[esperent]

I'm in a similar situation (European, getting paid US rates, living in SEA) and for me it's been freelance all the way. I'm earning enough that I save way more than I would back home, I have an amazing quality of life, and I don't have to work non-stop. When a freelance project ends, I work on my own stuff for a while, or travel. I've been working on a project for about a year now and it'll end soon. During that time I've easily saved up enough to live for... maybe 5 years here if I went super basic. But at least 3 with my normal lifestyle. Not counting holidays back home which would cut into my savings a lot.

I'm not planning to take 5 years off, I'm gonna take a few months to work on my own projects, then a vacation for a month or two since I haven't been home since before covid. Hopefully one of my own projects will start to earn me some money and I'll work on growing that, but if it doesn't I'll probably start looking for more freelance work at around the 6 month mark.

It's not all roses, there's visa issues, tax compliance is essentially impossible (although I do have a visa that allows me to work) and I do sometimes struggle with the culture here, as much as I love other parts of it (so not much different to home there I guess).

But, on the other hand, as someone who grew up poor, this level of financial security is almost impossible to believe. I can just... Take 6 months off work. Or a year even. And not have to worry about money. I feel free in a way that I never have before. I know this is privilege and I acknowledge that and try to ensure I don't abuse it.