7 Signs I was Ready to Live Abroad
27. May, 2008 
13 Comments
In response to my post 8 Things I Wish I Knew When I was 22, some people said they were thinking of traveling and wanted to know whether they should take the leap. While I want to tell everyone, “Yes, go, do it now!” I know that the traveling vagabond route isn’t for everyone.
When I finally made the decision to go, it seemed like the stars had aligned. Where before I had seen obstacles, now it was clear, I could actually do this.
Here’s are the 7 Signs I was ready to live abroad:
1. I had my finances under control. I had cleaned up my credit, paid off most of my debt (besides some low interest student loans), stopped spending my entire paycheck and began saving. You don’t have to be debt free to travel, but having accounts go to collections while you’re overseas will only haunt you later.
2. I had been saving over 50% of my income for almost a year. This meant overhauling my lifestyle and quitting some dangerous consumer habits. I cancelled my cable, stopped eating out for lunches, stopped making new purchases, sold my house, got a cheap apartment, and got rid of one of our two cars. These changes not only help you save, but prepare you for a simpler lifestyle when traveling.
3. I was no longer afraid of missing out on stuff. One of the things I’ve heard via comments and private email is people wondering if they will ‘miss out’ if they travel long term. There was certainly a time in my life when I did worry about this… missing out on things my friends were doing or passing up opportunities. But somewhere along the line, it just clicked. I was already “missing out” on the most amazing adventure of my life, all because I was playing it safe.
4. My relationships are stable and I’m not running away. My husband and I have been married for almost five years. Long ago I eliminated toxic relationships from my life (including some family). I have the support of friends and family, even if they do think I’m slightly crazy. The last thing I have in my life is any drama. You don’t need to be married to travel (obviously) but I would think twice before making any big life changes in the wake of a nasty breakup or in the middle of a tumultuous period. Travel may be the best cure for a broke heart or it might leave you devastated in a foreign country without your support network to help you through.
5. I had a way of making money. Luckily for me, I fell into a career path that lends itself to working remotely as a freelancer. If for some reason I run out of money, I could always pick up freelance work. This option is becoming more popular, with everything from customer service, to personal assistants to information technology to graphic design being done over the Internet. Otherwise, options like teaching English, working in food service, or being an Au pair may be a good fit. Unless you can self fund the whole trip, having some kind of work lined up can do a lot to propel your plan forward.
6. I moved from day dreaming to planning. When I was in college I studied Spanish, German and French. Guess what my plan was? That’s right, travel and live abroad. While my friends went to Europe after school, I never did until much later. At that time, I was still in the day dreaming about travel phase. It wasn’t until I put aside the romantic thoughts of eating baguettes in Paris to actually researching and planning a feasible trip that my plan became real.
7. I honestly couldn’t think of anything I wanted to do more. At 31 years old, most people around me are settling down and starting families. I’m just not feeling that right now, and the idea of moving to suburbia and 9-5ing it makes my skin crawl. If you can’t imagine anything better than traveling or living abroad, you can forget #1-6, because you will find a way.
Are you thinking of living abroad? Are you already doing it? How did you know you were ready to take the leap?
This is a great, informative post! I’m so glad you wrote about the seven signs that you were ready to live abroad as I agree that these signs will be slightly (or incredibly) different for each person.
After I finished my Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education, I was ready to be a teacher but the Canadian job market in the education sector was not good at the time. Rather than spend years getting the job I wanted at home, I thought I would start overseas.
In truth, I was not ready. I had not done my research. I moved to Cali, Colombia in my mid-twenties and was completely unprepared for how different the culture would be. It took me the better part of that year to shed “Canadian” brain and to understand people’s behaviour as different… not hostile or inappropriate, but motivated by different values and beliefs. By the time I left, I was actually in love with Colombia (and Colombians) but the road to my cultural adaptation was not a smooth one.
I believe that living abroad demands a certain kind of flexibility. It helps to be a relaxed person by nature and I’m not, even after all these years. If I could not be relaxed at my core, then I needed to understand the importance of learning to adapt; I learned to embrace late buses and indifferent service and craziness of all kinds. The reward for getting over my pre-conceived notions about the way things *should* be done was… the whole world!
Mexico and Spain have been much smoother.
Thanks for starting this conversation!
Teacher Girls last blog post..Postcards I Wish I Had Sent, Sevilla
Although I’m not going to live abroad (yet), the thought of being stuck behind a computer, clicking my youth away and knowing that one day wife and kids are bound to come, I’ve decided to travel at least SOME of the world on my own. I have done away with some luxuries, sold stuff online and even done the save more than 50% of my check at times (living at home is sooooooooo nice!) and paid off almost all of my debt, so when August 13th comes, I’ll get the hell out of Florida!
Anthonys last blog post..Departure and The Route
I knew I was ready because I was bored at home. People keep asking me if I’m running away. I tell them yes, from boredom. Some of it is my own fault (i moved back home to save money) but when i came home my friends were right where i left them, but i was miles beyond. I’d be overseas. You live once, I need to pack it all in!
ps- your page hits the left end of the browser. You may want to go back into the html code and push it over a bit. maybe 10px?
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@Teachergirl: I can imagine I might have been the same way at that age. There is something making it through your 20s that just teaches you to handle change better. Or maybe that’s just me.
@Anthony: You’re totally right. Travel now, while you can! And if I was 21, like you, I would live at home to save money too! (Well in retrospect… at the time I would have been all Hell No!)
@Matt: That’s a variation on themes in my life too to some extent. I moved back to Boston after seven years of living on the other side of the country and people are still swirling around in the same drama. That’s the reason you can’t come home again… the you that these people knew doesn’t exist anymore. They’ve stayed the same, but you’ve changed. PS Gracias on the clicks and I will check out that layout thing you mentioned…
Thanks for a great post! I totally agree with everyone. After just a few years behind the cubicle, I am ready for a change. After all, I still have at least 30+ years to be behind the cubicle. I’ve actually thought about it for a couple years now, but I was not ready before (relationship, financial, etc.), but now I am at the point where I can save and plan and see myself actually going. I don’t have anything to hold me down.
Hi NP! You should do it!
Thanks Christine! I still get a hard time from some people about what my plans are, but I’ve been reading blogs like yours to keep my spirit up and motivate me to keep on planning. I think it’s the first leap that’s the hardest!
I just stumbled your site and it is great! I am moving abroad to teach English in a month. I knew I was ready because I spent 5 months studying abroad in Australia and also took a 3 week backpacking trip through Europe that opened my eyes about the unimportance of possessions and the personal growth that one can experience from travel. I also got involved with the culture in my travels, working as a bartender in Australia and of course, will be working as an English teacher in Seoul. Thank you for your words, it’s always good to know there are like-minded people out there! Keep up the good work, and good luck with your move
Man, makes me want to pack up and hit the road when I graduate. I have been thinking about doing teaching work with either the DoD or Peace corps. I just have to talk my fiancee into it.
A: Thanks! It’s nice to know that people relate to what I’m trying to do!
Wink: No doubt, you’ll work it out together…
these were great, a beginning checklist, if you will, for our own pre-planning travel mode…
I disagree when people say travel now while you can. You can travel at anytime, providing you are in good health.
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