what to consider when chosing expat life
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What to consider before choosing an expat life?

expat life

Things to consider before choosing expat life

Traveling is one thing and living an expat life is another. You might travel full-time for a year, or two…who knows how long your legs will be taking you to new destinations? You will be having in mind though, that one day you will go back.

Being an expat is a different story. You move to a place, you likely look for a job, look for a flat, research the city, area, and social services. You organize your resident papers and you think of some projects you’d like to pursue during your stay. It is often a longer-term commitment and let’s be honest here, it is a financial investment.  You need some cash to start a new life. Before you pack all your belongings and leave everything behind to jump the next day on a plane to a foreign land, you need to ask yourself this fundamental question: Is it really for you to live an expat life?

It is a bitter-sweet thing, knowing two cultures. Once you leave your birthplace nothing is ever the same.–Sarah Turnbull


See also:

How living in another country will change you forever

10 dreamy escapes around the world to inspire your travel plans

My first impressions of living in Qatar and a few ideas why you should put it on your travel list.


Uyuni, Bolivia

What aspects do you need to consider before moving abroad?

Cost of living and quality of life

We move abroad for many reasons, but financial aspects are crucial here and can influence where we go. Before you make a decision, you need to consider the cost of living in a new place. Rent, energy bills, phone bills and cost of transportation, and so on need to be taken into account.

Is the cost of living higher than where you are at the moment? What is the salary and cost of living ratio like? This will surely influence your lifestyle and you need to think whether it will allow you to live the way you like. It’s fine if you don’t mind compromising at first, but in the long run, it might not make you happy.

If you choose to live in a big expensive city, you might have to live in a cheaper neighbourhood, for example, or difficult to access. You might also have to live in an apartment in poorer conditions. Ask yourself if that is really what you want after you move. Maybe a better option for you would be choosing a cheaper city? People move to another country for many reasons and I suspect that for some of you, finances are not that important, but if you try to build your new life somewhere, this will influence you one way or another.


Favourite travel resources:

  • Booking.com for searching best prices on accommodation.
  • Discover Cars is a great website as they search both local and international car hire services, so you can choose the best deal for yourself. Make sure though, that the company has a good reputation and reviews.
  • Get Your Guide is my place to go for searching and booking tours and excursions, especially when I travel solo.
  • World Nomads travel insurance. I like them because they have quite extensive coverage of different activities.
  • Jack’s Flight Club is a service that can save you hundreds of dollars on flights, it works especially well in Europe.
  • Trivago where you can search and save on hotels.
  • Go City is a perfect site for booking bucket list experiences and attractions all in one to avoid paying for multiple tickets. Easy and saves money.
  • Trip Advisor– amazing for good quality recommendations.
  • Skyscanner is a perfect website for searching flight routes and comparing prices.

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Oman, Muscat

Visa regulations

Visa regulations and legal requirements vary among countries. Investigate visa options, residency permits, taxation laws, and any necessary documentation. Understanding these regulations beforehand will prevent potential issues in the future and ensure compliance with local laws.

What is the job market like?

Following the previous point, you will also need to research the current job market. Do you want to work in your field or maybe you don’t mind compromising to do any work for income? Be honest with yourself. If your dream job is to work as an architect, look around for job opportunities that will make your dreams come true. Just think of jobs you can do that fit your long-term career plan, even if you are not sure yet what it can look like.

Do you know anybody there?

Moving abroad is a big step and knowing someone might be a great help. Think if you know anyone in the city you are thinking of moving to as they might give you some pointers. Do you want to meet people before you move? If so, forums and Facebook groups can be a place to look. Facebook expat groups, for instance,  contain a rich amount of information. You can ask questions that will make your start a little bit easier.

what to consider when chosing expat life

How easy for you is to be alone?

You surely will meet people and make friends, but beginnings are often lonely. Family and close friends will be far away, which at times might be difficult. Loneliness and overcoming challenges however, can be beneficial for you. Use the time of being alone to learn new things, get to know yourself better, and discover what you want. Take advantage of your alone time.

See also: Make your flights easier. Mindfulness exercises for stressful flights.

Qatar
Can you handle cultural differences?

Think of how different the culture is from what you are used to. Be honest with yourself whether the way people live in another country is something you can enjoy. Remember, that it is not traveling you are doing here, but a long-term project.  Even if you consider yourself an open-minded person and not biased by cultural differences, often you will not know it until you are part of the culture.

You will live in it every day and little daily habits of yours might not be seen positively in a new place and might be seen by others in a different light than you know. Are you used to making jokes with teachers or your boss and being informal? This can be of bad education in your new country.

If you never lived abroad and are scared of taking this huge step, I’d recommend trying a solo trip first, possibly for a longer time to get a taste of being in an unfamiliar place for longer.

Qatar

Language

When you move abroad to live, the ability to communicate in that country is very important. You will need to take into account this aspect and make some preparations. You might as well move to a country that uses a language you already know, but if not, learning at least basic would be essential. Once you move you should focus on improving your language skills as this will not only make the transition and adaptation easier for you but also will enable you to fulfill your dreams and goals. Just think of all the opportunities you will be exposed to by knowing a language. Speaking the language will help you make friends, belong to groups, be a part of society and open doors, you never knew existed.

Adapting to changes

Expat life is not for everyone, I guess. Before you move ‘for good’ abroad think how easy or difficult it is for you to deal with changes. Is it really for you? Of course, I think that pushing your boundaries and getting out of your comfort zone is a great life lesson that will equip you with many skills and higher self-esteem and confidence. Is it scary? Sure!!! It’s a normal feeling to be afraid of the new ahead of us.

what to consider for expat life

Those are only aspects you should consider before moving abroad, but the list surely might be much longer depending on every person. The one piece of advice I could give you based on my experiences of living in different countries is this: Be honest with yourself, plan for the unexpected and enjoy. And if you have itchy feet and tons of curiosity, travel as much as you can as being an expat in different places will give you many opportunities for that.

What are your experiences of moving abroad? What are the scariest moments you went through? What best the best parts of your expat life? I, and the other readers,  would love to hear from you.

Thank you for popping in, lovely to have you here.

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Disclosure: Please note that this post included affiliate links, when you decide to purchase anything through these links I get a small commission at NO extra cost to you, it helps me to keep running this blog! I only promote products and services I use or would use myself. All images are the property of Postcards from the World and cannot be used without permission.



  1. One aspect of expat life not often mentioned is the trauma of “coming home”; the period and stress of adjusting to one’s “home country” can be greater than becoming acclimatized to overseas life. People change, “home” changes and most of all the perspective of the expat has changed. I have had personal experience with this, having recently returned to home from 30 years in South Africa; pangs of regret are strong and being “home” brings little comfort or satisfaction. How about your experiences with these “expat blues”?

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