Summary

Living abroad is a complex and challenging journey that requires significant preparation and adaptation, offering both rewarding experiences and unexpected difficulties.

Abstract

The article emphasizes that living abroad is not just an extended vacation but a profound life change that involves extensive paperwork, cultural adaptation, and emotional challenges. The author, who has lived in various countries, highlights the necessity of visas, resident permits, and the stress of continuous applications. The process of uprooting one's life and re-learning daily routines in a new cultural context can be daunting. While the excitement of discovery is initially high, it is often replaced by homesickness and the realization that even seemingly similar cultures can present intense culture shock. The author notes that the rewards of living abroad are significant but cautions that they come with hard work and the willingness to face unforeseen challenges.

Opinions

The author believes that the fantasy of expat life is far removed from its reality, which includes complex legal processes and constant adaptation.
They suggest that the excitement of moving to a new country quickly fades, giving way to the challenges of daily life and homesickness.
The author points out that even with extensive travel experience, one can still be surprised by culture shock, especially when moving between countries with seemingly similar cultures.
Despite the difficulties, the author values their international experiences and would not trade them, implying that the enrichment gained from living abroad is worth the effort.
The article conveys that prospective expatriates should thoroughly research and plan well in advance to mitigate the stress associated with international relocation.

Thinking of Living Abroad? Here Are Some Things to Consider

Living abroad is very different from traveling

Do you often tell yourself “I could live here” while traveling abroad?

Do you fantasize about packing your bags and leaving your home country behind?

Do you love to travel so much that you wish you could just do it all the time?

As someone who has lived abroad my entire life, I can tell you that your fantasies of the expat life are very different from real life.

I was born in France to French parents but I never lived there. I grew up in Singapore, Greece, Canada, Hong Kong, India, and Qatar, among other places.

I studied in Québec and Ontario. I worked in Manitoba.

I currently live in the North of England.

I have been lucky to travel to dozens of countries and to truly immerse myself in multiple incredible cultures.

Anytime I tell someone about my background, they always say something along the lines of “You’re so lucky, I love traveling, I wish I could live abroad”.

While I have been incredibly lucky to have lived, and to continue to live, this type of life and I wouldn’t trade it for anything, so few people understand the reality of this type of existence.

If you’re considering, or have ever considered, moving abroad, here are a few things you need to know.

There is so much paperwork

Moving to a different country is very complicated. There are visas and resident permits. You need to apply well in advance. You need to fill out a number of different questionnaires. You sometimes need to be sponsored. You often need to prove that you have the means to support yourself.

Moving abroad means figuring out what programs you qualify for and what to apply to. It will be different depending on how long you are planning on staying in a country, if you plan on working or studying, if you are moving with someone, or with kids, or alone.

It’s complicated and it can be stressful.

I lived for 8 years in Canada. During those eight years, I had to apply for two different study permits, a work permit, a second work permit, permanent residence, and twice for a permanent resident card.

Every time I sent in those applications, after spending weeks gathering documents and making sure I was filling out the right questionnaires, I was worried that my application would be rejected and that I might have to leave the country.

I don’t think many people realize how complex it is to emigrate to another country. If you are serious about moving away, you need to make sure to do your research correctly and to start planning well in advance.

You need to upend your whole life and to re-learn everything

Moving to a new country means saying goodbye to everything you know. Not only your friends and family but all your references and your knowledge of how things work.

If you’ve never moved to a completely different place before, it can be quite a shock. You have to re-learn things you took for granted such as “where do I buy a hammer?” or “are eggs stored in the fridge or at room temperature?”.

All your references change. Social interactions might be different in your new home. Things that are acceptable where you come from may not be acceptable where you are.

It takes a lot of trial and error and a lot of adapting before you start to feel comfortable in your new home.

You’ll miss things you never expected

You might have an idea about the things you will miss once you move away from home. Your friends and family. The familiarity of your home. Maybe your favourite snack.

However, I’ve often found that the things I miss are rarely the ones I expected.

It might be a particular food item that I didn’t realize I relied on so much. Or my drive to work. Or a particular store where I knew I could buy envelopes.

The excitement of discovery fades away quickly

The first few months after moving somewhere new are incredibly exciting. There are so many new things to discover. New people to meet. New foods to eat.

You notice the things that you miss but it doesn’t seem like a big deal because of all the new things you are gaining.

You spend a few months living like a tourist, visiting your new home and its surroundings. Every trip to the grocery store is an adventure.

But really quickly, that feeling fades away and is replaced by homesickness.

You get tired of having to jump through hoops in order to do things that you took for granted at home.

The culture shock can be intense

Growing up, I experienced culture shocks regularly, especially when moving to places like Hong Kong or India where the culture is so different from my frame of reference.

However, I have found that even between places that have seemingly similar cultures, such as Canada and the UK, the culture shock can still be intense and even more so because I wasn’t prepared for it.

Every country has its own rules, and its own way of doing things. And that can be quite jarring. It takes a while to get used to and integrate those new rules.

Overall, living abroad has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. But too many people see only the positive aspects of it without realizing the amount of work that goes into it and how difficult it can be some days.

If this is an experience you are tempted by, you need to really ask yourself if you are willing to take that jump into the unknown. If you are willing to make your life more challenging.

The rewards are great. But they are earned.