Me [M30] and my girlfriend [F31] and have known each other for a good decade. We are from different countries but eventually we became a couple and have been for a good 2 years now. This required me to give up my career with a solid job and move to her house in a different country. She has her own career and job on a similar level except I got a masters law degree that is more or less useless here without an additional 3 years of studies. The plan was for her to finish her (side) studies of 6 months and then we would look to move to my country. At worst a year. We also had a very loved child during this time.

Things were good. We are very alike and like most relationships we argue, talk and make up. However, she soon changed her mind about moving. First she needed to extend her studies (fair enough) and then it was hee pregnancy and the stress of a baby (fair enough). But now she just isn’t sure. Even though she knows I am keen to move and we both agree my country is way better for a child to grow up in she is effectively vetoing any effort until she is sure. I’ve tried to my wits end to find out what her concerns are and dispell them but it just seem to come down to either her not wanting to leave her parents (who are already 6 hours away) or she is just nervous about thw process. Meanwhile this is really wearing me down as I am stuck in an entry level job and a tiny house I hate (housing is one of the main reasons to move). I have always needed my own space and time for myself but in this house I have none as we spend 90% of our awake time in the same room. Bathroom and work are the only places I’m not in her direct vicinity and I have endured it for 2 years.

On top of this with the baby I feel like I have barely any free time anymore. I know this is something to expect with a baby but it is really wearing me down. I get up at 8 and start work at 9, I come home at 18 or so and go straight to cleaning the kitchen/taking out trash and then making dinner. We eat dinner together and feed the child so maybe about 9 or so we’re done with that. At that point I have either 3-4 hours at best to spend with her or to spend fixing the garden or my hobby (PC games, D&D and things like programming and homelab deployment). She refuses to take part in any of my hobbies because she doesn’t have the time. If the baby is being upset she wants a break from the baby. She is on maternity leave but will soon go back to work. Childcare here is almost my salary but where I come from it is essentially free.

I have no friends here apart from 2 colleagues I somewhat hit off with. I miss my friends, my parents and having a job I don’t hate. She really only have one friend nearby and some additional ones online.

The worst is that she can’t really give me any good reason to not move. I feel like the entire discussion is me trying to convince her when I was never actually asked if I wanted to stay, or tried to convince me to want to stay. It just feels like she is using the fact that if there is no decision then we will effectively stay because I won’t leave her or the baby.

I really feel cornered into a place where I’m not happy and I lack the agency to do anything about it. I fear I’m slowly sliding into a depression. I’ve already noticed I’m easily irritable and I’ve slowly stopped to care about her as I used to. It’s unsustainable but I don’t know what to do. I fear if things continue I will get depressed and eventually be forced to leave on my own.

Sorry for the obvious anonymous account. I hope you understand. Any honest advice is welcome.

1 comment
  1. The time has come for you to make some hard choices. You might want to get an attorney and get some paperwork or custody orders since you’re not married to your child’s mother. If you start taking formal steps to take control of your life back, things will move forward in one fashion or another.

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