The Pandemic Proves That Society Was Wrong About How to Live Life
Here’s what to do about it
Upon graduating from business school in 2005, I had two job offers to choose from. The first one was a market research position at a startup for around $75,000/year. The other was working for minimum wage at a real estate office in Costa Rica. A friend found out I had spent a semester abroad there learning Spanish and needed help. He offered me $1,000 per month plus free housing and a 4x4 if I agreed to move to the sleepy beach town of Nosara (population: <5,000).
What would you choose? Well, that depends. Am I speaking to your pre- or post-pandemic self? Today, you might say, “F-k it — what do I have to lose? I’m going to Costa Rica.” (Although, the border isn’t open…)
But what would a previous version of you have chosen — amid economic prosperity and growth? You would’ve been out of your mind to move to Costa Rica during the real estate/tech boom. That’s like flushing your MBA down the toilet. Besides, how the hell are you going to live on $12,000 per year and pay off your student loans?
Faced with this life-altering decision at 22 years old, I asked everyone I knew what they would do. There were two distinct sides:
- Team 1: My classmates and anyone with less than 10–15 years of work…
