Would you ever move abroad?

[Londonalf]

I'm just curious how many people would consider moving abroad, or how many actually do live abroad - I am always thinking (dreaming) about living in Thailand. We try to go once a year or every other year which I know is a huge privilege and feel lucky to be able to visit, but still feels a little sad knowing that we always have to return after such a short amount of time there when we love it so much.

Also aware that maybe living in a place isn't as exciting as visiting for a holiday (would be nice to live there half the year!!) but even so, the way of life really appeals, although not sure what jobs we could do out there.

Has anyone lived that far abroad and what was/is it like?

:)

One friend moved from the UK to Canada and loves it, another moved to LA then North Carolina and again loves the lifestyle out there, though does wish they had more holiday days.
I would love to move to either California/Oregon/Hawaii or New Zealand, but 1. our families would go mad (mine won't fly) and 2. i don't think they have enough holiday allowance.

Living abroad is quite a broad category - surely it depends hugely on where, and what support or jobs are available.

Wow! Yep I think holiday allowance is a big issue - can't really go anywhere and fully understand what it's like to live there until you actually do it.

I once shared a flat with a woman in her late 40s who was a doctor at SHO level.
She had a villa in Turkey where she lived for 6 months in the winter.
Then she came to England to work as a doctor in the summer to earn money for her life in Turkey.
It seemed good to me.
However, she was a functioning alcoholic for whatever reason.

I'd like to have an apartment or villa abroad as a second home in my dreams while still keeping my little house here.

Absolutely. England is a horrible country. When this pandemic is over I can’t wait to get out and leave this country to fall in on itself through hate and division.

Yes I lived in Asia for a few years (don’t want to be too specific). It was amazing and I plan to live abroad again someday, possibly in retirement.

I have lived in several different countries but like you, OP would live to give Thailand a go.
Friends who have expated there say the bureaucracy is a painful.
When I have explored options, it would be most likely our jobs would be in Bangkok which is not the beachy vibe I dream of.
Perhaps when we retire.

I’d move in a heart beat just for the weather!

Yes, I’m getting my masters degree then I need a few years experience in my career while continuing to save to move to New Zealand. One of my friends lives over there and their way of life is so much better than England. People genuinely look out for eachother and the properties are beautiful. This was our plan even before brexit was put on the cards and shit hit the fan, everything that’s happened of late has just cemented our plans

I'm an Aussie and I have lived in the UK for nearly ten years. The first seven I'd say I absolutely loved it, but since having kids I feel really homesick and just want to go back to Aus. It is little things, like knowing how certain things work (in government or council stuff), thinking that my kids won't get to go to the same places I did as a child. Then there are big things like missing my family and mourning that they don't get to see my son very often.

I can't deny that I do have a lovely life here, but I just wish I had thought a bit more about the long term before I put proper roots down.

Having said all that, if you feel called to go, you should do it - technically you can always come home, and living abroad really changed my life and even my personality I think!

We lived in Europe for 13 years, moved back last year. It is really same shit, different place, in different languages, with slightly different foods, customs, and driving on the wrong side of the road. Bills still have to be paid, the commute can be worse, costs can be higher. The medical care was better, but we had a private health package via Dh's employer, to which we also contributed. The weather was much like the UK.

We knew we would be back in UK, so we kept our house. You need to consider schooling, getting back in an emergency, somewhere to live if you decide to come back, UK banking, tax, etc.

I had a very nice lifestyle for the past 6 years, but moving abroad killed my career. That's something to consider as well.

Have a look at the 'living overseas' board on here. Lots of questions and insight about living away.
We lived in Singapore for 12 years. Great experience but I always felt a bit homesick and missed family and friends loads.

I lived in two different countries for a total of around 10 years in my youth. Non English speaking countries.
I never felt really happy and longed to come home to the UK.
It's just so hard to communicate, even if you learn the language you miss things and never really feel it's home.
I integrated, I didn't hang out with other English people although I could have but there was a deep homesickness the whole time.
It wasn't my choice, first it was with my parents and the second time with my first husbands work.
It's given me a new great love for my own country and I love discovering new parts of it when I go on holiday.
I have no interest in travelling any more.
I suppose it does broaden your mind and give you a different view on life.

I lived in Cyprus for 10 years, still technically Europe but it's a full day of travelling with a 5 hour flight, check in time and transfers either side. I'll be back there as soon as dc are old enough to be self sufficient (of course they are welcome to come too)

I wish I had in a lot of ways but I've not plucked up the motivation to do it. It's too late now

I grew up abroad and would go back in a flash, but DH is not interested.

I live abroad and have lived in a few different places, while I am happy here and enjoy the lifestyle it offers I agree with pp that a lot of it is same shit different location. Expat circles often talk of the 6 month blues and I think that is very accurate. For the first 6 months its like an extended holiday you're exploring this new place, figuring it all out, doing all the touristy stuff, work is new and exciting. After 6 months suddenly having to spend days navigating unknown government systems, being unable to chat to the shop assistant, sitting in trafficon your commute etc is no longer an adventure its just life.
I'm not trying to be overly negative I love living where I am but living abroad is 100% not like an extended holiday, you need to think if the lifestyle of the place, the values of the people you will interact with will suit you. Although if you get the opportunity and don't have much to loose definitely give it ago. My current country was supposed to be a 6 month venture I love the lifestyle so 3 years later I'm still here.
Also being away from family and familiarity is hard (corona has highlighted this) It can be hard to connect with people you have no common ground with particularly if the language is a barrier and in expat circles people come and go so regularly it can be hard to form concrete friendships.

I lived on a "paradise" island in the Indian ocean, it might be paradise going on holiday there but it certainly isn't when you have to work and pay bills and lose all your possessions in cyclones and have to deal with extremely uptight islanders who don't like western ways and loose western morals.
You have to behave and adapt, deal with dreadful hospitals, you never ever go topless on the beach and sexism is rife.
The local police are not interested if you are raped when you've gone out in revealing clothing (never happened to me).
Everyone knows your business because the island is so small and there is nothing like amazon so if you want any specialist items of shopping it has to be shipped from a continent elsewhere which can take months.
You can also get severe food poisoning from street food and the spiders are massive.
You must learn to adapt very quickly or you will not be part of the community.

I’ve lived in Japan for nearly 2 years, was a long time ago though and I was in my early 20s.
Been back in the Uk for 15 years. It’s totally different going as a single young person to going with a family.
Because of Brexit husband and I have said that If it wasn’t for elderly grandparents - who love their grandchildren dearly- we would definitely have tried to move away from the UK. However there are grandparents to think of and that’s that, at least for now.

If the opportunity came up (unlikely!) and the money was right I might consider a 1-2 year stint abroad though while the kids are still young. We have visited expat friends in HK and Singapore and it looks like an amazing albeit realistically not long term opportunity.

@madcatlady you probably have such a difficult time there because you moan about the place so much. Why not be thankful that you don’t have to live in this shithole country anymore and actually have respect for the culture that welcomed you in.

We have spoken about the possibility as it may potentially further both our careers.

My OH would be happy to live most places and nearly moved to India at one point. Career wise we need to be in a financial or technology hub. For me, I’ve never actually been to Asia so not sure I would consider Singapore or Hong Kong at this point but we both love the lifestyle in the US and Canada so this is definitely not off the table.

I wouldn’t go at the moment as I have elderly grandparents with whom every second is precious but it’s definitely on the radar that if my OH gets up a step in his career (probably not for another 5 years), we may have to consider. I’m hoping that during that time, opportunities on the West Coast would increase as we have family friends there and I enjoy the weather more than New York.

Have lived in Germany and New Zealand. Would love to go back and live in either. In both we thought the quality of life was way better than the UK and both much more child friendly countries for raising a family. But unlikely to be able to get long term jobs in either country in our fields, and my dad is unwell so I can't really leave the UK now, so we're stuck here realistically. We could probably get jobs in the US and with bigger salaries but we don't want to live there. There are worse places to live than the UK of course, and we are lucky compared to many, but if there were no constraints this isn't where I'd choose.

I moved to Europe in 1988.
I wouldn't say that I would never move back to the UK, but it would take a HUGE lottery win to enable this.
I love where I live, it is peaceful, the weather is good and I probably have a far better lifestyle than I would in the UK.

I always find it ironic how the native people from the countries where most Brits want to move to want to move to the UK.

We lived in Europe for 13 years, moved back last year. It is really same shit, different place, in different languages, with slightly different foods, customs, and driving on the wrong side of the road. Bills still have to be paid, the commute can be worse, costs can be higher

Mostly the commute is better, the food is better, the medical care is better. Oh, and the weather is better (anywhere south of Paris, at least). And overweight tattooed yobs are relatively thin on the ground in the rest of Europe, and it’s a long time since I saw anyone spitting in the street or heard loud cursing in public, or saw vomit on the ground in a city centre. I’d recommend moving abroad, as long as you do your homework first.