Starting my skipper class next month!

[Trickshot]

Hi guys. New here.
Lately I’ve been thinking of taking my girl on a live aboard boat and simply sailing away from it all. A hundred “sailing *” vlogs later and I made my choice.
I’m tired of the usual workday, workweek and once an age vacation at random tourist hogged money drain.
Covid-19 made it clear to me that I need time off, a different life, less stress more fun, but mostly more free to move wherever I choose and take my home with me. I live in an isolated middle eastern country bordering the Mediterranean with no way out but air and sea. And what a great sea it is, with many places to visit. Even before the pandemic the plan was to leave to travel and work remote or immigrate to Europe on a work visa, as I never felt at home here - but it seems no one place is really perfect. At least my profession (software engineer) allows for becoming a digital nomad, and it feels like the time has come.
Luckily the situation has also showed me (and my employer) I am a capable remote only worker (soft. Engineer). I would only need an internet connection wherever to keep earning a stable income.
I believe the world has changed and for the first time the idea of becoming a digital nomad is within reach.
I went ahead and tried a cruise at the finest boating school I can find and instantly fell inlove with the freedom of taking your home on a trip in the fresh air and blue water.
I’m starting an evening boating class next month, scheduled to finish my skipper license in September (it’s a long and exhaustive program with lots of onboard experience, I prefer to have knowledge and experience rather than papers am I to be alone with the wifey at sea).
The plan is to break my savings up, scrape around 80$K for a boat and add a loan if needed (top budget is around 120$K) and ditch the (1930 built)
rental apartment. Real estate is no longer an option where I live, with housing exceeding 1800$ a month easy. Purchase prices are in the 500$k for a 3 bedroom apt. from the 60s, and over a mil easy for something at the center of town.
This is without the fact our economy is one of the most expensive ones in the world and everything costs triple what it does on Europe.
With other expenses, I see around 2500$ Down the drain monthly, and a boat seems like a much more minimalistic, practical and free way to live.
The mooring costs here are decent at around 500$ and it seems that once I downpay the boat it’s way cheaper than rent and I don’t have to take a 45 year mortgage like my fellow countrymen so irresponsibly do, to finance a falling apart concrete slab.
Besides, if I am to have kids anytime soon, I want them to have an amazing childhood, and what better childhood than to travel with your parents around the world.
Nice to meet everyone, and hopefully we’ll meet on the water someday!

[boatman61]

Welcome to CF, hope you find your dream..
A countryman (guessing) of yours had the same idea and I helped him with the first half of his delivery back home..
He bought a Prout 37 however he ended up sailing it to Turkey the following year and selling it as things back home were not as simple as he had believed.. but there could have been other reasons.

[Nauticus]

Hi and welcome from Ontario Canada [emoji846]

You sound well on your way to reaching your dreams. It would be a pretty awesome childhood growing up as a cruiser.

Fair winds [emoji569][emoji3]

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Trickshot.