Difficult decision: Melbourne or Barcelona

[sarens]

Hi All,

tomorrow I have quite an important decision to make and would like to have your views.

I am in my late thirties , not married , have been working in Berlin in the last three years (previously 4 in Melbourne) but I am now in the process of leaving the country cause I never got to terms with the depressing weather and the general coldness of the people. 
 

I have had some jobs interviews and have now two good job offers, one in Barcelona and one in Melbourne. The decision is quite difficult cause the positive and negative sides of each option are comparable.

If I chose Melbourne offer, it would be going back to my previous employer , working on the same project but with a manager role and six figures salary $$$ so bringing my career forward. Melbourne is a city that I love , I have spend almost 4 years there and they were probably the best of my life.
Moreover by going back to Australia I could renew my PR Visa for another five years otherwise I would soon not qualify for  a RRV and probably would break any future possibility to work and live in australia.

One downside is the fact that I could feel like going back to the past working for the same Project and another one is clearly the distance and soon or later I know I will feel the pull to come back to Europe and being closer to my family which considering my age and my wish to start a family could mess things up.


Barcelona offer would be a completely new job (different industry) in a big american multinational, doing something completely new is exciting  but the role would not be a real progression.However the company is very big and I think I could move up quickly given the chance.

 The salary would be much lower than Australia probably about half and even less than what I am earning now in germany. Barcelona is tempting as a city to live with sea (important for me) but I have only visited it for few days and never lived there before so not sure I would really like it. Good plus is  closeness to europe and my family. 

I know it always comes down to personal values but I would like to hear your opinions  especially if you were in a similar situation or if you have ever lived in Spain.

Thanks,

R.

 

Edited September 3, 2017 by sarens
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