What are the pros and cons of moving abroad?

Hi dear one, Kim here again with my Wednesday Weekly.

What are the pros and cons of moving abroad?

This is a question I get often, especially the last few years with everything that’s been going on in the world.  Moving abroad can be an exciting and life-changing experience, but it also comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

The year 2000 we moved from Sweden to Mallorca Spain, with our twin boys who turned 6 that year. No plan really and with no money cushion to talk about. But we had a very strong want and why. That is always a good start for me, getting my why strong and clear.

We lived on Mallorca for 5 years. When we came, Spain was still in pesetas and 2002 they went into the €uro. Phew, tough year for us as everything got much more expensive, at the same time as we just had started our little web design business. I don’t want to bore you with what we went through that year. I will summon it up and just say, it was one of the hardest years ever, finically for us. We ate spaghetti with ketchup for Christmas dinner that year. Not at all fun when you have young twin boys in the family. But in hindsight, what I learnt that year, is still with me today. Compassion and humbleness lessons comes in different colours, which I know today.

Don’t worry, I will get to the pros and cons in a while.

I’m not entirely sure where I will go with this weekly, there are so many stories and experiences I went through, especially the first 2 years. For example I thought that on the island of Mallorca Spain, everybody speaks English. Not true!!

Mallorca is one of the oldest charter destinations in Europe and because of that, I took for granted that a place that has had charter tourism since the 50s, they speak English. They don’t. Well some, but very few.

So, moving as a family to the country side of Mallorca, where hardly no one spoke English, was tricky to say the least.

Our last year on Mallorca and very pregnant with Emmylou.

Thank God, we can laugh about it later. Because my first ever sentence in Spanish was: Yo quero alquiler caballeros, donde? Which means, I want to rent men, where? What I wanted to say was. I want to rent horses, where?

Caballos (horses) and caballeros (men), to close for me and it came out very wrong. Luckily we had a Mallorcin neighbour that had a good sense of humour. He looked at me, then Ole and said with a huge smile while pointing at himself, Kim it’s gratis (free). I looked back at him like a big question mark, not understanding what I had just asked him. We became very good neighbours, and no, not in that way. ;)

We spent 5 years on the island of Mallorca. When we look back and go through memories together, it was an amazing time. It was new, exciting, and very hard at times and for us, a beautiful time to get to know this part of Spain, the people and the culture. My Spanish slowly improved and it got easier with time to communicate.

2009 Estepona Spain

We later moved to the main land and had another 15 years in Spain. After 20 years it became mi Tierra as the Spanish say, meaning my land.

Then the plandemic hit, and it hit hard in Spain in the form of fear, regulations and very strict lock downs. We had talked about moving to a tropical climate. But thought, best to wait until our last one had left the nest. Emmylou was almost 15 when the craziness started. Not the ideal time to move a teenage girl to the other side of the world. But we had an opening to go to Bali Indonesia, so we did. It was super difficult for her the first 6 Months. Now she is 18 and enjoys Bali and the very comfortable life style it offers.

Christmas in Bali 2021 on empty beaches.

I have listed some pros and cons here, that might be helpful if you have thoughts about changing country. At the end of the day, if you feel a strong nudge to go. Just go!!! There will be obstacles in the way, stuff will come your way that you never thought about and planning everything into perfection is impossible, trust me on this one. With the right attitude and curiosity, anything is possible.  

Pros:

It allows you to experience new cultures and learn about different ways of life.

Learn a new language, and have fun with it. I think most of us who are expats, have funny language stories to tell.

Living in a new country will lead to personal growth and development as you navigate a new environment.

It can open up new career opportunities, particularly if you are interested in working in a specific industry or sector, like teaching English.

Adventure! At least the first year, it’s an adventure and everything is new and exciting.

New relationships and friendships with people from different backgrounds and cultures. I remember one Christmas at ours, we were 11 nationalities around the table. Love it!

Depending on the country you move to, you may enjoy an improved quality of life.

Cons:

Missing your close ones. Moving away from family and friends is not easy.

Cultural differences can lead to misunderstandings and challenges in communication. This depends on the country, I think. 

Language barriers. If you are moving to a country where you do not speak the language, this can be a significant barrier to integration. Learn the language, is my tip for today.

Moving abroad can be expensive, and you may need to consider the cost of living, currency exchange rates, health insurance and taxes.

Depending on the country you are moving to, there may be complex legal and visa requirements to navigate.

If you are planning to work abroad, you may face employment barriers such as a lack of job opportunities or difficulty obtaining a work visa.

After 23 years away from my roots in Sweden, the only thing I miss these days are people and tastes. I can still have cravings for Swedish buttermilk.

Feel free to throw me questions in comment and the chat. Love your thoughts, questions and input.

Until Wednesday, stay grateful and curious.

Much love and joy,

Kim