"In 2013, after three years of living abroad and backpacking around the world, my partner, Sam, and I returned home to Australia without a cent to our names. We'd literally spent everything we had on our adventures and owned nothing but the clothes in our suitcase when we stepped off the plane. I didn't want to move back to the city we were living in before our travels, as I grew up there, and I was worried it would feel like a step backward."
"But they were 68 and 74 years old at the time, and I was secretly worried about what living with them would be like. With such a significant age gap between us, our lifestyles and interests were completely different. However, it proved to be one of the best decisions we ever made. We learned a lot about each other and were able to save up for our future"
"A few weeks after we moved in with his folks, Sam found work nearby as a remedial massage therapist, and I started waitressing. We worked long hours and saved up as much as we could, and after a few months, we bought a car - a hideous maroon-colored Ford Courier. It was old and tatty, but we felt rich because we finally had a reliable way to get around."
After three years abroad and backpacking, the couple returned to Australia penniless and asked the partner's elderly parents to share their home. The parents offered a back room and waived rent until the couple could afford it. Initial concerns about the substantial age gap gave way to gratitude as both partners found local work—one as a remedial massage therapist, the other waitressing—working long hours and saving diligently. They bought an inexpensive used car, enjoyed regular home-cooked meals and desserts, and used the period to rebuild finances, deepen relationships, and plan for their future.
Read at Business Insider
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