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Unpopular opinions about working abroad

The bitter part that nobody wants to talk about

Fedora Devena
Bootcamp
Published in
7 min readSep 23, 2022

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Image credit to Unsplash

As some of you might already know, I quit my job and relocated to Amsterdam. It’s been 3 months, and to be completely honest, it’s been… incredibly tough.

This writing will be a bit more personal than my other usual writings about design and such. It will reveal aspects most people never talked about working abroad — the unpopular opinions, the bitter truth. Despite what people describe as a joyous, exciting, and life-changing journey, they often forget to mention the hard part of it: the never-ending struggles, loneliness, and spending 24/7 questioning your self-worth.

And no, it’s not homesick or some culture-shock experience. This can (and will) happen to anyone out there who plan to move abroad for work, leave their families or comfort zone, sacrifice the known and face the unknown. Basically to start over from zero.

The first month was all about introducing myself to the country: the culture, the food, the transportation, the language, and tons of other matters. I familiarised myself with how things work, maybe play tourist a little bit, getting to know people at work, figuring out how to do a to z, and setting up my daily life. The second month was about transitioning

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Bootcamp
Bootcamp

Published in Bootcamp

From idea to product, one lesson at a time. To submit your story: https://tinyurl.com/bootspub1

Fedora Devena
Fedora Devena

Written by Fedora Devena

Product Designer | Thinker | Travel Photographer. Currently improving @ Booking.com ✈️.

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