A Voyage of Discovery: Living Abroad

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”  (Mark Twain)

Making the jump from whimsical daydream to bold reality can be more than a little daunting for the best of us, especially when such actions involve travel; perhaps uprooting a young family, and moving to Germany, moving to Belgium, moving to Egypt, moving to Japan – anywhere away from home! Here are few pros and cons we picked up from previous clients moving to Belgium, Spain, and our other noted destinations.

Pros
•    Excitement! When travelling, the thrill of the new is something beautiful. It can’t be replicated, can’t be found through books, and can’t completely be explained verbally.
•    The UK is going nowhere. So, perhaps relocating to Germany was wrong for your family. So what? Count your blessings, pack up, head home and settle back into a life you now KNOW you want.
•    Difference. As Mark Twain professed above, travel and new cultural experiences go a long way to expanding the mind, soul and that little font of knowledge within. Children’s brains particularly are truly great information sponges!

Cons
•    Fitting in. Taking the first step isn’t the only hard part! It can take months – years even – for an expat to feel truly settled.
•    Homesickness. Time heals all wounds? Suddenly you forget how tedious the British drizzle was – “I miss the dull weather/late trains/familiar road signs etc!”
•    Loneliness. Expat communities are common throughout most of the world, however being apart from trusted supports back home can be heart-wrenching.