Three Advantages of Living Abroad

Nope — not sun, sea and sangria

Photo by Steven Lewis on Unsplash

For me it was sixth time lucky.

I first flew (fled/forced to leave) the nest at 18, but stayed in the UK.

Then it was to Spain, Argentina, India and Cambodia, before Croatia became my current and permanent home.

[Well as permanent as I can be at least, and there are no promises made]

Each time I moved abroad I learnt something new about moving abroad. The first five times I hadn’t quite learnt how to do it properly and sustainably. I was in a revolving door and that door always led to the UK. A place where I didn’t feel at home, despite having all the home comforts.

What changed though was leaving with a new mindset. A five year plan of sorts with get out clauses along the way if I needed. The initial three months to see if I could find a job, the two years to reflect, another two years after that to analyse the situation. Now it’s been 6.5 years, and there are no more breaks. This time I not only learnt but also mastered the three advantages of living abroad.

You have a connection with more people

Each time I moved abroad, I found myself mixing with specific groups.