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?

:)

Lived abroad for a total of 5 years (so moved to Country A for a year (including having a baby), back to the UK for 3.5 years, then to Country B for two years, then to Country A for 2 years, now back in UK).

My life really wasn't that different. House needed cleaning, food needed buying and cooking, kids need entertaining etc. Country B was Southern Europe, so we had a pool, time at the beach etc. Country A was Western Europe, donor much different.

It's very easy to think the grass is greener. But in reality, it's only really your leisure time that changes, and that's only a little bit. I am very glad to be back in the UK for the pandemic. We might not have the best politicians... But at least here I know that I can meet up with family in the upcoming months, and won't have to wait until it's safe for international travel.

Plan to retire to France

I think the expression 'living abroad' in itself suggests someone hasn't thought about this thoroughly. The UK was 'abroad' for me, and I lived there for almost twenty years, after some years in France, the US and the ME -- now I live in another country again, but would anticipate moving again a few more times. I speak fluent French, good Spanish, German and Italian, and reasonable, rather rusty Arabic. I wouldn't move anywhere without a good knowledge of the language and culture.

I've lived in Iraq and now in UK, but originally from a Eastern European country.
So, I obv. think it is perfectly normal to move and it's a great experience.
We started looking around on where to move next (because of brexit mostly), but have put that on hold for now.

Oh, and I wouldn't agree at all about the grass being greener, and it being 'same shit, different country'. My happiness and overall quality of life has been enormously affected by the different places I've lived. I was enormously happy living in Oxford and London, for instance, but living in the UAE was a huge mistake. And having moved from rural England to another country a few months ago, my life is already immeasurably better, even in the middle of a pandemic.

DH and I plan to move to Spain when he retires in about 5/6 years time. We already have a property over there so it’s just a case of selling up over here.

So, I obv. think it is perfectly normal to move

This is key. By and large English people don't think it's normal to move countries (I can't speak for Scots or Welsh people), there's no cultural tradition of emigration as there is for other countries, and it's fundamentally seen as an anomalous and rather selfish thing to do.

I'm fascinated by the attitudes to emigration displayed on Mn -- there's so much ire expressed against the UK and its society, politics, institutions, but the model of emigration is either 'moving to Australia for the sun' (hence that spate of deeply weird afternoon TV programmes that take some underinformed families to Australia for a look around and get them to vote on whether they want to do it in earnest, and/or ones where monoglot Brits look around holiday homes in Spain) or 'being an expat' in the ME on a time-limited package with no expectation of fundamentally assimilating into another country's culture and language.

In a heartbeat.

We were due to move to Australia 12 years ago but had to stop the process a week before due to family pressure. I’ve never forgiven them (and ex Dh ultimately divorced me over it).

I’ll never do it now though. Dh would never leave his mother. We can’t go on holiday without him FaceTiming her everyday.

I spent a year in Georgia during college and then lived in California for nearly 10 years. Came back to the UK when my kids were little as it was better for my DS who has a disability. In the future I’d like to live part of the year in Spain and part in the UK.

If retired I could see myself living somewhere warm for 2/3 months over our winter. Not working though.

If I had a chunk of money to make sure we could set ourselves up, I think I could happily live in some other countries.

How much of that is Romance on my part though I don't know. I like being in places like rural Ukraine, Transylvania, rural Poland, Hungary. Places where it feels like you're going back in time 50 years.

It's all about income though, wherever you live. I'd be happy out in the sticks somewhere in the UK, miles away from anyone, but you need to be able to sustain that lifestyle. Given my only qualification is a beefed up driving license, I'd struggle having as good a life out there as I do here.

@EdersonsSmileyTattoo, just make sure you have private health care if you move here.

I must be a total weirdo because I'd only move abroad if we absolutely had to and there was a definite return date. Don't get me wrong, I have huge admiration for people who do up sticks and make a 'new' life somewhere else and I do love travelling and seeing other places/culture/everything involved but...

I love home. It's where my family and friends are, it's a gorgeous place (that obviously has it's issues because nowhere is perfect) but it'd take a serious war/the island sinking into the ocean for me to leave and know I might never make it back.

I disagree about it being 'unBritish' to move. We haven't had waves of mass emigration like the Irish, but there are a lot more of us abroad than you think. Even within the UK, think how few people were born in London. It feels like everyone moves there when they've graduated. We've also got a tradition of going away to university that doesn't happen elsewhere in Europe. I think this actually means that being mobile is more ordinary and less talked about. For both me and my husband, there hasn't been a generation in 150 years where someone hasn't emigrated (mostly for the US and Oz). We're solidly working class, and mostly contact was lost because tickets and phone calls were expensive, so it was just not talked about, other than the occasional mention 'oh yes, Gran has a cousin in Pennsylvania'.

We've lived in multiple countries and cities in the UK. It's the same everywhere. You go to the shop, go to work, go out for dinner. Laundry, cleaning and taxes still need doing. The background changes, the food and weather change, the flavour of bureaucratic annoyance changes, the quality of housing changes, the disposable income changes a bit, but mostly you take your shit with you in your attitude. If you love/hate London, you'll probably love/hate Paris or Hong Kong. If you can cope with rural Scotland, you'll probably cope with rural Austria or Australia (just different bitey things!)

Yup. Living in Asia with DH who is a local and DS.

I moved here last year and it's been incredibly hard so far. Much more then I ever expected. To begin with the culture and the language. Then, having no friends and family around. I once heard someone say that emigration shakes your identity all the way up to the foundations of it and they're right. You need a lot of mental stamina and sometimes I wish I hadn't moved here. On the other hand, I really don't want to go back.

My dream is to retire somewhere in the Mediterranean.

I'm moving abroad in a few weeks (once this virus fecks off and let's me enter the country!)

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.

Good luck wherever you go. I won't miss you :)

I moved to asia with DH bevor we got married when i was early 20s. We lived there for 4 years, then returned and lived back home for a few years. Moved to australia for 5 years for a work placement.
Both were amazing experiences, but like you said, its not the same as holidays and i wouldnt have stayed there i definitely. A few years was perfect, because we really got to experience life there and settle down properly. Asia was great for me at that age. Lots to do, lots to see and everything is so different and exciting, but now with kids i really prefer life back in Europe. The language was also a bit of a problem.

Yes I have done several times. And I would do it again.

When we did it we had ample holiday allowance,tax free, rent free,car allowance and paid flights home once a year.

I long to move abroad. I have never liked England and have tried living in so many places here but it’s just not for me. Even as a kid I always imagined living elsewhere.

It was always my plan to move as soon as I could. I then met my DH whose job (barrister) doesn’t exist elsewhere so that has put the brakes on my plans. I can’t stay here though, no way!

Not interested in moving. Have a good life where we are, I love it here, we don't lack opportunities and it's important to me to be relatively near my family.

I can also see how lucky we are to live in a safe, affluent with a high level of freedom.

I emigrated to Iceland as soon as I finished university in England (my native country). I've been here almost 10 years now, basically my whole adult life, and now have dual citizenship. I don't see myself as 'living abroad' anymore as I am a permanent immigrant and always intended to be. I have an Icelandic partner and Icelandic children.

I wouldn't say that I'd never ever move back to the UK, but I can't really see it happening. I think we have a much higher quality of life here than we could in the UK, especially as a parent of young children. I really couldn't think of anywhere better to raise children. The culture and lifestyle just suits me. It definitely wouldn't suit everyone!

I wouldn't move anywhere hot abroad. The language, the mosquitoes, having to slaver yourself in sunscreen every day as you're baked like a chicken.....that doesn't appeal at all. What I would like to do though is move to Devon or Dorset and just slow everything right down.

Yes, I would.

My dream for many years was to move to France when we retire - but I am not so excited about it since the Brexit vote. In fact I was distraught for weeks when the referendum happened. I suppose will have to see what the conditions of residency will be once it's all finalised.

I have relatives living in the USA but I don't want to live there. I have seen too much of how it really is to live there- the medical system/insurance puts me right off. The gun culture. Also the natural disasters which occur regularly in the area I love to visit scare me.

Currently though whilst I am happy to up sticks and leave my family, DH won't leave his elderly DM.