The pros and cons of living abroad

If you are considering living abroad in the near or distant future, and you have never done so before, there are a number of pros and cons you might want to consider before you do. Your experience living in another country can be determined by many factors, such as your personality, your reason for living there, and of course the specific country you decide to live in.

Different countries have different cultures, and so you might find that your personality is a better fit for certain cultures more than others. Of course, there are people with all kinds of personalities in each country, but sometimes the society of a country or even city has a general vibe. If you find that your personality is a good match for the place you’re living in, that can be a big advantage for living abroad for you. However, if your personality doesn’t match the culture so well, you might feel constrained, or forced to act a certain way in order to fit in.

There are also certain rules (established or unspoken) in other countries that you might find hard to follow. For example, some might struggle with the ‘rule’ in Japan that you shouldn’t talk loudly, or on the phone, on the train. Of course, these kinds of rules can also be preferable for you, compared to your home country, in which case this can actually be a good point of living abroad.

Another thing to consider is: what is your purpose for living abroad? Is it for work, for study, or for having interesting new experiences? Depending on your purpose, you might find living abroad to be a more positive, or negative, experience. Getting a job and working full time abroad, versus going to school and meeting lots of people in a similar situation to you, are very different situations and may color your experience of a country in different ways.

The specific country you decide to move to will also determine what kind of experience you will have, regardless of your personality and your purpose for living there. As mentioned before, each country has its own unique culture, but not only that, they also have different conditions.

Imagine living in Thailand if you can’t stand hot weather. It probably wouldn’t be such a good experience for you. Or imagine living in a country completely surrounded by land, when your main hobbies are surfing and scuba diving. Conversely, if you’re not a fan of hot weather then colder climate countries may be more suitable for you (assuming you don’t also dislike cold weather). If your hobbies are surfing and scuba diving, then places with beautiful beaches might be preferable. Choosing the country you want to move to, based at least partly on the kind of lifestyle you want to have there, can help you to have a happier life abroad.

To conclude, there are a lot of factors to consider when moving abroad, and whilst for some living abroad may be a stressful or even lonely experience, for many others it is an adventure on which you meet lots of new friends, grow as a person, and discover a new world to enjoy.

Thomas

Vocabulary
vibe (noun) – a mood or an atmosphere produced by a particular person, thing or place
constrained (adjective) – not natural; forced or with too much control
fit in (verb) – to live, work, etc. in an easy and natural way with somebody/something
color (verb) – to affect something