What’s Keeping You from Moving Abroad? Part 1 of 2

I’ve wanted to live in Europe ever since my first trip to Paris at the age of 30. Yet somehow it took another 30 plus years to make it happen. So many obstacles stood in my way: career, money, family, pets and uncertainty. I sometimes wonder what my life would have been like if I had moved to France — probably Paris — 30 years ago. Yet I know in my heart of hearts, making the move in my mid-60s was the right time. After I retired, I had the freedom and funds to travel to Europe for three months at a time. Five years later, I purchased a house in France to remodel, and two and a half years later I moved here full-time. Who cares if it took decades to make the move? It was the right time because I have never been happier than I am right now.

All this got me thinking about what might hold anyone back from moving abroad. It’s not an easy decision. It impacts your relationships with friends and family; challenges you in ways you never expected; and takes you on a journey to discover what you truly desire in life.

If you are on the fence about moving abroad, here’s a few things to consider.

Know your why

It’s important to know why you want to move abroad. Moving to another country is not easy, especially when it means learning another language. You have to relearn everything you currently take for granted, like how to write a check or where to find the everyday items you use. And then there is the unfamiliar and endless bureaucracy to navigate. It can feel like you’re learning how to be an adult all over again. If you don’t have a strong reason for why you made the move, you may find it difficult when faced with one challenge after another.

For me, the opportunity to travel throughout Europe was a big part of my desire to move full-time to France. I wanted to do more slow travel. I’m not into quick tours that leave one drained and thinking, “If it’s Tuesday this must be Belgium.”

Being based in France, avoids the time and expense of exhausting flights back and forth to Portland, Oregon, usually a 20-to-24-hour door-to-door trip. Although as an American, I was able to spend up to 90 days out of a 180 in Europe, after three months, with the occasional getaway, I was just settling into my life in France, and I didn’t want to leave.

Finances and quality of life were two other factors in my decision to move here full-time. Although I rented my Portland home through Airbnb while I was away, and I used air miles for the flights, the rising cost of living in the US was taking a toll on my retirement budget. By living in France full-time, I could afford a higher quality of life.

I welcomed the opportunity to study a new language, experience a new culture, make new friends and learn to survive in a new country. I’d rather have those challenges than worrying about the high cost of living, whether or not I can afford medical treatment and my personal safety.

Examine your reasons for not moving abroad

As much as you’d like to move abroad, you may have legitimate reasons for not leaving your home country, or at least not at this time in your life. Make a list of your concerns and any obstacles standing in your way. Then examine each one to see if it’s truly a deal breaker or if it’s a challenge you can overcome.

Here are some areas to consider.

• Career

This was my biggest obstacle and reason for not moving to France sooner. Finding permanent employment in another country is not easy unless you are in a high demand profession or the company you work for has an international office.

Yet today there are more opportunities for people to work remotely for their company, or to have an online business that doesn’t depend on being in any particular location. You can be a digital nomad and work from almost anywhere. Just be aware that each country has different residency requirements and different lengths of stay for non-residents.

France does not have a digital nomad visa. If you want to start a business in France, you’ll need a long-stay visa equivalent to a (VLS/TS) residence permit, bearing the statement "entrepreneur/profession libérale." On a long-stay “visitor” visa, you can’t work for yourself, although you can work for a non-French company.

• Being too far from friends and family

When I sold my home in Los Angeles in 2002 and before relocating to Portland, Oregon, I thought seriously about moving to France. But my mother was in her late 70s, and I didn’t want to be that far away. I only had two-weeks of vacation, which was spent visiting her in Illinois. In hindsight, this shouldn’t have been an obstacle as it's a four-hour flight from Portland, Oregon versus an eight- to nine-hour flight from Paris.

If you live close to your adult children and/or your parents, you probably want to maintain that closeness. But if your family lives across the country and you want to move abroad, find a place near an international airport with direct flights to their nearest major airport.

Leaving my friends was also a consideration. How would we stay in touch? Today, my friends are scattered across the globe, yet we're fortunate to live in an age where you can easily stay connected through apps like WhatsApp and Zoom. It’s hard to imagine a time when Americans who lived abroad could only write letters to each other, which would take months to arrive.

• Not knowing the language

Would-be expats are often advised to learn the language before moving. If you’ve been studying the language for years, that’s great. It will make the transition easier. But if you’re not fluent, please don’t let that stop you from making the move.

My high school French and several adult classes did not get me far when I first arrived. The French might as well have been speaking Greek. It takes time to learn another language. And the best way to learn is by surrounding yourself with French speakers. I know I have a long way to go, but I’m willing to put in the time and effort to improve. It’s important to learn the local language, but no one expects you to speak it perfectly upon arrival.

• Fear of the unknown

We fear what we don’t know, which means we simply lack the information. If you want to move abroad, educate yourself. Today, there is a wealth of information on the internet, in books, on YouTube and other social media. Sign up for webinars from experts and read the memoirs of people who have moved abroad. Read up on what life is like in that country. Most importantly, visit the country you are interested in and the specific area. Spend a few weeks in each area and longer if you can. Reading about different places can narrow down your choices, but you’ll only know if a place is right for you by being there.

I hope this post inspires you to examine why you may be hesitant to move abroad. Are there legitimate reasons, or are they simply obstacles you can find a way to surmount? Stay tuned for Part 2 when I explore additional factors to consider, such as the cost of living in the country you want to immigrate to, the country’s financial requirements, what to do with all your stuff when you move, what if you have a medical condition, are you too old to move abroad, and much more.