Some of the best things about living abroad

Living abroad can be overwhelming and scary at first, but it’s also a challenge that everyone should take on, at least once in their lives. Many expats agree that it’s one of the most rewarding things they’ve ever done, and very few experience any sort of regret.

Naturally, the first feeling you might be faced with is fear of the unknown. Fear of meeting new people, navigating places, the different cuisine and the thousands of other things that you will come across in your new life. What you should always bear in mind is that this feeling is normal; everyone has felt it at some stage of their lives and you will learn to live with it, mixed in other positive emotions like joy, happiness and excitement.

Here are some of the best things about living abroad:

Explorer of the world

When you arrive at your new expat home: Barcelona, Madrid, Gran Canaria, Ibiza or any part of Spain or the world for the first time, everything will be new for you to explore, and you will feel like a kid in a huge playground again but with more adult responsibilities.

First on your agenda will be finding the right place to live, getting to know your neighbourhood, learning the local language, and, the exciting part, soaking up the new culture. Every day you will learn to face new challenges and let go of your life back home: our top tip would be to get involved in different traditions from those back home and try new things, because after a while, they’ll become your comfort and a part of your new expat life.

Your phone will be your day-to-day diary, not only because of the streams of pictures you will likely take as you explore your new home, but it will also serve as a handy tool to keep in touch with your family and friends back home. On top of all that, it will also become your little personalised man of the city. Why not use map apps on your phone to save your favourite spots to grab a coffee or cañita or your go-to restaurant for your favourite dish. We’ve tried Mapstr and love it!

Starting from scratch

Besides the sensation of feeling free, new beginnings always make you feel more alive than ever. Moving to a different country is the perfect example; whatever you’ve left behind back home, no one knows anything about it in your new town.

You now have the opportunity to begin a different chapter in your life from scratch. There are lots of expats who find themselves in a country that’s not for them; perhaps because of the weather, the economic opportunities, new friendships, retirement or even because of the food. Or maybe because they’ve always felt attached to a specific tradition.

We can say that starting up again might also be tough for the kind of expats who are less adventurous than others, simply because change itself is hard. But most of them embrace this path; some may take more time than others, but in the end, they feel happy with their decision to start from scratch and live abroad.

It’s the perfect opportunity to shake things up in your life.

No problemo

The days go by quickly and you start becoming a professional problem solver, without even realising it. Getting the proper paperwork, finding a new flat or house for you and your family without speaking the local language yet, understanding the new culture and explaining it to your kids, solving lots of issues that you didn’t even think existed because you were so used to how things were done in your country. For tips on applying for your TIE (residency card), check out this post.

You will notice how adept you have become when you start helping another expat to move to a city that you now call yours. The words that are coming from your mouth will make you feel so proud of yourself. Things that were so hard to do at the start of your adventure are now so simple and almost come as second nature.

Job opportunities

One of the biggest pros of moving to a brand-new country is the chance to take advantage of better career opportunities. If you put your mind to it, you can find better positions that might not be available in your home country, considering the needs that lots of companies abroad discover when they’re on the hunt for your professional profile or the certain expertise that you have.

Many expats seize this new adventure as the perfect way to boost their CVs, adding all the advantages and skills that they might gain purely just by living and working in a foreign country. There are lots of employers that are constantly on the lookout for people with your native language as well as profiles with knowledge of a market that’s so different form their own. Take advantage of this “gap” in their market and show them what you’re worth. To get an idea of what’s out there, check out some of the available language-based jobs here.

Perspective

Once settled in your new home, you will now have had plenty of experiences with a different culture and its traditions, so naturally you will start to look at things from a wider perspective. Leaving behind all that you were used to and developing a new way of understanding the complex and rewarding experience of making your won way in a different country is without a doubt worth its weight in gold and definitely one of the best things about living abroad.

Aside from developing a wider perspective of people’s lifestyles, you will also feel that you have grown not only as a professional but also as a person. You have new friends, you’re definitely more independent than before and you’ve learned to do things you thought you weren’t capable of doing before. The sky’s the limit from here on out.

So, we’ve seen that apart from the initial jitters and the fear of the unknown, it’s clear that one of the best things about living abroad is the personal enrichment that ensues, both professionally and emotionally. It’s a natural kickstarter to a whole new you. This is why lots of expats say that taking the leap and moving to a foreign country is the most rewarding decision they’ve ever made in their life. We hope it is for you too.