At the time of writing this I have an interview scheduled for a federal position in a culture rich and historical location in Europe. One of the primary reasons I decided to pursue federal employment was for the opportunity to live in Europe and have that experience. That was over 10 years ago.
The position I am being considered for is at a lower grade. I should be able to retain my current pay for a couple of years through a progam colloquially called save pay and then possibly apply for the director position when that is vacated. However all of this isn’t guaranteed, but I think it is likely.
I’ve been told that spouse positions at the location are somewhat rare. My wife is leaning towards not seeking employment and watching our daughter while we are there. All of these complexities mean that our income might dip temporarily or stay depressed for years. I am not worried.
I think if I am offered the position then this is too big of an oppurtunity to miss despite it not being financially optimal. We are coast fire. If we never add another dime to our retirement accounts and work until full retirement age then we will have more than enough. If we draw down on our non-retirement accounts to travel more then we will still be fine.
By pursuing financial independence I gave myself more options. By prioritizing finances early I can pay less attention to them now.
Update: I had my interview today. I think it went well and for better or worse I provided insight to my own stream of thought. I expounded on my professional military librarian philosophy, and gratefulness for the security that the military provides us. I have pride that we are at a point where I am able to choose lifestyle optimization over financial optimization regarding our family. I think we will find ourselves in Europe within the year.
Millionaire Librarian 