Originally from California, I moved to Warsaw to teach English. It turned out that I wasnt really prepared for living in poland. I mean obviously I made my decision after all the research and I planned so much before coming here. And apparently didnt face any major issue except that it was not california and I was not used to of the country. You can say that I was homesick but I think I also kinda took it very normally as if I was not changing countries just switching job or something.

But moving to a new country can be overwhelming. I found many everyday activities (like banking/paying bills, going for appointments or grocery shopping, to be overwhelming and at times, kinda stressful) because simply things were not the way they were back in US. It wasnt just that even ordering food, or asking for directions, were also kinda very very hard for me. I also had to adjust to many cultural differences between the two places. While Polish people were not rude AT ALL, I found them to be much more reserved than people back home. I hardlyy dated anyone in my first year lol.

Also it was veryy hard adjusting to stores closing early sometimes and the loooong hours and darkness of the Polish winter. Oh my God. I mean everything felt so cold and lonely and snowy my first winter here. And I could hardly drive because of snow (which is my way of relaxing) and my dashcam also stopped working here because it was one without supercapacitor. I had no idea what that was. I got mad at customer support team but they were very helpful and explained why it happened and how I didnt order right one. So its stuff like this, that made me feel very stupid for moving to a new country without knowing these detailed things.

My point is guys do more surface level research before moving anywhere. Try to visit that country (if you have budget) to see if you understand culture and learn about important things. Or atleast find an aquaintance there and ask them about differences. Dont be me especially if you are gonna live alone.

TLDR: Biotechnologist who has already moved to new countries two times, is afraid to make the same mistakes again, and looking for recommendations for stable and calm countries.

Hey everyone, I want to share my story because I’m at one of my lowest points right now and just really need to vent and express what I’m feeling.

I’m 30 years old, originally from a very poor South American country where a lot of people dream of leaving due to the lack of opportunities. I graduated back home with a master’s in biotechnology and after that worked in a lab for a while I was looking for jobs in Europe.

Finally, at 26, I got a job in Germany and spent two years there. I was earning minimum wage, but I was happy because to me, it felt like a lot (or so I thought at the time). I lived comfortably in a shared flat and was even able to save money. I loved the tranquility, order, and cleanliness of Germany; it was a massive contrast to where I grew up.

Eventually, my contract ended, and the company didn't renew it due to a lack of funding (they laid off several other people, too).

After that, I was desperate to find another job and applied everywhere. I was offered a position in the Netherlands making around €3k, but I turned it down because of the working conditions that involved rotating shifts and extreme safety protocols that meant no bathroom or food breaks for the full 8-hour shift.

Then I received a PhD offer in Spain and thought, "Why not?" I already spoke the language, and even though the salary was low, I figured the cost of living would be cheaper and I’d walk away with a doctorate. So, I took it.

At first, things were fine, but I quickly realized I had made a huge mistake. The cost of living here is almost the same as, if not higher than in Germany. The only thing I’ve found cheaper is dining out, which I don't do very often anyway.

I calculated that my purchasing power, and my ability to save, ended up being 15% less than in Germany. On top of that, I feel like locals will never really see me as one of them. Even though I speak the language, I’ve actually managed to make fewer friends here than I did in Germany.

I don’t really enjoy the lifestyle here either. Everything feels so chaotic and messy, people are very loud, and life seems to constantly revolve around partying, which just isn't my thing. I’m not bashing Spanish people at all; I think most of them are great and they are a happy bunch and enjoy expressing it. But I’m a very calm, introverted person who needs personal space, and loud environments stress me out. I don’t care about the beach or sunny days, I long for cold weather, snow, forest and mountains.

I feel completely stuck, sad, and depressed. I have zero energy to work, go to the gym, or do anything else. I’ve realized that I’m f*ck*ng broke, and I’ve wasted my best years earning breadcrumbs by European standards. I’ve been saving aggressively because I dreamed of settling in Europe, buying a house, and starting a family, which are things that require a lot of money, but now that goal feels almost impossible. I didn’t even enjoy the money I earned all these years.

I also very fearful of moving again and start a life in another country just to then realize that I don't like it there and end up moving again. I feel like my time is running out to settle somewhere.

Even if I finish my PhD and land a better job elsewhere, I feel like I'm already way behind economically compared to others in Europe, and I have no family support here to rely on.

I still have two years left to finish my PhD, but I’m already thinking about moving away afterward. I have become a Spanish citizen so I can move anywhere in the EU. I don’t know where yet, but I want to gather as much information as possible, so I don't make the same mistake again.

I’m looking for a country that:

- Is clean, organized, predictable and calm like Germany.

- Has lots of natural areas to explore.

- Has High Purchasing Power and allows for Long-Term Financial Growth.

- Has a clear path to social integration and belonging.

- Has a language that I can speak (English, Spanish, German and a bit of Italian) or learn (For example, sorry Hungary, you have a beautiful country but the language is impossible)

I’m considering countries like:

- Denmark

- Ireland

- The Netherlands

- Austria

- Germany (Again)

- Sweden

- Norway

- Switzerland

- South Tyrol in Italy

- Northern Spain?

- Belgium?

- Poland? (but language barrier is higher)

I don’t know, I feel overwhelmed with the possibilities, and I would love to hear your recommendations.

Thanks in advance for reading all of this and taking your time to answer.

Hi all. My husband and I have been looking at some options to expatriate. We are gay. My husband is a nurse and I'm in tech. He can work as a Infirmier(ère) praticien(ne) spécialisé(ne) en santé mentale (IPSSM). What is the reality of making such a move? Are Americans received well? Would he be able to find work with a conversational fluency in French to start? Would he more need to be fluent in French to be successful? He knows that he has three years to obtain the requisite proficiency in French. Any other thoughts about the possibility? We're two good guys just looking to work hard and be happy. America is stealing our joy. Much appreciated.

Hello! My family is relocating from the US to Shanghai on an expat package that includes a 4500lb shipping allowance (500 of which can be air freight) and unlimited storage in our home country. We’ll be there for 3 years with our two young kids.

4500lb sounded like a lot to me, but I was told it’s about two full rooms’ worth of stuff…so definitely not enough to move our whole house over. Think we will dedicate most of the air freight allowance to kids’ stuff to help ease the transition (toys, books, clothes, crib etc).

How would you think about what to ship vs store? Thanks to anyone who has done this before and is willing to share their wisdom!

Something I've noticed since becoming an expat myself, and talking to others who've done the same: it's surprisingly easy to build a whole social life inside the expat bubble and never really cross into the local world. You end up with lots of friends who are also foreigners, but the actual locals stay distant, coworkers, neighbors, maybe a barista you recognize, but rarely anyone you sit down and share a meal with.

I've tried a few things: language exchanges, local meetup groups, saying yes to random invitations. Some worked, most didn't. The ones that did work were almost always unplanned, someone's neighbor showed me around, a local invited me to a family dinner, that kind of thing. Nothing I could have organized on purpose.

Curious how it's gone for others here. Did you manage to build real friendships with locals, not just other expats? What actually worked, and what do you wish someone had told you before you moved?After moving abroad, how do you actually meet locals (not just other expats)?

Hey everyone,

I'm in my late 20s and moved to Lisbon a few weeks ago for a job that I'm starting very soon. I've been looking for a room to rent for at least a year, and I've narrowed it down to two options. 

Both are within my budget and in good areas, I can commute to work easily from both, and both provide regular and legit contracts. It is more a matter of lifestyle. 

1. The owners/landlords are retired Portuguese mom and dad in their 50s who live with their 3 lovely dogs. I would be living in their son’s room, who like me is moving away from their parents’ house. They struck me as an incredibly kind, welcoming and warm couple. The house is not too big but neither too small, I would be sharing a bathroom with them and the room is quite small with a single bed. This is not a host-family arrangement, I'd have my own independence, cook my own meals, come and go whenever I want, and there are no curfews or expectations to spend time together. This seems to be a great choice for learning Portuguese and immersing myself completely in the Portuguese culture and way of living. Plus they have amazing 3 dogs, and I absolutely love dogs (I have one back home that I miss a lot).
2. This room costs 50 euros more than the mom&dad&dogs house. The apartment is quite old but elegant with high ceilings, my room is very spacious with A/C included, overall the house is bigger that the first one. I would be living with 4 Ukrainians (2 males 2 females) and sharing a bathroom with only one of them. All of them are young professionals like me, and I happened to have studied Russian back in university, so I would not have any issues communicating with them (I already know about the speaking Russian with Ukrainians matter, so of course I would be cautious about that). 

I'm not a very social or party person. I actually prefer quiet evenings at home rather than going out to bars or clubs, I don’t even drink alcohol. At the same time, I just moved out of my parents' house for the first time and part of me feels that living with people my own age might help me become more independent. On the other hand, the Portuguese couple's home feels incredibly warm and welcoming, and I think living there would be a unique cultural experience. Plus, they have dogs.

My heart says go to the family with dogs, my brain says go with the other youngsters.

If you were in my position, which option would you choose, and why? I'd really appreciate hearing different perspectives, especially from people who have lived abroad or shared apartments. Thanks in advance!

After 10 years renting since i moved to the US, and almost 20 years of owning what is a beautiful ground floor London garden flat, i'm DONE and about to put the flat on the market, and using my property managers at a national estate agency. They've been overall good and i will negotiate the fee where possible.

SO many tenant issues - which i know is part of being a landlord, but this last couple have finished me off when i have gone above and beyond my landlord duties. They took full advantage of the new laws from May, and gave their notice and leave in a couple of months. Great - saves me having to serve notice - there was no great hurry anyway and really they should have taken a short term let. So everyone gets want they want here.

What with all the drama of tenants, plus i'm due to re-mortage next year anyway, plus the fact that landlords will need to file quarterly taxes instead of annual, plus the impending EPC regulations coming in a couple of years and probably even more things that make it harder and harder for a landlord, i'm done. I'm cashing out. It was a good run, but the truth is i'll never live there or in London ever again.

Now, unfortunately my UK accountant doesn't do Capital Gains Tax for a non-resident landlord - does anyone have any good reccos or experience they can share? Cross-posting for vis. Thank you!

i have a holiday booked for august and i’m seriously debating on whether to just not book the return flight back. i am not happy at all here, i use instagram, and from what insee the uk as a whole is not in a good spot. feral youths, expensive food, lack of opportunities, bad food, bad weather, couldn’t pay me to live in manchester or birmingham. i see various brits pack their bags and never look back, wonder if i could pull it off. don’t get me started on politics

How did you cope?
I’m an American who has lived in Australia for the past seven years. Australia is my home. My boyfriend, closest friends, career, routines, independence, apartment and the version of myself I feel most connected to are all there.

A few months ago, my mom was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. I’ve now moved back to the US to be with her, without knowing how long I’ll be here or when I’ll return to Australia. She has maybe 6-12 months to live.

Now that I’m here I’m deeply grieving the life I left behind. Im dislocated from my relationship, community, financial independence, home, and identity. It feels like I’m being torn between two lives, and whichever country I’m in, I’m sacrificing time with someone I love.
This was always my greatest fear about building a life so far from my family: that one day I would be forced to choose between the people I love at home and the life and people I love overseas.

Has anyone else gone through this? How did you handle the guilt, uncertainty, resentment, grief, and pressure to make the “right” choice? Did you stay indefinitely, move between countries?
Every choice I make comes with so much pain and sacrifice.

In one week i leave the country where I've lived for 3 years. Of the countries I've lived in, this is by far the one I've liked the most, alas one where long term stay isn't sustainable for me.

There are many things that (due to various reasons, some attributable to myself, others not) I didn't get to experience enough, fully, or at all. 3 years in this country seems too few to me.

I am very grateful for what i did experience, and for the privilege of being able to continue experiencing other countries and cultures. I've lived quite a semi-nomadic life since childhood anyways, and I'm used to moving a lot.

However, this is the first time that I've been hit with this intensity of feeling "unready to leave". The regret of all the things I didn't experience despite being able to. Perhaps the attachment to my favorite places, foods, rituals. Like, besides actually wishing I didn't have to leave, it just doesn't feel real that I'm leaving.

This last month I've been playing catch up, to varying degrees of success. It's not a substitute for leisurely, calm experience untainted by FOMO. But it's better than not experiencing them at all (mostly foods and places). And as i do so, in each experience i am as present as i can be, i tell myself that this is the last time I'll likely ever experience it, and i give thanks, and i say goodbye.

And yet... It still feels unreal.

Has this happened to you? How do you manage / process / overcome it?

I don't want to deny or run away from this feeling. I want to understand it and learn and grow from this.

Thank you.

Maybe it is my mental state these days, but I started feeling extremely difficult to get motivated by anything. I moved from the US to Switzerland last year; I moved to the US when I was a teenager from an Asian country, so I had an experience adjusting to the new country. However, this move is hitting me differently.

I moved alone with a job, and have to say a good job. Life in Switzerland itself has been amazing. I love the fact that everything just "works". Things are relatively orderly, respectful, and quiet. The nature is quite close and accessible, so I am trying to take advantage of it whenever I have an energy.

Though the summer sun is long and great, I started feeling more lonely and isolated lately. I didn't speak any German when I moved here, but learned to speak to be able to get by daily life. Even though I work in a field where our work language is English, I found it hard to make work friends. I am trying to organize after work beer or so, but the distance seems to not become close.

I work with a lot of colleagues from Germany, and one thing I kept noticing is the amount of complaints, gossip, and responsibility shifting. People complain when someone covers them during the vacation as well as when someone doesn't pick up their slack proactively. I don't know what exactly they want. From day 1, I had different people come to me complain about everyone in the team, which I found it very bizarre.

Within one year, I went through 3 major re-org's. My first manager at this job was quite abusive - made everyone in the team figt, pitted everyone against each other; we had half of the people turn over within less than a year because of him. As a new person, I tried to mediate some situations, but after literally getting yelled and called names, I also became a shell of myself. The manager left the company, but for some reason, I feel constantly anxious.

I want to try another year or two, because I had done this kind of adjustment in earlier days of my life. It just hits differently maybe because I am older, or maybe because of my situation, or maybe because I am just weak. In the morning full of anxiety during commute, I just wanted to share what was in my chest borrowing the power of anonymity. Thanks for reading.

I have a couple of close friends ( whom I see lesser these days due to their personal lives ) and then another 1-2 people I meet more occasionally, but every-time I go out and see large friend groups, hear stories of people being invited to a friend's friend kinda thing and having a mad time, I feel like I'm missing out and not having as much fun as I could.

Think a lot of people my age (22) have their friend groups from school and Undergrad still while I'm an 'outsider' trying to fit in.

We’re preparing for our third international move in eight years. You would think we’d be better at choosing schools by now, but every move seems to bring a completely different set of considerations.

We’ve started building a shortlist that includes NLCS Singapore, Dulwich, Brighton and Dover Court. But reading school websites and comparing curricula only tells you so much, especially when you’re trying to make the decision from another country.

For other expat families, how do you go beyond the prospectus and get a realistic sense of whether a school will suit your children? What has helped you make a good decision and what do you wish you had checked before committing?

Looking to retire to Europe next year. I’m American and on the friendly/outgoing side. I love hearing about people’s lives and adventures. And it would be nice to be able socialize outside of the local expat community.

My wife is a chemist and I'm a physiotherapist. We've been together for 8 years, ever since we started dating when we were 19. We've come to the conclusion that our future in our home country isn't very promising, so we've been considering different options. However, we're feeling pretty stuck.

1. Switzerland

For me, Switzerland seems like a great opportunity. I'm already enrolled with a company that provides German language training and guarantees me a one-year contract at a clinic. Two of my friends went through the same company and are currently saving around €2,000 per month.

The problem is my wife. She has a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in Chemistry, but no work experience. From what we've researched, she'd be entering a very competitive job market, and she's unlikely to receive any offers.

We've also asked about this on Reddit, and almost everyone advised against moving to Switzerland as a junior chemist because finding a job without experience is extremely difficult.

2. The Netherlands

For my wife, moving to the Netherlands seems like a much better option. She has several friends already working there who are doing well and saving a good amount of money.

The problem is me. I don't have the same advantages there. There aren't companies that help physiotherapists with the language, relocation, and paperwork like the one I've found for Switzerland. On top of that, it would mean giving up all the German I've already been learning and starting from scratch with Dutch.

I also don't have a Master's degree, so I'm not sure I'd have a competitive enough profile to find a decent job in the Netherlands.

We've been thinking about a few possible solutions. One idea is that I move to Switzerland first, save some money, use those savings to pay for a Master's degree, and start learning Dutch while working there. Another idea is for my wife to come with me to Switzerland and try to find a job, but we're worried about the impact that could have on her mental health if she struggles to find work.

Has anyone been in a similar situation or have any advice on what you would do?

Hi all,

I am considering traveling to Albania for a year. I currently use Buspar as an anxiety medication. I have tried all other anti anxiety pills and this is absolutely the only one that helps.

I read from many different sources that Buspar is not an option in Albania.

From my research, I found two most common/different ways to receive the meds:

- try to travel with 90 days worth of medication and come back to USA when more is needed

-travel to Greece to try and meet with a provider that may give a RX for Buspar

From what I read, both of these options are deeply dependent on luck and suggested not to rely on

Does anyone have any experience with this situation? Is there any information missing from my own research? I would be open to any thoughts.

Thank you

I’m in a bit of a crisis - I’ve been living abroad since I’m 19 (mainly in the Netherlands and Denmark). I love how progressive the countries are, things just work there and people are mostly nice.

The reason why I left Germany back then was because the culture just wasn’t for me - too rude, too narrow-minded, not feeling safe as a woman in many big cities, stricter hierarchies at work, bureaucracy etc.

However, I do start to miss home - speaking the language, getting inside jokes, being closer to family.
I’m considering Munich which might be a tad too conservative for me, but the people seem friendly, the city clean/safe and the nature is great.

Anyone here who has made a move back home to Germany after many years?

Has anyone hired a lawyer or other professional to handle their temporary residence permit process? What permit and how did it go? How much did it cost? Thank you!

I am an American in Croatia for 68 more days (Schengen 90/180). I am considering applying for the digital nomad temporary residence permit. I'm sure I qualify and I can find all the forms and instructions. I know Croatian bureaucracy can be tough to navigate, especially for a foreigner who doesn't speak Croatian. I am concerned that trying to apply on my own could be much more difficult and risky of time that hiring a professional to handle it for me.

Hi all! I don’t know if this post is allowed here but I am hoping to gain some insight and I thought this community might have that. I did not move out of my home country (US) but I moved to the other side of the country to be closer to family and am now more immersed in my ethnic/cultural background by way of that move.

I have really been struggling and feeling like I’m almost having an identity crisis. I used to carry my ethnic/cultural background around with me like a little internal home and I never really felt scrutinized because the place I grew up and lived most of my life wasn’t too familiar with my background and I didn’t meet a lot of people who shared it- so it was more something that could belong to me in a way. But now being more surrounded by it I just feel like I am confronted with all of the ways that I don’t belong. It’s like something that used to give me identity is now something that I am not “enough” of or don’t really belong in so I’m just floating and don’t feel grounded. I worked hard in life to find my sense of grounding so it’s really messing with me.

Has anyone else experienced something similar? Like maybe moving to the home country of their family? And how did you cope?

hi! i’m a norwegian M28, i live in a mid-sized city in norway and i’m looking for a new home.

the city feels completely dead, i feel isolated and bored, the nightlife is atrocious and the music scene is terrible, it is ugly and industrial, and there is a never ending sea of grey skies and rain. i feel like i am just surviving, or slowly dying, but i want to live! i want to swim in the ocean, dance and sing, grow plants, build houses, create businesses, meet cool people and beautiful women, and wake up excited about the day.

i’m looking for a city that feels vibrant and alive, beautiful architecture, nature, parks, hills and viewpoints, a more social environment where it is easier to make new connections, where there are more ambitious people and opportunities to create and build things, where i can live a happier life. i’m way into music and have been playing guitar going on ten years, so a good music scene would be great! but really i just want more life in my life. i’ve been considering portugal, spain or italy, but i’m open to other suggestions.

really what i want is a solarpunk, renewable energy, self-sufficient city built in the forest living like the elves, dancing around the campfire under the stars, but that’s another matter. maybe one day.

i know that an ideal place doesn’t exist and that not everything will get fixed by going somewhere new, but if you were a handsome young-ish adult with freedom to go and create a better life, where would you go? thank you!

I have lived in Europe for around 8 years. When I first moved, I was told "can't wait to visit you". In reality, I mostly went back home to visit my family. Even my family with the financial means and time off, did not bother to visit at all, expecting to me to go home all the time. I didn't realise it bothered me, until recently when I thought "maybe someone will be interested in how I am establishing my life, instead of just hoping I return". What are your experiences?

We have been working on cleaning a traditional riad that we purchased in the medina of the Rabat medina in Morocco. I have had a difficult time finding professional contractors to do things like electrical work and plumbing. I have to say that the situation in Morocco is not what I thought it would be. I was expecting many people to be employed in trades and contracting. I thought this was a large part of the economy, but it seems like there is not enough demand. Most Moroccans seem to want to spend as little as possible and skip maintenance all together. They do replace things after they fall apart, but I am not used to that sort of lifestyle. Also, there seems to be a sort of practice of hiring people to do work for which they have neither training nor experience. My landlord does this for every repair job for example. That makes me very anxious. So I would like some advice on regular work such as electrical, plumbing, air conditioning, and carpentry. I am prepared to pay an unreasonably high amount for such work if it is high quality. I know that there are buildings and homes that are well maintained, but I just need to find the people involved. Any advice or referrals would be very appreciated. Also, if you want to talk about contracting or the economic systems of Morocco or similar countries, I would like to talk.

I went to my friend’s graduation ceremony yesterday, and ever since then, I’ve been feeling unexpectedly sad.

The thing is, he doesn’t have a huge social circle either. The people there were just me, his brother, his brother’s friend, and one close friend who traveled from another city. Even so, the whole experience made me realize how alone I feel.

If I were graduating today, I honestly don’t know who I would invite.

My sister would definitely come. I also have two close friends who live in different cities. They’ve both told me they would come if I invited them. But because travel is expensive, my financial situation isn’t great, and I know it would be difficult for them too, I probably wouldn’t even ask.

So this isn’t really just about graduation.

It’s about realizing that I don’t have much of a support system in the city where I live.

To make things worse, yesterday someone casually asked me, “So… have you made any friends there yet?” That question hit me much harder than it probably should have.

I’ve struggled with feelings of loneliness since I was a teenager, and moving abroad seems to have made those feelings even stronger.

Has anyone else who has moved to another country felt this way?

Did you ever worry more about who would be there for milestones like graduation, birthdays, or other important moments than the event itself? Or am I just overthinking?

When you move abroad as a couple, one of you usually ends up carrying more at first. The one who speaks the language, deals with the paperwork, knows how the system works, handles the money side of things. The other one leans on that for a while, because you kind of have to.

Then at some point it starts to shift. The one who was leaning finds their feet, learns the ropes, stops needing to be carried the same way.

I've been abroad 11 years, the last 5 of them with my partner, and I always assumed that part would just feel like relief for both people. Lately I'm not so sure. Roles you've held for years don't dissolve quietly, even the good ones.

For those of you who've lived this, when the balance finally evened out, did it feel like relief, or did it take some getting used to on both sides?