From Wall Street to no Street: A story about having the golden ticket job and leaving it to move abroad and making it work.
It has been a whole year since I left the street. It has been an entire year since I left what some people called the dream job, or what others refer to as the golden ticket to financial freedom. Where the ones at the top of our industry made millions a year.
I left the five-hundred-dollar shoes, thousand-dollar + suits, and the expensive business dinners. To build a life across the world in a country where the ones who said I was stupid for leaving did not even know it existed, let alone where it was on the map.
My name is Joel, and I had a promising career; or what Americans would call promising — working at one of the largest wealth management firms in the world. And I left it all to chase love, new experiences, and to find myself.
As the title says from Wall Street to no Street referencing the villages that I often find myself traveling through the countryside of Bulgaria.
Over the past year, I have been living in 3 Eastern European countries(Bulgaria, Greece, and Serbia) and making it work. Though the salaries are not anywhere close to how I was compensated in the states. I do not regret my decision, and if I had the choice again, I would do it over and over again.
The point of this story is to share my experience and to talk about the importance of finding what makes you happy and finding a way to make it work. Being this is my first post on medium, I chose to not make it so comprehensive, and if my readers find it interesting, I will continue to share more about my experiences abroad because there are many. But for now, we will focus on what I have been doing and why I left.
Bulgaria, a country that years ago, I would not even be able to tell you where it was on the map. A country where people drink a lot of Rakia(the name for Bulgarian brandy), dance traditional dances, and eat lots and lots of tomatoes and cucumbers. I have come to establish a special connection with this ex-communistic state, from the beautiful mountain ranges, to the fantastic drinking water, to the cuisine, and the beautiful beaches on the Black Sea.
During my time here, I have explored different work opportunities leading me to what I am currently doing now, which is not far from my expertise in the states. I am currently helping run a venture capital firm where I am challenged continuously and constantly meeting new people every day, and I could not be happier.
But what is the overall purpose of this story?
It is to show you that no matter where you are in the world and how much money you are making. We should not be afraid to take a risk and leave everything in search of something that makes us happy. When I was in college, I dreamed of having a Wall Street job and being very wealthy. Though I have not completely given up on those dreams, they have changed. I found in my experience that money is not the route of all happiness. That as humans with a limited time on this earth we should search for other things that make us genuinely happy like love, friendship, family, and traveling. I believe it is never too late to decide one day you are going to move abroad and gain incredible experiences.
The same things that made me successful back home are the same things that helped me become successful overseas, even with the language barrier and cultural shock. Confidence. Being confident in yourself and knowing that no matter where you are in this world, you can make it work. Has led me to find what I was searching for.
Over a year ago, I did not know what it would be like being a Latino American living in a foreign country where most of the population does not speak English. But I have leveraged what had made me successful back home here, which is always to focus on being a big fish in a small pond, rather than a small fish in a big pond. Essentially sticking out with your strengths. Mine being knowledge, the way I carry myself, my confidence, and being respectful not only towards myself but especially to others. With confidence, you can make things work no matter where you come from.
I genuinely believe we are all searching for what makes us happy, and if leaving your job and your family thinking you are throwing your career away to search for it, do it. I used to spend my time late in the office where the only excitement I would get was bringing in new business and going out for drinks. Whereas now, at least pre COVID times is hopping on a jet to anywhere in Europe for the weekend and experiencing something new all the time. Where taking time off is more of a requirement than a hassle. Where people have a natural care for one another and where enjoyment of life comes before work.
Living in a place where now I have less in financial terms but yet have much more of everything else, especially happiness. So yes, I left Wall Street for no street, and yes, I traded expensive suits for things that money cannot buy, and it was worth every penny. So, if you ever come to a point in your life where your feel would like to move to a totally different place. Do it. Because as long as you stay confident, nothing in life is ever as hard as it seems.
