5 Reasons to Quit Your Job and Live Abroad
Image by The Travel Manuel
Initially the mere thought of leaving your beloved family and everything you know may seem daunting, but the more you mull over the thought of change, the more appealing it becomes. I needed no excuse to quit my job other than the promise of travel, opportunity to set down my roots in a foreign place and escape my routine. To live in another country is to learn, to expand your insight into humanity and alter your preconceptions. To really discover what makes each corner of the earth unique is well worth the journey and something you can tell your children and grandchildren about for years to come.
Here are more reasons to pack it all up and become an expat.
1. You can leave the politics and taxes of your country behind.
I was never big on politics to begin with, but the mind games and reoccurring governmental issues of your home land tend to weigh everyone down even those with a keen interest. I admit it’s an integral part of life, but now that I’m not living in my own country, aside from twitter, I am free from having to concern myself with it daily. Escaping paying taxes in your own country is like a second holiday and a break for your wallet. Take this time to enjoy the financial freedom.
2. You can learn another language.
I have such a love of languages and realized that there is no better way to learn one until you reside in the country where it’s spoken. That way you’ll have to eventually get your tongue around it to buy groceries, find places and to get to know locals. I never imagined that I would be able to read the Korean alphabet or speak any of it, but after living there for over a year, surprisingly I can.
3. Immerse yourself in another way of life.
Whilst routines such as working, exercising, cooking and grocery shopping may remain the same no matter where you go, cultural differences dictate new ways of living. After three months in Thailand, I have learnt how to cook Thai food using ingredients from the markets, I have come to know and love the gentle yet hardworking nature of Thai people and adopted many of their habits of transport, eating and past times.
4. Dabble in another career.
Unless your work is location independent, it’s unlikely that you will work in the same industry when moving to a new country. Often the jobs available around the world in industries such as teaching, hospitality and childcare will be new to you. I found leaving the office to be exhilarating and whilst I didn’t study teaching, it is the best way to earn good money, save and happens to be a job I really enjoy.
5. You can obtain residency in another country.
Depending on your country of birth, this option will be available with varying degrees of difficulty. If you’re from the EU, the world is your oyster. If like me you’re from South Africa, it will take way longer to firstly obtain visas, work permits and residency in other countries. But for anyone, if you’re keen to stick out long enough in another place and have the necessary skills they desire, dual citizenship can open many doors for you and your family.
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We did quit our jobs, but not to live full time “abroad”…we did it to travel. The problem is that your #5 is FAR too difficult for most people to accomplish. So for us, moving from one country to another, while returning to Canada (our home country) to earn enough income to travel again for another few months is what seems to work best for our situation.
Hi Kevin and Ruth
I totally agree. #5 for South Africans is almost impossible in most countries. Good thing, I do eventually want to go home
Love your idea of returning home to work. That unfortunately would not be feasible for us. Flights to SA are really expensive as we’re so far flung into the South and our Rand doesn’t go too far. But i do envy those who live in the tropics or travel for a few months a year and home for the rest of it. Enjoy!
It is happening for me, oh so soon! I am mainly doing it for numbers 2 and 3- and perhaps #4, though I am currently a teacher and will hopefully teach abroad as well. My current thought process has been so up and down. Pure excitement, then total denial, then total fear. However, the excitement cannot hold me back, it is going to happen!
Katie, that sounds super exciting! It often takes a lot of guts to initially take the plunge, but oh so worth it. As a teacher there is an abundance of work out there for you and if you are qualified some countries really well. I will be blogging about teaching soon, so keep an eye out. And feel free to send me questions with regards to teaching work. Good Luck!
We’ve been nomadic for the past two years and are contemplating #5. Although we’re European there’s still a whole load of paperwork and bureaucracy involved! Sigh.
I agree. It’s difficult regardless where you’re from, you just got to persevere. Good luck!
Hi Charli, good to know it’s not only the Saffers who have issues. I figured all EU citizens had it easy
Good Luck with finding a place to settle!
We’re moving in this direction. One complication is having a school-aged child, so his education plays a role in what we can do. And we are not too interested in homeschooling him (my wife experienced that briefly as a child and hated it). The immigration thing is an issue for us; we are Americans wanting to live in the U.K. for a year or two. What does make it easier, though, is my wife’s mom is a British citizen (living in the States) and we think she can apply for citizenship. So we’re going that route followed by my pursuit of a job. It’s nice to read other’s perspective on this.
Hi Lance, great that you guys want to take the plunge! I can only imagine how many more decisions need to be factored in once you have an older child. But once you guys have moved, what a great experience for them to experience life in another country. Good Luck with the move, hope it works out!
It’s relatively easy for people to make the decision if they are not married or not in a relationship. I have always dreamed of traveling around the world and living in various countries, but then I got married two years ago. It’s a whole lot of difference. I can’t imagine how things like when we have kids. Maybe I will just carry the toddlers with me
Well, Nellie and I have been together for almost 10 years and never had a problem moving from one place to another. It is not easier nor harder, you just need to make the decision together and go through with it. I agree that it must be much more difficult if you have kids though, but nothing is impossible!
Too true Alberto. Bo, I actually found that travelling as a married women is way more fulfilling. The journey is easier with my husband at my side. I have a constant companion and friend and it takes that much longer to get homesick. And I have someone to enjoy all the beautiful sights and sounds with. I can truly say I’m enjoying travel way more.