My corporate sales job was sucking my soul out one call at a time. I’d drag my feet from one mind-numbing meeting to the next, asking myself: Why am I choosing this life?
After I graduated from college in 2016, I was unsure what I wanted to do. I bought a one-way ticket to Puerto Rico and traveled the world. I visited 12 countries that year and discovered how free I felt while abroad.
When I got back to the States, my brother got me an interview at the investment firm he worked at in Camas, a small city in southwest Washington. He was one of their top salespeople, and because we shared the same blood, I guess management assumed I might be cut from the same cloth.
Provided by Justin Heiter
I got the job
Every day was a never-ending grind spinning in an endless hamster wheel — my job consumed me.
I took my lunch breaks at my desk, and if a client called, I’d shift focus away from my sandwich to jump into my sales pitch. The work I put in eventually paid off, and I won the salesperson of the year award on my sales team.
Winning the award felt great, but I kept asking myself: Isn’t there more to life than this? I remembered how free I’d felt when I traveled. I wanted to live abroad, but didn’t know how.
I came across the finance blog Mr. Money Mustache, and learned about the concept of FIRE, and I got obsessed with it. I created a plan to escape my corporate job.
For the next four years, I made over six figures a year but lived on a quarter of that. My rent was cheap, I drove a 2002 Ford Taurus, and I stayed frugal by maintaining inexpensive hobbies like skateboarding and country line dancing.
My job offered a 50% 401(k) match. The catch? A 3-year vesting period, which stopped me from leaving. I stayed diligent in my savings and invested in the stock market. I grew my portfolio.
Provided by Justin Heiter
I quit my job and moved
I’ve been living in Buenos Aires for about four months, and the adventure so far has come with challenges. Making new friends and learning the language is difficult, but it makes me feel alive. I didn’t change my life for things to be easier — I came to leave my comfort zone and reclaim that feeling of freedom I’d known many years ago.
The new friends I’ve made have kept me from giving up on my dream and returning home. I still get lonely, cry when I’m sad, and have awful days. But that’s life; no matter what country you live in.
I’m constantly struck with a puzzled look on my face when someone speaks lightning fast Spanish to me. But I try to turn it into a game and stay excited about the struggle. I’m always reminding myself that the challenges I’m facing here are good for my growth.
Provided by Justin Heiter
There’s more good than bad in Argentina
The people I’ve met have been warm and loving, and they’ve genuinely accepted me. Things happen spontaneously here. Like random dinners with strangers or singing karaoke with friends until 4 a.m. on a random Tuesday.
Now I spend my time writing fiction novels, guiding local tours in English, and cruising around on my skateboard.
The prices in Argentina are incredible. They fit well with my frugal mindset. I rent a one-bedroom apartment for about $750 a month. I avoid the touristy neighborhoods and can often snag a darn good espresso from a café for $1.43 or pick up an alcoholic drink for $2 from a shop.
I’m thankful I took the leap and left my old life behind. While I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, I do know I won’t have to make another sales call.
