The thought of living abroad doesn’t appeal to everybody. Some people prefer to go on vacation in foreign countries and return home to their familiar surroundings. However, it’s something that we believe everybody should experience at some point in their lives!
Living overseas opens the door to a wide range of new and exciting opportunities that you wouldn’t otherwise have if you stayed in your home country. Every country in the world has something unique to offer, and you can expand your knowledge and wisdom by becoming an expat.
Living abroad – whether in one of these prague apartments for rent or a townhouse you have bought in London – offers a number of benefits, including a better quality of life, new life-long friends, better career prospects, and a higher earning potential. Regardless of the country you choose to live in or which country you’re moving from, you can experience all of these benefits and more by taking the leap.
If you’re not yet convinced to book your flights and start afresh overseas, here are X reasons why you should experience living in another country. Make sure you book global health insurance and travel insurance before you move so that you are able to access medical treatment in your destination country if needed.
1. New Experiences
The most obvious benefit of moving to a completely different country is the opportunity to gain new experiences. Moving overseas enables you to explore different parts of the world, see unique sights, and meet people with different experiences and viewpoints as you.
Part of the beauty of moving to a foreign country is the fact that you can immerse yourself in a brand-new culture. As much as you can read about a different culture in books and online articles, it doesn’t compare to experiencing it in person.
When you move overseas, you will develop cultural awareness. You’ll become more accepting of people’s differences, and you’ll pick up the social norms, cultural expectations, and local language. You might find that some of the stereotypes are a little exaggerated too!
2. Increased Adaptability
Being able to adapt to new situations without getting stressed and overwhelmed is a skill that everybody should aim to develop. Life has a funny habit of throwing curveballs, and your ability to deal with difficult situations and significant changes is key to staying happy and healthy.
Moving to another country might feel like a very stressful situation to put yourself in, but once you’ve settled in your new home, you’ll have developed the skill of adaptability. There are very few things that are as significant as moving overseas, so your future difficulties will seem minor in comparison.
When living abroad, you’ll come across new and unexpected things around every corner. You’ll need to figure your way around your new hometown, learn how to integrate into a completely different society and put yourself out there to make new friends.
As you settle into your new life, you’ll notice that you’re better able to adapt to new situations. This is a skill that you’ll carry with you for the rest of your life.
3. New Friends
Millions of people move to and from different countries every year. When you uproot your life and settle in a brand-new area of the world, you have the opportunity to meet a wide variety of people. You can make new life-long friends who share similar interests to you but also offer new perspectives on life. Whether you’re moving overseas to work, study, or retire, you can socialize with people from all over the world and make friends for life.
Putting yourself out there enables you to develop vital social and communication skills too. If you’re moving to a country that doesn’t speak the same language as your home country, you’ll need to learn how to communicate effectively through body language and gestures until you pick up the basics of the local language.
You’ll also learn how to communicate in a way that takes other people’s expectations into account. Different cultures communicate in unique ways and what’s seen as appropriate in one country is deemed offensive in another. Becoming an expat is one of the most effective ways to learn what is and isn’t acceptable.
4. Better Career Prospects
Maybe you’re unhappy with your existing wage or employer and want to find something better. Moving to another country could open the door to careers with better prospects and earning potentials.
Even if you’re not moving abroad specifically for work, you might end up finding a better job than your current one by accident. You might meet somebody who works at a reputable company and can recommend you to their manager or you might spot an internship or apprenticeship opportunity that you can’t turn down.
Being able to say that you’ve worked in another country puts go at an advantage in the future too. Employers will see that you’re adaptable, brave, and motivated when they spot that you’ve got experience working across the globe.
