Wednesday, August 12, 2015

The 5 Best Reasons to Live Abroad

It's been a few months now since Nick and I returned to the U.S. after our second year in Sweden, and a few months since we made the decision to accept jobs within the U.S. and start our life here. If I'm honest, I miss living abroad almost every single day- there are so many great reasons to do it, and ways that living abroad just can't be beat. Sure, there are the downfalls- and I'll discuss those another day- but today, I want to take a brief look at the five best reasons to live abroad and become an expat! Without further ado, here we are...

Paris, just one of the many destinations I was able to visit while living abroad!
1. Travel Opportunities. Without a doubt, one of the best parts about living abroad is the travel opportunities. Each day is a new adventure, and you are able to see so many great places and explore so much more. While I was living in Sweden, I was able to visit several new countries, and even traveling throughout Sweden was an adventure in itself. If for no other reason, living abroad is awesome because of the endless travel opportunities you are exposed to!

Checking out Oktoberfest in Germany- a tradition that has been around hundreds of years!
2. Cultural experiences. This goes hand-in-hand with the travel opportunities, but living abroad you will gain a whole new set of cultural experiences. Not only will you be immersed in a new culture and learn the ins and outs of that culture, but through traveling you will also gain new perspectives.

3. Learning new languages. Chances are, if you move to a new country you'll have the opportunity to learn a new language. Even if you move to a country that speaks the same language, you'll learn slight differences. At the same time, you'll also likely meet people from different parts of the world and be able to learn a little bit of their language. It is amazing how beneficial language skills can be to a person!

Making friends while in the Dominican Republic!
4. Meeting people from all over the world. As an expat, you'll meet people from all over the world. My first week living in Sweden, I met people from the U.S., Canada, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland- and that was just in the first week! Each time you meet a new person, you have the opportunity to learn from them and their life experiences. Through meeting people from all over the world, I've made countless new friends, and even traveled throughout the world to visit some of these people. What a great opportunity!

5. Personal growth. Really, living abroad is all about personal growth. I learned countless life lessons while living in Sweden, and really grew as a person. Living abroad, you learn more about yourself, your relationships, and what really matters in life. If I had to, I could now pack up all of my important 'things' into a suitcase and go. After all, its not the things in life that matter most- it is your experiences, knowledge, and relationships. Each of the above reasons for living abroad- travel opportunities, cultural experiences, learning languages, and meeting people from all over the world- contribute to your personal growth.

I really can't stress enough all of the great reasons to live abroad and how it changes you as a person. In the spirit of full disclosure, living abroad does suck at times. Don't worry- one day, there will be a post about that as well! However, overall, living abroad will be one of the best decisions that you can make- so if you are on the fence, just do it! For other expats or people who have lived abroad, what are the best parts about living abroad?

8 comments:

  1. I am an expat living in Taiwan, and I couldn't agree with you more. I have been in Taiwan for three years now, and I am so happy with all the positive changes it has brought to my life, personally, professionally and socially. Plus, I have found that every time I return to America to visit, I appreciate the states even more!

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    1. Thanks Jacqueline! You make a great point- living abroad also gives you a greater appreciation for where you come from! I'll have to keep that one in mind for future posts, but it is so true!

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  2. I would love to live abroad! I think being so far from friends + fam would be tough, but if it was a temporary thing, I don't think it'd be too terrible! Like you mentioned, there are so many benefits to doing it!

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    1. Rachel- it is definitely tough, but so worth it!

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  3. I think my favorite thing is the personal growth that you touched on. I've changed in so many ways since moving abroad and I'm so grateful that I've had this opportunity. It's awesome!

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