An Honest Look at the Disadvantages of Living Abroad
I’VE BEEN LIVING ABROAD FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS.
And it has been the most expansive, beautiful, challenging experience of my life.
But despite all of the advantages of living abroad, there are some very real, very difficult disadvantages of living abroad.
So let’s get into it right away…
LET’S TALK ABOUT 5 DISADVANTAGES OF LIVING ABROAD, AND THEN LOOK AT A HIDDEN SILVER LINING ABOUT EACH ONE.
Ready?
Disadvantage of Living Abroad #1: You Never Feel Fully “At Home” Anywhere
You will come to love and deeply appreciate aspects of your new country.
BUT, that doesn’t mean you won’t deeply miss aspects of your home country.
After 3 years in Mexico, I cannot imagine my life without:
- the warmth of the Mexican people
- the slower pace of life here in Mexico, and
- the general spirit of celebrating life that Mexico embodies.
BUT I NOW DEEPLY APPRECIATE SOME THINGS ABOUT THE US, LIKE:
- Highways without speed bumps (yes, for real)
- Toilet seat covers and reliable plumbing, and
- Architectural Codes for building safety 😅
AND THEN, THERE’S THE NOSTALGIA.
You will miss parts of your home country simply because it’s the place where you’ve already made tons of memories. Plus, it’s COMFORTABLE and FAMILIAR.
YOU WILL ALWAYS BE MISSING SOMETHING ABOUT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
BUT Here’s the Silver Lining of Never Feeling Fully “At Home”: You learn to redefine “home” and base your sense of belonging in your family, your relationships and your routines and rituals.
It’s up to you to build your home wherever you are. And once you master the art of feeling home within yourself, no one can take that away from you no matter where you go.
Related Reads:
-
I Escaped the Rat Race, Here’s How You Can Too
-
Moving Abroad as an Introvert: How to Mentally Prepare Yourself
-
How I Become Bilingual as an Adult (and how you finally can too)
Disadvantage of Living Abroad #2: You Stand Out Everywhere You Go
As an introvert, this one hurts. 🤕
I’m the type that doesn’t even like people watching me when I’m waiting to blow out my birthday candles. Am I alone?
Living abroad guarantees that people will look at you more than normal.
WHY?
👗Your clothing,
💬 Your language,
🗣️ Your accent,
🤌🏼 Your mannerisms,
🦓 Your overall differences.
BUT HERE’S THE SILVER LINING OF STANDING OUT WHEREVER YOU GO: If people expect you to do things differently, you become more more free to do whatever you want.
Let me explain.
Every society has expectations on its people, but when you are an immigrant you fall into a gray area.
When a foreigner acts differently than the locals, people just assume that it’s because of cultural differences. You get a sort of free pass.
This freedom is super liberating!
Disadvantage of Living Abroad #3: Operating in a Foreign Language Is Exhausting
If you are moving to a country that speaks a different language than your own, be prepared for mental exhaustion. 😴
Every single tiny thing that you’d do easily in your home country – paying an electricity bill, mailing a letter, filling up gas, buying shoes – will require significantly more brain power in your new country.
Even tiny interactions can make you feel vulnerable as your brain probably won’t operate ultra-quickly in your new language for a while.
And you will make language mistakes. A lot of them.
And saying things incorrectly over and over again is draining, frustrating, and often embarrassing.
BUT HERE’S THE SILVER LINING OF LIVING LIFE IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE: You will be building a skill that many people only dream of: speaking a foreign language. 👏🏻
Becoming bilingual opens up so many doors to you.
You will be able to:
- Travel easier to more countries,
- Build relationships (personal, professional, romantic) with thousands more people, and
- You will be able to claim being bilingual, which is a badge of honor 🏅
Disadvantage of Living Abroad #4: The Paperwork Sucks
Living abroad goes hand in hand with
- Visas
- Multiple tax returns,
- Foreign bank accounts
- Residency permits
- Healthcare forms, etc.
And often in a foreign language (ugh!)
There will be a learning curve and you will make mistakes. This is when investing in building a good professional team can be key 🔑 (legal, accounting, health)
When I applied for my residency in Mexico I had to go to the immigration office four different times in two different cities.
Was it fun? Nope. ❌
Was it required? Yup. ✅
BUT HERE’S THE SILVER LINING OF NAVIGATING PAPERWORK ABROAD: You are developing rare expertise that could become a marketable skill.
A lot of people living abroad end up starting their own business or side hustle, and having knowledge about a niche like paperwork for immigrants gives you a skillset that you can potentially turn into a profitable business.
Disadvantage of Living Abroad #5: You’re Always Saying Goodbye
Ugh. Even writing this one makes my tummy turn.
I hate goodbyes. Who doesn’t?
LIVING ABROAD SOMETIMES FEELS LIKE CONSTANTLY SAYING GOODBYE.
At first, it’s your family and friends. You leave them back home to pursue your new home country.
Then, it’s your friends and community in your new country.
You will never be able to keep all of your love ones in one single geographical location which means always missing someone.
You get used to it, and technology helps (hello FaceTime!) but I will never stop feeling sad when I leave my parents behind after a visit back home.
BUT HERE’S THE SILVER LINING OF CONSTANTLY GOOD-BYES: Your important relationships will strengthen in an unimaginable way, because you suddenly appreciate each other more than ever.
I spend more time with my loved ones now than ever before.
Now when we go back to the US, our loved ones clear their schedules to see and be present with us.
- We stay in their homes
- We share meals with them
- We spend countless hours together, and
- Simply live life side by side for the time we are visiting.
I NEVER SPENT THAT KIND OF QUALITY TIME WITH MY LOVED ONES BEFORE WE MOVED!
When someone lives down the street, it’s easier to postpone dinners and hang-outs. But when you live abroad, suddenly people realize how much they value you and prioritize connection.
Wrapping Things Up: The Bittersweet Beauty of Life as an Expat
If you’re still reading this, you might be one of the chosen ones. ✨
Something is calling your soul to a life abroad.
AND YOU HAVE FOUND THE PERFECT CORNER OF THE INTERNET TO EXPLORE YOUR DREAM.
When we were planning our big move abroad, I couldn’t seem to find a single community or resource to support our plans, so I set out to create one!
I’m in the process of creating a brand new course for people just like you who want to explore the dream of moving abroad. If you are interested, sign up below so I can let you know when it’s ready for you! ⬇️⬇️⬇️
THE COURSE WILL INCLUDE:
- imagining your life abroad,
- creating vision boards,
- drafting a budget for the money you’ll need to save, and
- mentally preparing for the obstacles between you and your dream.
I wish I’d had this resource when I was first dreaming of my big move!
Dreaming of living abroad is one of the best parts of the process! So let’s have fun together!
Until next time,
Bri