I'm an international student. Last year, I got into a research programme and started working with a supervisor. I had a great relationship with this supervisor, and he encouraged me to pursue PhD studies in his lab. He helped a lot with my application and I got accepted with funding despite some personal challenges. I do like the university, the group, and the supervisor, so from this perspective, everything is great.
The problem is that I now realize I don't want to stay in this country for five more years. I've been here for several years already, have not managed to learn the language very well, and I'm always the "foreigner" in any situation. I wish I had thought about this last year, but I didn't.
I told the supervisor that I plan to decline the offer, but he is encouraging me to accept it. He has promised that I can master out after two years, or he'll support me transferring to another PhD program if I want to do that.
Is this a good plan? I am concerned that entering a PhD program and then leaving without a PhD will look bad. On the other hand, I don't have any other offers right now. And I'm worried about alienating my supervisor, who is well-known and whose recommendation later is important for me.