Is Living Abroad Hard?
Living abroad can be a drastic change from what you're used to. It can sometimes be a seamless transition, but it can also be a challenging endeavour that you're sure to learn and grow from!
Living abroad does not need to be hard. With the right mindset and preparation, it can be a rewarding experience. Living abroad can be an easy thing to do if done correctly!
If you've noticed a common theme in what I write, it's that I love a good plan. In this post, we'll take a look at some of the challenges and difficulties associated with living abroad. We'll also take some time to show how they can be easy with the right preparation!
Income and employment
Income is a big concern for most people no matter where they are. Depending on your situation, there are a lot of options and ways to be employed. From working as a digital nomad to working at the local hostel to working for a big company abroad. Employment can be a hard thing to deal with if you don't plan for it.
The easiest option for finding employment abroad is to work as a digital nomad. Working remotely in a job you already have can be an easy way to ensure you keep an income while living abroad. The next best thing would be to find a remote job that you can easily apply to like a company back in your home country. Working remotely and being a digital nomad comes with a lot of challenges like the hours you work, the workload, and deadlines.
Another option that I've often heard people recommend is working somewhere that caters to travellers and foreigners. Places like hostels, tour agencies, and even climbing gyms often take on foreign employees. This is an easy option if you can work in your primary language. Lots of hostels are staffed by travellers and foreigners. I've had friends who have worked at climbing gyms in other countries in varying capacities. They even had free accommodation, really dirt-bagging it, by sleeping on the mats at the gym. I've also known people who have learned the language of their destination and have picked up gigs as segway tour guides!
The last option I'd like to present is working for a larger company in a more professional manner. This is likely the hardest of the options described so far. It would involve finding a company to work for, and then applying and going through the process to get hired. Potentially with the added difficulty of not being local. Of course, there are many challenges to this like language barriers, recognition of education, and cultural expectations.
While the prospect of employment may seem like a large obstacle to living abroad, there are more options than ever in our currently globalized world! Ensuring you have a plan by keeping your current job, finding one that favours foreigners or even going through a more traditional process are all options that exist. Preparation and planning are key to making this process easier when living abroad.
For a deeper dive into how to make money while travelling, check out this post that answers the "how-to", and many other questions:
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How To Make Money While Travelling
Loneliness and socialization
Another concern when living abroad is socialization and the potential to be lonely. Being okay alone is a great coping mechanism, but if you're an extrovert, you might need to make friends while abroad. Just because you're away doesn't mean you lose your support network. Feeling lonely is a reality of living abroad, but it doesn't need to be so difficult that it keeps you away from following your desires.
One of the best ways to combat loneliness while living abroad is to be more okay with being alone. It can look like hiking alone, going to try new restaurants by yourself, or finding comfort in enjoying a movie that you've wanted to see (besides, you shouldn't talk in a theatre no matter where you are). Finding comfort in hanging out with yourself makes living abroad so much more enjoyable. Having quit my job to pursue some time off to enjoy life, I've become incredibly comfortable since a lot of my social circle doesn't share the same freedom I have. Things like time off for camping for a whole week, or weekdays playing in the mountains aren't things that everyone has access to.
There are many ways to meet new people when living abroad. A great option for doing this is going online and finding the ex-pat community wherever you are. I've gone out for dinner with people from Australia, Brazil, Denmark, England, and myself as a Canadian (all these foreigners at once while we enjoyed Italian food) all from a Facebook group! You might also want to invite people out from where you're staying. Or say "Yes" when friendly neighbours invite you out to watch the sunset on the beach. Another great way is to do what you love, and you might meet people doing the exact same thing! I've met lots of people while hiking thanks to the fact that like-minded people tend to find themselves in the same places!
When you leave your home country, it doesn't mean you have to surrender your friends and family to the ex-pat police. You can stay in touch with them and even travel to see them. Chances are, you'll make a point to go home for visits. You also now have the added benefit of being in a new location and can host them if you convince them to come to visit you.
There are many ways around feeling lonely while abroad. Enjoying alone time, making a point to make new friends, and keeping your old ones are great ways to combat loneliness. You might not always have people readily available, but with some effort, you can meet fantastic people and make great memories during your time abroad.
Language and communication
Something that can be extremely intimidating while abroad is the language barrier. Not being able to communicate can be frustrating. The silver lining is that it provides a chance to grow. If you don't want to learn new languages, there are ways to make this challenge easier.
One of the best things about coming from a western country is being able to speak English. English is a powerful language and many people speak it. Even when someone I was directly dealing with didn't speak the language, they turned to their friend who did and was able to translate for us! When they do speak my language, feel grateful knowing they've taken the time to make it easier for people like me.
Being able to communicate with others in their language is an incredibly rewarding experience. Taking the time to learn a new language can make you feel like you're growing. From my experiences, the locals have always been incredibly grateful when I can communicate with them in their own tongue.
It's now 2022; it's the future. Not only are you able to use apps and the internet to use someone else's language, but we also carry phones with us everywhere we go. I can't count the number of times Google Translate has helped me. In some places I've been, it almost seems like second nature for them to grab their phones and use speech-to-text to ensure I'm aware that the food I'm ordering is usually for two people. Of course, I knew that, but I still wanted that two-person hot pot all to myself. Or that time I was sitting outside of a shop wiping sweat from myself with my handtowel and had people use their phone to say "It's hot out, right?".
With the combination of knowing English and modern technology, we are at an advantage when we travel. You don't need to know the language of the place you're travelling to, but it can be incredibly rewarding to put in the effort.
Conclusion
Just because something is hard doesn't mean you shouldn't chase after it. Living abroad and travelling can be a challenging experience. There are many aspects of existing somewhere else that can seem like deal breakers to some. Knowing about some of the hardships and planning for them allows you to enjoy existing in another culture. It doesn't need to be hard if you take the time to prepare and have a solid plan.
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