Living abroad comes with advantages as well as downsides. While I believe there are more advantages to living abroad, I do have lots of experience living overseas. I left Canada in 2014, and I’ve been living in several different countries ever since.
This post will discuss the advantages of living in a foreign country. Before we start, I’ll quickly summarise where I’ve lived in case you’re interested.
I’ve been living in Australia, Bali, Thailand, and recently I moved to Europe, more specifically to Bulgaria.
New Opportunities To Travel
When you move to a new country, you get to discover the country at a slower pace, but this means you’re creating opportunities for weekend trips too.
For example, when I lived in Australia, I was able to travel more. Not only was I able to travel across Australia, but I decided to go to New Zealand, Japan and China. Finally, I went to Southeast Asia after two years of living in Australia.
When you settle in a new country, you’re opening up travel opportunities around your new base.
Increasing Your Comfort Zone
Embracing new opportunities and a new lifestyle helps you increase your comfort zone. Slowly, you’ll become comfortable everywhere. The more I lived in other countries, the more I learned about other cultures, and the quicker I could adapt.
Traveling to new countries became more manageable because I was used to new ways of thinking.
It pushed me to try new things like driving a scooter in Bali, learning how to scuba dive, or surfing. During these years, I’ve tried so many things I never thought I would, and while I’m not always a fan, I’m glad I can push myself and open up my horizons.
Becoming More Independent
Living abroad helped me become more independent, and I know that I can always count on myself. Let’s just say that I know how to take care of myself. When you’re living abroad on your own, you have no choice but to trust your instincts and make decisions.
As a result, you will become strong and learn how to protect yourself. It definitely helped me develop my character, and looking back, I’m proud of the person I became. I grew more in the past years than I did the whole time I lived in Canada.
My experiences showed me what I wanted for my life and that the way of living in my home country is not necessarily for me.
Diving Into New Cultures
When you move to a foreign country, you get to learn about a new way of living and a new culture. Whether you’re experimenting with food, traditions, or trying to speak in the local language, you will have fun doing so.
Saying that, it can also be challenging. When I first moved to Australia, my English was quite terrible, and I couldn’t understand the Australian accent. It was tough. But eventually, I got better, and my English improved dramatically.
The same applies to Indonesia. When I was living in Bali, I had to adjust to the way things were there (food (and occasional Bali belly), traditions, and communication). I fell in love with Bali and stayed there for nearly two years.
Making Friends Around The World
In some destinations, it’s pretty easy to make friends. For example, Bali and Thailand have big expat communities and lots of coworking spaces, which makes it easier to connect with other expats.
That said, when living abroad, you can make friends from around the world and get to connect with people you would have never met in your home country.
Although, you’ll find that it’s harder to make friends in some countries. I spent two summers in the Czech Republic (for a total of 6 months), and I really struggled there. My Czech is very limited and I can only make basic conversation, but I found it hard to find English-speaking expats. This is why the Czech Republic was not a long-term option for me.
After all, making friends and connections is very important.
Decreasing Cost Of Living
Depending on the destination chosen and where you come from, you could decrease your cost of living. For example, as a Canadian, moving to Australia was a shock.
Everything was more expensive than what I was used to. But when I moved to Southeast Asia, my cost of living was cheaper, and I was able to save more money.
Finding a country where you can decrease your cost of living is one of the main reasons why people love to move overseas.
Increasing Freedom
Increasing freedom is one of the best benefits of living abroad. You get to live on your own terms in a country you love. You can move to new countries whenever you want to and get to travel more.
That said, you can choose a country that suits you better, whether it’s because of the cost of living, weather or lifestyle.
Personally, I don’t see myself with a 9-5 job anymore, so working online gave me the freedom I was looking for so that I could live in different countries.
Final Thoughts On Benefits Of Living Abroad
While this list focuses on the advantages of living abroad, a few downsides are worth mentioning.
Living overseas means you’ll be far from your family and friends, and let’s just face it – this isn’t for everyone. I met several travelers who couldn’t stand living far from their family and friends over the years.
If that’s the case for you, it’s okay – you won’t know until you move abroad.
Also, it can get tricky if a family member or a friend gets sick. I’ve been dealing with sick family members, and I’m telling you, it doesn’t get any easier over time. Living abroad can make life difficult when you’re dealing with helplessness on the other side of the world.
Living abroad also means you need to handle visas, and it’s not always easy to become a resident in a foreign country. Be prepared for in-depth research and visa runs depending on your destination.
Finally, travelers can face health issues, and dealing with this overseas is not always easy. I’d recommend getting proper health insurance. For example, I have travel insurance + health insurance in Bulgaria since I’m based here now.
I’ve seen many friends and long-term travelers have serious health issues overseas, and if you’re living somewhere long-term, you need to take care of your health.
And that’s a wrap! Overall, I believe the advantages of living abroad outweigh the negatives. You just need to be patient and trust in the process.
Take a look at our list of inspiring quotes about moving abroad. Use them on Instagram, on your mobile background, or as inspiration!
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