A Few Reasons NOT to Move Abroad

There's a lot of reasons to move abroad but just as many to reconsider this grand idea. Here's what most of them have in common.

Moving abroad was the best decision I ever made for myself. It’s led me to the life I have today, one I wouldn’t change for anything.

In my opinion, there’s no right reason to move abroad. You might move for work, for love, to learn another language, or to satisfy your curiosity more than your average trip can. Even better, a handful of these combined.

There’s one thing all of these reasons have in common.

Do you see it?

They’re all positives.

They’re all reasons based on the pros to a life abroad, from your career to your sense of adventure.

So, what do the reasons not to move abroad have in common? I’m sure you can see this one coming…

They’re all built on negatives.

It’s not just pretty pictures that await you abroad

Let me give you a few examples:

I don’t like my home country.

As an American, I can understand feeling a lot of dislike towards your home country. But, that’s not a reason to pack your bags and go.

Moving abroad involves a lot of challenges, from visa beauracracy to language and culture barriers. You’re going to need a lot more motivation than just annoyance to get you to successfully settle into another country.

While this can be a good reason to give you that extra bit of motivation to make the leap, it shouldn’t be the driving force.

It’s cheaper to live in X.

This one really grates me. You may or may not be surprised to know how often I see this as a driving force to move abroad.

I understand wanting to escape the monotomy of working to live but that $500 apartment won’t be worth it if that’s the only reason you’re in the country.

I often see this reason from the people who want to rebuild their home country in the cheaper country. Those living in the expat bubble, if you will.

I’m guilty of joining in on the bubble and buying up buffalo sauce whenever I come across it but the more you stay in that bubble, the harder it will be to build a life in your new country.

Use it as a respite from time-to-time, not as your day-to-day.

The cultural differences will turn to annoyances as you’re expecting people to act as you’re used to. Learning the language will be even harder if you’re not immersing yourself into it. And the legal hurdles to allow yourself to stay will be a bigger pain in the ass and an added expense you might not have considered.

Living within your means is smart but to move simply to save a little bit more each month will eventually lose its appeal.

My problems won’t follow me here.

They will.

And even worse, you won’t have your support system to help you through.

When I first moved to Ecuador, I was in a relationship with a guy from the US. When we started dating a few years before he knew my goal was to move abroad but when the time actually came, it was tough. He begged me to stay and I’m still so proud of myself for not giving in and doing what I wanted, not what he wanted.

Fast forward a few months and our relationship crumbled. It was not an easy break-up.

And I quickly realized in that moment just how alone I was in Ecuador. I was a Peace Corps volunteer and while I had friends around the country, no one was in the small town with me. At that time my spanish skills were rudimentary at best and while the locals were super welcoming, I wasn’t at a point where I could really express myself.

This was back in 2012 when I didn’t have a smart phone or wifi in my apartment. The choppy Skype call or occassional email just wasn’t cutting it. And while I know communication is easier now than it was then, time zones and physical distance can make it hard.

It’s still not quite the same as getting a hug and gushing in-person about things.

You’ll have to start from scratch. I eventually created a fantastic support system in Ecuador and have been able to make friends everywhere we go but not without those first few months of, “damn, I’m alone again.”

Unless your problems are 100% connected to a place, they’re coming in your suitcase, whether you mean to pack them or not. And while that might not be the surprising bit, dealing with them from a foreign place can make things a whole lot harder.

Focus on the Positives

You might not like your home country or it’s cost of living. And yes, you can use those as motivating factors towards a move abroad.

But as the sole reason, they’ll fall flat each and every time.

When you move abroad you don’t just have to deal with small aspects of life in another country but the entire thing.

Going to the grocery store will be different. Communication will be tough. Landscapes, weather, and food might all change. Culture clashes will slap you in the face.

You have to be willing, ready, and eager to take it all on, not just pick and choose the parts most interesting to you.

And more often than not the ones who moved abroad for negative reasons are the ones that have the toughest times adapting and integrating. Those are the people you hear at the bar constantly complaining about the country they chose to call home.

Don’t be one of them.