I'm in a quandary - what would you lot do?

[Bielzibubz]

Now ladies and gentlemen, in the coming 6 to 12 months I have a decision to make.

My sister and her partner have just bought and moved into a five bed place in Spain, an hour from Granada and an hour from Malaga. He is a master builder and is snowed under with work renovating and doing up places for all the English, German and French people that have bought places out there.
The problem I have is that they have invited me to move out there, offered me a job working within the building trade with him (something I know jack $hit about) and live virtually rent free with them for as long as I like.

I own my own place here and would be able to take a sizeable bit of dosh with me, so that's not a problem. Or I could rent out.
I have a perfectly good job here, albeit with limited prospects.
The club I love is on the up and I dearly want to be around here in the UK to be a part of it and enjoy all that goes with it.

Now, what to do?????? Sun, sea, relaxing way of life, less pressure, less stress....you get the picture.

or


Miss out on seeing my club week in week out. Miss out on the ups and downs that have kept me a supporter since 1984. Again, you get the picture.

I'm not asking you lot to make my mind up for me, just looking for opinions as to what you would do in such circumstances.

:) Cheers

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

How good is your Spanish?

 

[MrB]

Go, you'll regret it if you don't. We'll be in the prem in a couple of seasons so you can follow our League and European games on TV :)

 

[DTS]

Choice of moving or not I personally cant help with. Depends on a lot of things I think but guess if you dont like it you can always come home.

Where I can help you would be your current home. Personally I would not sell unless you really need the cash. As the South East is one of most expensive areas to live I cant help but think you should keep an asset here for a few reasons.

1) Might want to come home
2) Rental income can be used to provide your lifesytle in Spain + you will get more for your money out there.
3) If house prices keep going up your pad will be worth more in a few years time.

Good Luck with the decision.

DtS

 

[Bielzibubz]

Dave, exactly my own thoughts on that matter. I wouldn't sell. As you say, if all goes Pete Tong I have that back up.

And YB, my Spanish is kack, ordering a large beer is about as far as it stretches at the moment but if my sister can learn it in 12 weeks then I can sure as hell can give it a go ;)

 

[Mad Cyril]

Stay here.

Global warming will turn Spain into a desert wasteland within a few years.

 

[Bielzibubz]

Thank Cyril, I expected nothing more constructive than that from you :p;):D

 

[Einstein]

I'm not asking you lot to make my mind up for me, just looking for opinions as to what you would do in such circumstances.

:) Cheers

Big decision.

It is a year to the day on Thursday that I was offered a job abroad and had to go through the same thought process. I didn't have the positive influence of the weather either!!

The thing that stands out to me though is you have only mentioned footy that is keeping you there?! Maybe just because it on SZ, however IMO footy plays absolutely no part in that ultimate decision. Saying that however, in my early thought process it did too, but it disappeared when I looked at the bigger picture. You can still easily stay in touch with the comings and goings of SUFC and I still regularly see them, in fact 8 games so far this season, which outweighed my target of 5 at the beginning of the year!!!

Not sure of your current commitments in the UK, but I was/am a young, single guy who was just looking for a couple of years of something different. Family is the only thing that would have made a difference to my decision, which is why I wanted to do it while I had the chance.

As a sidepoint however, if you do have any children...? My opinion is that any children in the UK who can speak more than one language are automatically ahead of their peers. Spanish is already the 2nd/3rd biggest language in the world (Depending on whether you count Chinese as one language!!!). In fact I recently read that the Spanish contingent in some US States is starting to outweigh the English population so it could even become a bigger language than English over time....

 

[Bielzibubz]

I have to admit that The Blues would be one of the major influences of keeping me here.
I have no kids or no partner to think about, just myself.
I'm not that young, but again not that old ;)
I am the last of my family still living in the UK (apart from the brother who's become a hermit on the canals of Britain)

Take Southend United out of the equation and in reality there really is nothing to keep me here it's just that over the years supporting The Blues has become an integral part of my life and to give that up would be an almighty wrench.

 

[Prodigal Son]

I have often contemplated moving and think you should give it serious considerstion .Why don't you consult Xavia Shrimper and Overseas Shrimper to see what it is like to be exiled ?

The other thing is that once the fixtures come out every season you could pick a sizeable chunk of fixtures to go to and book flights which are normally very cheap when done well in advance.

I wish you luck if you go.

 

[Bielzibubz]

I intend to speak to Mark and Mike about it and I'm also off out there in March (which I'm trying to worm my way out of because it clashes with the Ipswich fixture) and April to see what it's all about - and to dip the proverbial toe in the Med ;)

 

[DTS]

Why dont you ask work for a sebatical "Six months to travel" period - You dont have to tell them you probably wont be back and you could rent your place for a wile to keep cost down

 

[chaco27saf]

I think an important issue is your employment prospects if/when you return to England. If you think you could get a job just as good as you currently have when you return I'd personally say go for it. Obviously it wouldn't be fun missing out on supporting Southend in the manner you're accustomed, but to me it seems you might regret not taking this opportunity, especially if you could return quickly to a similar lifestyle.

From a personal standpoint, my short experience living abroad was one of the best times of my life, although the key difference of course being that I was actually only able to start going to games while I was abroad!

 

[Napster]

go for it. Football's only a game.

;)

 

[sufcintheprem]

The thing that stands out to me though is you have only mentioned footy that is keeping you there?!

Bingo (but probably without the gratuitous punctuation, what do they teach at SHSB?)

I missed most of our promotion season last season (October to May) and yet you do realise how small a factor football should be once you do it. Even thought we had a fantastic season, I have no regrets about going whatsoever.

Try and write down arguments for and against independent of football and if you're in favour, go for it. Might well be worth seriously examining the business plan if you're going to tue your future to it as well though.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I suspect it'll be less the actual football that you'd miss but more the friends you made from it.

 

[Einstein]

(but probably without the gratuitous punctuation, what do they teach at SHSB?)

Is that aimed at me?! If it was, I didn't go to SHSB Phil :p

 

[Xàbia Shrimper]

Do it. You'll regret it if you don't. I'd watched Southend United more or less week-in, week-out for over 25 years before I emigrated so it was a huge wrench to take that factor out of my everyday life. However I did it and I don't feel any less of a fan because I did so. In any case (much as I hate to say it) football is not the be-all and end-all of life. I've not had any regrets in the 3½ years I've been here in Spain. I feel that my whole life is much better for it.

 

[Napster]

I suspect it'll be less the actual football that you'd miss but more the friends you made from it.

Ive been in Kent for more than a year, and Ive only missed people shouting rubbish behind me, still I can always call Barry up.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Ive been in Kent for more than a year, and Ive only missed people shouting rubbish behind me, still I can always call Barry up.

Yes, and if you moved further away than Kent you might actually get out of earshot of him.