Alright here we go. So I've been following this subreddit for about a year now, and I've been convinced to backpack myself this fall instead of doing just a short stint revisiting my friends in Paris. I recently graduated college, I was working full time during the summer saving up about $5,000-6,000 for an indefinite period of traveling. I'm 22 years old from the U.S. I have no obligations right now in life. Recently single, no car payments, no rent. The only thing will be student loan bills in November. There may never be a better time to do this. However, I have been applying to jobs and trying to set something up for when I return. I wasn't really expecting to land anything, but this week I got called back after a 2nd interview to approve of a background check. So, more likely than not I will get an offer for a well paying job doing something that I would enjoy doing. The only issue is I highly doubt they will be ok with me delaying starting much later this year. Until it became real, I realized that the thought of being settled down with a 40-50 hour a week job in a city I'm not that fond of scares the shit out of me. I don't want to throw away my dreams of this trip, living abroad, living in a big while I'm young just for the comfort of a well paying stable career. I see people posting on here all the time about how they can't stand the normality of work and quit and travel. My logical side is telling me to accept the job if they offer it to me and negotiate for at least a month or two of traveling, but I'm even worried that coming back from this experience will make the work life even worse.
Here's the real kicker. I studied abroad last summer and fell head over heels for a girl there. We've kept in contact and she's the main drive behind me getting my ass back to Europe. I'll be staying with her in the city she is finishing school at then traveling home with her to her parent's house. After that she may travel with me for a bit while she decides what to do with her life as well. Leaving her last summer was incredibly difficult and this time around will be even worse. If I accept a job back in the U.S. I feel as if I'm also crushing my biggest dream. Any chance of being with her and that is what is really weighing on me right now. I don't want that regret to haunt me for the rest of my life.
So essentially what I'm asking is how do any of you deal with these situations? How do you manage a career to have income and some stability as well as pursuing your dreams. I'm sincerely at a loss what to do with my life and just need some advice from people who truly understand where I'm coming from.
Thanks reddit