[Slaboli]

I appreciate your perspective! The social misfit issue is definitely amplified in towns where local Portuguese life is dominant. No matter what I do, I will likely remain an outsider, even though the Portuguese people are genuinely friendly and understanding.

You're right that Portugal isn't a step up in the same way moving to a global hub like London or New York would be. It’s starting to feel like a lot of mental effort for a "sideways move," especially when I already have an established network at home.

Regarding the 10k EUR, I’ve definitely been thinking about the sunk cost fallacy. It's a lot of money to leave behind, but throwing another year of my career away just to justify the spend might be the bigger mistake. I suppose this is where I’ve been feeling trapped financially.

Taking it one step at a time seems like the only way to avoid burnout.Maybe a very short trial as you suggested at least until I find a suitable accounting role back home can be attempted. Thank you!

[tacostakohashi]

The other thing I would say is, for this kind of decision, you're looking for a "hell yes!" / "this is a no brainer" / "i can't afford to miss this opportunity". It's like hiring someone, buying a property, getting married, or even changing jobs... If it's not that, then it's a no, stay where you are, sit on your hands, keep waiting for something better.

If you're comparing option A and option B, and comes down to 48% A vs 52% B... if it's toilet paper or car insurance, fine, choose option B, but if it's moving countries buying a property or something, then the right answer is do nothing, keep waiting for option C, option D, etc to come along.