stressful learning curve for me since I don’t have teaching experience but I’m getting the hang of things. It’s what I needed to get out of my own depression and feeling directionless back home.