Alright Mustachians, I’m asking for your input and am fully expecting a facepunch or two for the path I’m considering.
Background info – I’m a vet who graduated 2 years ago. The dream was to be a wildlife vet working for a conservation NGO. The jobs in that sphere are scarce, highly competitive and generally require post-graduate training and good connections. Specifics on the “post-graduate training” part vary. Some pursue board certification as zoo vets, others do additional graduate degrees, some get by with experience gained volunteering. There isn’t a set path. Since pretty much all of those options involve years of low to no pay, I chose to go into practice for a little while first. I paid off my student loans, saved a significant portion of my salary, and am now looking to move on.
I’ve maintained contacts in the wildlife field and applied for a few opportunities this year, none of which panned out. There is now an opportunity for me to enroll in a master’s program in Norway, and I am seriously considering it. The pros are that I’d be working closely with someone who is well known in my chosen field, get a huge amount of experience that would be difficult to attain elsewhere, and it's tuition free. The program is pretty new, but the few people who have been through it have gone on to the sort of positions I’d love to have, and they all speak very highly of it. The major con is that I’d have to live off of savings for 2 years in one of the most expensive countries in the world. There are a few somewhat similar programs in the US, but they are all expensive ($35-40k/yr tuition) and do not offer anywhere near quality/quantity of hands on training opportunities. The coursework will be helpful, but the experience and connections are IMO of bigger benefit than the actual degree I’d get out of it.
If I go for it, this is where things will stand when I start in August. I will have to prove that I have sufficient funds (about $15,500) in order to get a student visa for 1 year (the program is 2 years). I will be living in a tiny, remote town, most likely in student housing, which is cheap at about $450/month, inclusive of utilities, internet, etc. Food costs would be an estimated $400/month for a very spare, budget-conscious diet. Pretty much anything I have to purchase in country will be drastically more expensive than in the US. I will have to invest in some serious winter gear/clothing suitable for both life in northern Norway and outdoor winter fieldwork prior to moving. I’d rely on public transport (walking is sufficient in town, train or bus to get elsewhere). Estimated budget also has about $50/month for phone service, $40/month for public transport, $50/month for consumables and incidental expenses, $100/month to maintain US work license, CE, etc. I’d expect some additional up-front costs for initial arrival in country, purchasing a phone, establishing a bank account, etc. I have sufficient FF miles for two one-way flights between my current location and Oslo.
I currently have about 22K saved in cash, 13K of Roth contributions (would rely on as emergency fund but not plan to draw from) and 25K in my 401k (would not draw from, may convert to Roth during low income years of program). I can save an additional 10-12K by August, maybe up to 15k if I cut my 401K contributions back to company match. Basically, I have enough to comfortably fund one year of living expenses for the program, maybe both but it’s tight. I’d plan to return to the states and work for 2-3 months over the summer to have some extra cushion. If I can negotiate a deal to return as a temporary FT employee with my current employer (likely but not guaranteed), I’ll make about $7000/month doing so, and would of course have costs associated with health insurance, rent, etc while in the US.
Any thoughts on the feasibility of this plan? Anyone lived in Norway and want to comment on expected costs there? I feel like it may just barely be doable. It is certainly not the most Mustachian of paths to take, but the reality is, I don’t aspire to ER and this is what I would want to do if I were FI. If I finish the program and don’t have any decent wildlife job prospects, I should be able to easily return to doing my current work. It is a good time in my life to pursue something crazy, in that I’m still fairly young (26) and not tied down to any particular location. That said, a part of me is quailing at the thought of spending down so much of what I’ve saved in such a short period of time, with no guarantees that it’ll get me where I want to be.
Edit for TLDR - might quit job, move to Norway for 2 years, expected monthly expenses would be in the $1200-1500/month range for bare bones living. Expect to have 30-35k to fund this, plus maybe 10-12k net from summer work. Math works out in theory, but looking for input on possible holes in plan, perspective from anyone who's lived in Norway, etc.
