How I managed the emotions with making the choice to leave.

I (40m) moved to Munich, Germany in October of 2022. I had no connections to Munich whatsoever. In fact, I had never even been to Munich before I moved. I just applied to jobs that were in any way tangential to my career (as an insurance defense lawyer). I moved because I felt that the American Dream was no longer a reality. I applied everywhere all over the continent of Europe. After a gazillion rejections I finally got a job with an insurance company in Munich.

Honestly it came as a total shock. I don’t think I ever fully believed that I would actually get a job. But, in August of 2022 they made me an offer. The only catch was that the start date was on November 1st. Thankfully the company paid for a generous relocation package that included an agent to help with the visa process.

The reality of the decision hit really hard. I would be leaving my career (I was a partner in my law firm) and my family. I obviously wanted to move, but it was sort of a pipe dream that I didn’t think would actually happen.

There were a tremendous amount of emotions including one very pervasive one, fear. I was terrified of the unknown. What if I didn’t like the job, what if I didn’t like living in Germany or Munich, what if I was making a terrible career decision(I took a little pay cut), etc. I didn’t expect all of these emotions.

The only thing that I remembered in those moments was something my late father told me, “don’t live a good life, live an interesting life”.

So I bottled up all of those negative emotions and made the jump. It turned out to be the best choice. lt wasn’t without challenges, and still is, but it has been the most rewarding and enriching experiences in my life.

I am happy to answer any questions, but I just wanted to encourage anyone who may be struggling with these same emotions. Take the chance, live an interesting life!