What do you do with yourself when life sucks and you are nothing but unhappy? You make a move and start over again.
In other words, you give it another try.
Sometimes it is easier to start from scratch rather than trying to fix the broken pieces around you. Trust me.
Here is how it all happen to me. The move.
End of September 2010: graduation in Economics at FEP – Faculty of Economics of Porto (Porto, Portugal). Feeling: GREAT!
Beginning of November 2010: my first full-time job as Junior Accountant – Accounts Payable.
Pros&Cons:
- English was the official working language. (+)
- Tedious tasks. (-)
- Poor working environment. (-)
- Poorly paid. (-)
- No brain, no pain. (-)
End of January 2011: Junior Controller – Support for Business Analysis
Pros&Cons:
- Younger and better environment. (+)
- The coolest receptionist I have EVER met. (+)
- Having a proper desk and really nice office instead of an open space. (+)
- Way too many formalities. (-)
- Tedious work once again. (-)
- To be expected to stay at work longer than necessary without getting a penny. (-)
- Poorly paid. (-)
- The boss. (-)
I got fed up with my life situation really quickly. No time to do what I love to do. Loneliness. Not happy with my job, lifestyle, feeling my positive energy draining every second.
I wanted something else for me but I could not explain what exactly. Adventure? New people? New city (far away from home)? New language? Independence? New future perspectives? Yes! All that combined and perhaps more.
Thinking about it all made my heart speed up. I could feel the blood under my skin burning, asking my body to keep the flame. I wanted to break FREEEEEE! A new life, a new chance to start all over again. So why not giving it a shot?
May 2011: the decision was taken. I was going to quit my job, pack my bags and book the trip to Oslo.
June 2011: I resigned. My friends called me crazy. My family did not understand what was going on with me. And I did not care about what everyone else thought of me. I felt the need to go, so I went. Was it easy? No, not at all. But ultimately I’m the one who has to live with myself, not others.
July 2011: I tried to get as much quality time as possible with my closest friends.
1st of August: My best friends came to Porto’s airport in order to give me a big hug and say ‘See you soon‘. Really appreciated.
2nd August 2011: Arrival in Oslo. An amazing sunny day. Beautiful! I remember breading deep for a while, with my eyes closed, sitting on the ground while waiting for the bus to the city centre, and hear my inner voice:
You have just taken one of the bravest decisions of your life. Be proud of it. Take some rest today. You’ll need strength to face the challenges that tomorrow is about to bring. The countdown has started. You have about 90 days to get a job, a place to live, etc. Focus on what you have to do and do it the best you can. Good luck!
‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’ by Laozi.
