Relocating to a different country is the most intense way of getting to know a distinct culture. It is an experience where you step out of the comfort zone of your home and venture into new customs, habits, and languages. It might sound hard at first, so let’s start with the delightful things this experience overseas might bring.
PROS AND CONS OF RELOCATING ABROAD
PROS
For some categories of people, moving abroad can be a wonderful life choice, unlike others. This section outlines all of the favorable aspects of packing up and moving abroad.
• It Gives You A Fresh Start
Relocating offers you a fresh start. For instance, maybe your life has become a routine and become bored with your life. Perhaps, you just experienced some life-changing event and you want to make a major change.
Whatever the case, relocating can flavor things up a bit. You’ll make new friends, develop a new routine, and try some new things.
• It Affords You The Opportunity To Learn A New Language
It’s almost difficult to learn a new language. You could take lessons and self-study for a decade and never achieve fluency. But by going abroad, you put yourself in the perfect situation to pick up that language that you’ve always wanted to learn just by hearing people speak it. Learning a new language is also a fun and social experience.
Practically, you can learn the basics of your new country’s language by taking some lessons once you arrive and using apps, books, and online resources. To attain fluency, you can practice with your local friends, read books and newspapers, and just live your life absorbed in the language. Even if you put in little or no effort, you will pick up a decent amount of the local language out of necessity.
A good language tool to recommend is Duolingo
• You Experience A New Culture
One of the favorable parts of moving abroad is experiencing a new culture. You’ll broaden your horizons and learn about how others live. You can learn a lot about the world this way. Who knows, you may even incorporate some aspect of the local culture into your daily life.
For emphasis, culture is a very broad term. The following are what constitute culture; art, food, language, clothing, holidays, architectural style, history, religious beliefs, music, literature, economics, traditions, social habits, laws, morals, customs, political beliefs, achievements, goals, values, and more.
The best way to experience a country’s culture is to go and live in it.
• You Will Meet New People
While living abroad, you’ll be able to make local friends pretty easily. As a foreigner, you’re automatically exotic and fascinating. People will be interested in getting to know you, at least for the curiosity of meeting someone from a different country.
It is a good thing to make new friends and meet new people. Perhaps, you might meet the love of your life, make a lifelong friend, or stumble upon a new job opportunity.
• You Can Try New Foods And Drinks
When you eat a dish in the country it emerged in, you get to eat the food the way that it is supposed to be eaten. When you eat foreign food in your home country, chances are it has been modified to suit the local taste.
Furthermore, your new country may offer foods that you’ve never even heard of before. For example, some fruits and vegetables don’t travel well so they are only available where they are grown. Some dishes just aren’t available outside of their home country. You may even discover your new favorite food.
• Lower Cost Of Living
The country where you want to move to may afford you a lower cost of living. In some countries, opportunities are limited due to the state of the economy, geography, religion, etc. It will help you open up some opportunities to improve your life in your new country of residence. Such opportunities include:
~ Study abroad
Most universities offer study abroad programs that will enable you to experience living in another country while continuing to make progress toward your degree. Generally, tuition cost stays the same. If you’re not in college, you can still study abroad. For instance, you could enroll yourself in language classes, cooking classes, or enroll yourself in a university in another country.
~ Work abroad
Salary differs extremely from country to country. If you are highly skilled or educated in a particular discipline that isn’t needed in your country’s economy, you may find more job opportunities and higher income abroad. It doesn’t hurt to apply.
Many persons have been able to get a job teaching English or working in the tourism industry. If you’re already working for an international company, you may be able to transfer abroad. These positions may offer a better salary and even a promotion.
Working abroad also enables you to develop skills that can help you advance your career. For example, you’ll pick up some soft skills such as multicultural experience, networking, adaptability, and social skills.
~ Volunteer abroad
If you have an in-demand skill, you may be able to make a difference in the world by volunteering your time and sharing your expertise for a project. Many volunteers choose to work abroad to help less fortunate people.
• It Makes You a Better Person
You may be wondering how. But while living abroad, you may have trouble adapting to the new culture, feel lonely without your family and friends around, etc. The experience can be overwhelming but it will build your character. Below are some ways:
~ You become independent: While abroad, you have only yourself to rely on. If a problem comes up, you have to find the solution yourself. After all, you can’t just call your parents or your best friend to come to help you out.
~ You become more courageous: Many people live in fear; fear of trying new things or fear of the unknown. Living abroad compels you to face those fears, you’re living an alternative lifestyle that allows you to try new things and become comfortable with uncomfortable situations. This helps you overcome your fears and become a more confident person.
~ You become more tolerant: You will meet people who have different religious beliefs, morals, languages, diets, outlooks on life, behaviors, etc. You will learn to accept the locals for who they are and live with them.
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• You, Will, Learn Some New Skills and Acquire New Knowledge
When you acquire skills and knowledge, you become a well-exposed. Also, it’s simply nice to be informed. Learning something new is always a good thing.
• Relocating Abroad Makes You streamline Your Life
Chances are, you’ll find that you need much less stuff than you thought. It can feel incredibly free to get rid of all of the unnecessary stuff you’ve accumulated over the years. Getting rid of your old clothes, bulky furniture, and old junk you’ve hoarded takes a weight off your shoulders.
• You May Have Access to Better Healthcare
This depends on the area. In some parts of the world, healthcare is not affordable, and low quality and some treatments are simply not available. You may gain access to affordable and quality healthcare by moving abroad. Some people move for treatment for a serious disease that is not treatable in their home country. You may save a significant amount of money on prescriptions and treatment as well.
The negative is that some countries can’t offer the same level of care that you may require. For example, a poor or undeveloped country may not have the most modern medical equipment or use the newest medical techniques. Some treatments simply aren’t available. If you have a serious medical condition, you will want to make sure that you are able to receive treatment in your new country before you move.
CONS
It’s easy to visualize how great life could be abroad but the reality is that there are a lot of downsides to living abroad. Take the following into consideration when making your decision to move and when choosing a country.
• You Will Miss Your Friends and Family While Living Abroad
With the cost of airfare, most people can only afford to return home once or twice per year. Sometimes even less frequently. You will feel homesick and miss your friends and family while living abroad and your relationships will suffer.
It’s also difficult to keep in contact with your friends and family when you live abroad due to the time difference. All of this hurts your relationships.
• The Language Barrier
Everything becomes a struggle when you can not speak the local language freely; tasks like renting an apartment, opening a bank account, interviewing for a job, and applying for residency, are nearly impossible if you don’t speak the local language fluently.
Another issue is that languages are extremely hard and takes time to learn; specifically when you’re older. Of course, some languages are easier to learn than others. As an English speaker, you’ll probably become fluent in French much more quickly than in Arabic.
• You May Lose Your Rights
As a foreigner living abroad, you may not have all the same freedom that you’re used to in your home country. For example, you may lose your freedom of speech. You may lose freedom of religion. You may lose protection from discrimination for your race, sex, age, gender, etc. If you are accused of a crime, you may not receive a fair trial. You won’t have the right to vote.
What are you giving up to relocate abroad? Most people can earn more working in their home country. You need to weigh your options before choosing to relocate.
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