5 REASONS TO MOVE ABROAD
And how to gain the confidence to do it at least once in your life
An “expatriate” — sometimes shortened to ‘expat’ — is a person who, by choice, is temporarily or permanently residing in a country other than that of the person’s upbringing. The reason for the move can be a variety of things: career decisions, love stories, international studying, increased quality of life, hunger for adventure… But, regardless of “why” people decide to leave, the number of expats around the globe is increasingly growing with each year that passes. From about 10 million in 2010 to up to 60 million in 2020 — that is how much the trend is moving forward!
And yet, so many adventurous souls are sadly still lacking the courage, the momentum, or the ‘right place’ to make the move. That is why we decided to compile a list with our 5 strongest points as why everyone should live abroad at least once in their life — hoping that it will help the one or the other to put all doubts aside and concentrate on the bright side of it. Because, apart from good weather, beautiful landscapes, and financial opportunities, there are so many more things you will benefit from.
Just think about this: if 60 million people decided to do it and, according to statistics, find themselves being on average happier to the general population, then…there might be something to it, don’t you think?
REASON 1: You will be able to reinvent yourself
When you decide to move to a new country — or continent! — most of the time you will be alone at the start. Although this doesn’t sound very appealing, it gives you the massive opportunity to let loose of past associations. Thus, you will be able to fully embrace the person you want to be. Think about this: no one knows you yet. Past mistakes, bad habits, old judgments, family strings, compromising relationships — you can leave them all behind and start from scratch!
You will be creating a whole new ecosystem around you. A new apartment with new flatmates, maybe a new job or new hobbies, new favorite shops, new friends and, who knows, maybe even a new love! It will somehow feel like a second chance to scratch everything out from your life that didn’t serve you or that didn’t make you grow anymore, and start all over again. As if you had a blank canvas in front of you, you’ll be able to paint your life with beautiful and exciting new colors!
REASON 2: You will ride the road of self-discovery
Once you start reinventing yourself, you will inevitably wonder about the meaning of so many other intangible things, too. Like the idea of ‘home’, ‘happiness’, or ‘life’. And then… the golden questions will arise: “Who am I?” Thinking about all of these questions when you’re far away from home, allows you to answer them without biases and start walking the so-called “road of self-discovery”.
You will slowly understand your insecurities and doubts, strengthen your character, figure out what you do and don’t want out of life, and discover who you are without the influence of others. You will become more critic and gain new perspectives of life, maybe even rethink the way you know and understand your culture or your own self. Your values, attitudes, and beliefs will change. You will grow — in all directions.
And exactly this is the most valuable part of moving abroad: allowing this liberating transformation to happen and creating an intimate relationship with who you truly are.
REASON 3: You will try new things
When you move abroad, you will not only learn things about yourself, but you will also be exposed to a whole new environment that will teach you different customs and therefore widen your horizons in ways you would have never imagined possible!
You will find yourself diving deep into the country’s culture and history, meeting interesting people, trying delicious food, and probably learning the local language. Your taste in just about everything will start gradually shifting… maybe even your fashion choices will start becoming different!
The important aspect of actually moving to a country — instead of just passing by as a tourist — is that you will have enough time to profoundly immerse yourself in all of these elements. Thus, you will find yourself partially adopting this new culture, and appreciating the life you have created thanks to it. Soon, you will know the lingo, understand typical gestures, and you will see the essence of a place with nuances that you otherwise couldn’t get from reading books or watching the news. And then you will realize that the magic has happened: you start to feel and act like a local, too.
REASON 4: Develop new skills
If we had to count the number of skills you develop when becoming an expat, this article would be 5 times as long. In short: if you can get over the fear and the hurdles of moving to another country on your own, you can get over almost anything!
Truth is: the decision of starting a new life somewhere else is difficult. It will turn your whole world upside down. It will challenge you in unimaginable ways and push you out of your comfort zone almost every day in the beginning. But it is exactly this that will allow you to learn and develop new skills.
Having to find new friends will make you become more socially competent and outgoing; having to adopt new customs will make you become more adaptable and accepting; having to forge a new life on your own will make you more self-reliant and self-secure; having to solve constant problems will make you more confident and courageous; having to navigate a whole new world of new feelings and unfamiliar situations will make you more perceptive and intuitive… In general you will become much stronger and smarter, and will gain tremendous assets to combat future challenges and fears!
REASON 5: It makes you different
If all of these reasons aren’t enough to convince you, you should always remember that having experience living abroad makes you stand out from other people. One of the most important advantages when it comes to your career is that it will give you a competitive edge and will serve as a plus point in a tough job market.
Most of the time, recruiters will be highly impressed by all of the points mentioned before. They will value your ability to have different perspectives and be adaptable to change, they will see the power in your social skills and your capacity to confront challenges, and they will look forward to all the world knowledge you have gained. Remember: living abroad makes you understand and learn to be tolerant of other cultures, which is something very important in any company.
One way or another, living abroad will look fantastic on your CV and could help you to get that dream job of yours!
In conclusion, the more you think about it, the more you will understand that the immensity of what you will learn, and how you will develop for the better, are far more important than the fear of letting go. Life only happens once, so make sure to paint your white canvas with colors enriched with far-away cultures and breathtaking places!
