Living Overseas...Worth It?

Are you considering going on an expat assignment or moving overseas and not sure what to expect? Well, we are Americans that have lived overseas for 6.5 years in Africa and South America and we’re going to share with you the pros and cons that you can expect from expat life…..

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Pros

Learning About New Cultures

If you aren’t excited to learn a new culture that’s totally different from your own, then sorry, but you’re in the wrong place thinking about moving abroad. Living in a new culture is a great way to get a fresh perspective on life. It can be easy to become egocentric if you’ve only lived in one place your entire life. Not only can you learn a new culture but you will be able to identify good parts of others cultures and adapt them into your life once you return home. 

Also, when you’re living day in and day out in a new culture, you’ll have a greater understanding of that country and their culture versus if you were to go on vacation for a week. And living overseas definitely gives you a greater appreciation for your own home country and culture. You will see a lot of things up close in other countries that you will be grateful don’t happen where you’re from. 

And honestly, it’s just plain fun to learn how others live. If this is your jam and this excites you then you’re definitely in the right place thinking about going to live overseas. 

Travel

Do you enjoy traveling but it takes too long to get anywhere? Well, living abroad will help with that! Those sought after vacation destinations come a lot closer to you with a new home base to travel from. 

When we lived in Angola, we could get to South Africa in 3 hours, Dubai in 6 hours and awesome safaris in East Africa in 3 hours. All of those destinations from Texas would have taken 12+ hours of travel time. Your new location will also help you go on more exotic weekend trips. From Buenos Aires, we’ve taken weekend trips to Bogota, Santiago and São Paulo.

There’s also a greater opportunity to do a lot of domestic travel within the new country you’re living in. In Argentina, we’ve travelled to Salta, Mendoza, Bariloche, El Calafate, Iguazu, Ushuaia and Cordoba. If we came to Argentina from Texas, there’s no way we could have fit all those stops into a vacation week. The more travel you can do within your new country, the better you’ll understand their way of life. 

Financial Benefits

Many people don’t realize how much money you can actually make and save while living abroad. If you’re moving overseas with your company, there are a lot of extra allowances so your income will go up. And it’s likely your company will put you in housing or help take care of your household bills which is a great opportunity to save money. Be sure to check out our post about Expatriate Allowances. It’s a great outline on what you can expect financially when moving abroad with a company.

For those choosing to move abroad for a lower cost of living, there are many countries where there is cheaper rent, food prices, etc. where your money will go further. Shopping can also be more limited in a lot of countries, depending on where you’re moving. In Angola, there was very little (if any) shopping we could do. So you will be less tempted to buy the latest cell phones or keep up with the Jones’. Which will help you save more money! 

Cons

Adjusting to a New Culture

While it’s awesome to learn a new culture, that is exactly what makes living overseas hard - the adjusting and assimilating to a new culture. Whether it’s adjusting to the schedule they have, getting used to the new foods, or learning how to communicate in a new language. That’s the hard part of living abroad. I’ve lived the past 6 years of my life in places surrounded by people that do not speak English. Learning how to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations is a skill that’s hard to acquire. It requires a lot of patience and adaptability. 

It can definitely be hard to assimilate into a new culture when you’ve lived a certain way or had particular beliefs your entire life. And it can be difficult to see value in living a “new or different” way. Things that used to drive me nuts when I first arrived in Argentina no longer bother me at all. 

This part just takes time. It gets easier with time. The longer you live in the country, the more accustomed you’ll get to the culture. 

Missing Out 

Be prepared to miss out on major activities and life milestones back home. While you’re living overseas, friends and family will get married, have baby showers, wedding showers, house warmings, birthdays and baptisms - you’re going to miss a lot. There will be times when your entire family is gathering for a holiday and you will be the only one not there...it can be hard if you’re not prepared for that reality. You have to prepare yourself mentally and understand this is just part of moving overseas. 

It can also be financially expensive to travel home to try and make an appearance at all those life events. While living overseas we have had four nieces & nephews born that we didn’t meet until several months later. But honestly, you will become accustomed to it, the longer you live overseas. You will be busy making your own new exciting memories so it helps to focus on that when you’re feeling distant from family and friends. 

And with Zoom nowadays, it’s a lot easier to communicate and be a part of those big events back home. So download Zoom and you won’t feel as left out! 

Return Trips Home 

You’re probably thinking, “What the heck, isn’t that the best part?!” Hear me out first. 

If you’re selling your home and car to move overseas (which most people do!) then going home can get expensive. And it can be a bit of a logistical nightmare when you’re trying to see both sides of family, friends and do your own thing for your vacation. I don’t want any family or friends reading this to get the wrong idea but we’re just keeping it honest with our community. 

Trying to juggle all those priorities in a one week trip home isn’t the most relaxing. 

And financially, those trips back home can turn out to be very expensive. If you sold everything, you’ll need to either stay with family or stay in a hotel. Plus a rental car and shopping for things you need to take back with you. While going home can be great to see everyone, it can quickly add up and get expensive! 

To alleviate the stress, you need to have a game plan. I make an excel calendar with each day planned on where we will be staying and what we will be doing. And be sure to block off time for you to enjoy things because it is still your vacation too! 

Then you need to front-load your family. Share your calendar with them so there are no surprises when you wake up one day and tell them you’ll be back at dinner because you’re going shopping. Or when you tell them you’re going to spend the day with the other side of the family. Everyone’s aware before you arrive what your plans are for the week.  

Even with these cons, among a few others, packing up our life in Texas and moving overseas has been one of the best decisions in our lives. The experiences and challenges have made our life so much more diverse and interesting. 

I know you will feel the same way if you have the courage to take the leap and move to a new country! 

Be sure to download my packing checklist!

If you’re ready to take that leap, be sure to check out my blog post about what you need to take in your suitcase when moving abroad.