If You Were to Live Abroad…
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Where would you go? Is there are place that has always fascinated or captivated you? Some place that has been calling your name for years? I am trying to decide what that place would be for me. Part of my problem is that there is so much that I want to see, I don’t know where to begin.
Do I go to a place that is inexpensive and will allow me to live and support myself for a long time? Do I take up my dream island lifestyle even if the cost of living is higher and high speed internet isn’t readily available? What are the best metrics with which to qualify a remote living situation?
I have recently been thinking about what life would be like in Hawaii. It would certainly be a change of pace, yet it is still America, so maybe that makes the transition to living someplace else easier. I am also intrigued by Thailand. The fact that it is backpacker/ex-pat friendly, inexpensive and has such an abundance of natural beauty makes me think it would be a fantastic place to spend some time.
I am at a bit of a crossroads. The time has come for me to make the decision to stay or go, and because of this I find that I am asking a lot of questions that are remaining unanswered. Do I stay in Portland and work on building my business? Do I move abroad and build my business from there? Do I explore the art of extended travel and see where the adventure leads me? All of the options have their own appeal, and all are equally viable. I am finding the decision is not nearly as easy as I expected. Each has significant pros and cons and no one way is right or wrong.
I am a bit disappointed that I have been having as much trouble making this decision as I have. You may remember me saying in a post last month that I have never had to make a life changing decision in my life. Ever. I have always known what the next path would be, and this is the first time I have had to face so much uncertainty. I am not going to lie, it is hard! Especially for someone as overly-analytical as me.
So if you are some one that currently is, or is considering quitting your job, moving abroad, doing extended traveling or a combination of all of them, what did you do to finally push yourself over the edge and make the decision to go?
In order to help me sort out my thoughts on where to go, I think it is helpful to look at what other people have done.
Cody McKibben: Bangkok, Thailand. Cody was one of the first people I talked to about going location independent. I talk about his situation in more detail in the post “Cody McKibben is the Man“, but he has made Thailand work for him and it sounds like it has been an incredible experience.
Corbett Barr: Barra de Navidad, Mexico. Corbett left the corporate life and took a six month sabbatical in a small town in Mexico. During that time he was able to recreate the very successful Free Pursuits, and the time away has allowed him to develop other ideas such as his new Spanish learning tool Morning Spanish.
Colin Wright: Buenos Aires, Argentina. Colin is the most recent transplant out of the group, having been there for a total of about 24 hours as I write this. I am really looking forward to hearing back from him on how he likes living in South America, and whether or not he is finding it easier or harder than he expected to get work done. Also, if you haven’t seen it yet, check out his guest post he did last month about Hanging Out with an Older Crowd.
Ryan Martin: Lahaina, Hawaii. Ok so maybe this isn’t abroad, but it is certainly a departure from most of our day to day lives. Ryan moved to Maui almost six months ago, and has chronicled part of his journey here at Location 180, in the very popular posts “Quit Your Job and Move to Hawaii“. He is currently finishing up his time there, and is planning on headed on a world trip at the first of the year.
I like Corbett’s approach of taking the time to do something constructive with his goals of working for himself. At the age of 24, the time couldn’t be better for me to go some where and develop all of the business ideas I have considered over the past few years. At least then I can say I gave it a shot, for better or worse.
Is there really a right or a wrong answer? Maybe just going somewhere, anywhere, is better than not taking an actionable step. Over a year ago I gave myself a deadline of the end of 2009 to figure out what my next adventure was going to be. The clock is ticking down, and I am excited to say I am closer than ever to figuring out my next step.
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Stop what you are doing and leave now.
Don’t talk yourself out of it. Figure out the rest on the road. It’s not only possible, it’s one of those things in life when you look back on it… it will be tough to say you regretted it.
Do it.
Adam is absolutely right. You have to do this. Don’t worry about the details. I’ve heard it said that no move is a bad move. It might be the wrong move, but at least you’ll have a better idea of what you want the next time around. Hawaii seems like an easy and ideal first location, a great balance of difference and familiarity. Go for it.
Besides, this blog pretty much depends on it
People prefer to read about the doers and not the dreamers.
@Baker Absolutely right. I think no matter what I won’t regret the decision to do any of the things I have talked about doing.
@JD As my friend Ryan put it “You have to do it, otherwise you are just a giant hypocrite!” So yeah, I totally agree. I prefer to look at my blog as currently giving people a realistic perspective of what its like to quit. Or maybe its just a realistic perspective of how to make excuses…
“I would rather be a failure at what I love to do than a success at what I hate.” — George Burns
What do YOU love to do, Sean?
JD is right. Be a doer, not just a mere dreamer. An advice I am taking to heart seriously.
Rasheed
When I began living itinerant at the end of 1999, I decided to spend the first year in European cities I already knew, two or three months in each. This gave me time to get the feel of living mobile, with no “home”, and it also helped shore up my confidence.
At the end of that first year, I devised a mantra: “I can go anywhere I like, not knowing anybody or a word of the language, and I will not only survive, but will have a darn good time.”
You go to Hawaii first, make contacts, have new adventures. Then branch out. Think of the places that really fascinate you, maybe do one a year, then go back and consolidate friendships in the other places. There’s no right or wrong way to do this. It all comes down to what you love and what turns you on. Play it as it comes.
Brenda.
Excuse the blatant plug to my last post:
How I came to my decision: The rational version
And the very short version is:
1. I’m going to make the most out of life, and I decide what that means.
2. I’ve been to South East Asia before and know what to expect so won’t endure any culture shock.
I agree with all of the above commenters. Get out as soon as you can. Few plans survive the beginning of a trip, so plan as much as you need to in order to feel comfortable and then just roll with it. That’s part of what you want to be able to do anyway, for when things go wrong, so it’s good experience.
For my part, being in Argentina for a few days has been an excellent experience. I’ve done the ‘eating alone in a classy restaurant where no one of the staff speaks English’ thing and it wasn’t as horrifying as I thought it would be. I just brought a book, people-watched and mangled a whole lot of Spanish while speaking to the wait staff.
That being said, what finally made me decide to leave was the realization that every moment I’m not doing something interesting that I want to do is a moment I’m not getting the most out of (and there are only so many in my lifetime!). I didn’t see any reason why I couldn’t just travel while working, and the only thing really in my way was that part of my brain that insists that going against the grain is a bad idea (and I stopped listening to that part long ago).
As for choosing a country, I cheated a bit, because I want to go everywhere, so I let my readers decide. Early next week I’ll be putting up a new blog post that will ask people to suggest the next country I’ll be going to, and then a poll will be set up using the first double-handful suggestions as the option.
You could do something similar, though it sounds like you really want to go to Thailand. Do it! Just pick up an go! We’ve got your back if you need any help!
Dude, now do u believe what I have been saying over the phone? I’m pretty sure everyone has posted something along the lines of what I have been telling you all along. DO IT, stop analyzing, and you will figure out all the rest along the way.
Do it Sean!!!
I can stress enough the importance of going out and trying it now. I did in Aussie and it was amazing. I have that out of my system (for now?!) and I will never regret it. You CAN make it overseas if you are willing to try and ride the rollercoaster…do it man…
Dave
LifeEcursion
Sean –
I can’t help but agree with most of the other commenters when they say…GO! You said you’ve never made a life changing decision before but every decision is a life changing decision to some degree. You have just attached a little more importance to this decision than others because of the prospect of jumping so far out of your comfort zone.
So the question really is, do you play it safe and stay in Portland or do you take that chance and go abroad? Neither of those choices would be wrong but which of those two choices EXCITE you? Just from reading your post it sounds like leaving is what you are leaning towards…you just don’t know where to go and you need a little shove. I agree Hawaii is a good compromise…it could be like the gateway drug to world travel for you
I know this is all easier said than done. Believe me – I had always thought I would live in another country before I turned 30. But then I started a business a few years ago, got engaged, just recently started another business, and blah, blah…the excuses have started to pile up. I think there will always be reasons for you to stay or reasons to go. If you go, you can always come back. But if you stay, you will find it harder and harder to leave. So go on, let us live vicariously through you – just make sure to take a ton of pictures
Paul
Man, when I wrote this post I wasn’t really sure what to expect. The first question I asked, is where would YOU go, and not one of you has answered that! I am SO grateful for the positive response though, making this decision has sucked, but im ready to get going with it. Stay tuned for updates! And Paul, you may just have yourself a visitor at some point as one of my best friends just moved to Austin and I have thought about going to visit…
Also, Colin’s quote “We’ve got your back if you need any help” is really a testament to how far this community has come, and I can’t tell you enough how awesome that feels. So thank you!
Sounds you are at one heck of a crossroads, Sean! I know you will figure out what the next right move is… I don’t have any advice for you, as I would love to figure out how to travel the world, and where to start. Just make sure you do something… go somewhere, and try out living somewhere new. It sounds like you have that itch to go, and it won’t go away. Can’t wait to read your new articles once you are globe trotting away
Karen
The question of ‘where to go’ never really gets easier, even after having done it before. When you’re the only one doing it, the possibilities are immense, and that can be overwhelming, especially your first time. When you’ve got a partner, their opinion limits options. When I came to Asia 6 years ago, I planned to experience a few new places and save up for a little house by the sea in western Morocco (I’d been, and loved the place). Then I met a handsome english guy in Korea who wasn’t so attracted to Morocco, so we’ve found other interesting places to live instead.
The Man and I are currently looking at our next destination. After having lived together in places like Hong Kong, Cambodia and now Australia, we want to be more in the thick of things, where the worldwide action is economically and culturally. For us, that means Asia.
Every place has positives/negatives. When starting a business, living somewhere with low startup costs (say, SE Asia) can take the strain off of your finances; your savings will go a LOT further in Thailand than in Hawaii or Portland, for example.
For the Man & me, we’re a bit older [35 and 41], have lived a few places already, and need to stay in touch with our career contacts while developing more of them. China is the big engine driving Asia’s growth. I’ve been learning Chinese and am setting up some creative projects there over the next few years, so it makes sense that we go back to Asia. And the Man is a martial arts fanatic; they’re why he came to asia from the UK in the first place.
Bottom line, for you, and important question to ask yourself is: What do you want to take away from this experience in 5-10 years? Build a business? Do you want to learn specific languages? Develop some skills? Find a cute girlfriend? [hint: you can do that anywhere] When starting out it’s best to keep goals flexible because they will change.
Good on you for asking these questions!
I think Thailand sounds great! Second choice would be China and third New Zealand. Mind you, I’m from New Zealand so I may be biased.
I’m in my last year of 7 of living in Tianjin, China. Next year in July I plan to move back to New Zealand for a few years and then I’ll go abroad again.
@Elizabeth I think clarifying my goals is definitely a big part of the issue. And the REAL issue is that I already have found a cute girlfriend, so that relationship is a very large part of what is making the decision so difficult.
@Karen, I cant wait to start writing the new articles about my globe trotting!
@Gordie I have always wanted to go to New Zealand, it is DEFINITELY on the list.
At the moment, if I were to live abroad, I’d go to Australia and New Zealand. I’ve always wanted to go both places, and since I haven’t been abroad in several years, I think going to an English speaking country would be a good re-introduction to the world of traveling. There are a lot of other places I want to visit, too, but those two are first on my list at the moment, though like you, I do think about the cost of living and how my money would definitely go further if I went somewhere in SE Asia or Central America for awhile instead.
But where should you go? You do mention in your second paragraph your “dream island lifestyle” which makes me think that’s what you really want to do, whether it be Hawaii or some island in Thailand, but I definitely can understand thinking about other options. Getting out of Portland for a little while might be a good idea, though, regardless of where you go, just because I really believe in the power a change of location can have on your creativity. It might help spark some ideas about your business.
Good luck with whatever you decide, and I look forward to reading about it!
Wow, well I can’t tell you what you should do, but I can tell you what I am about to do.
I’ve already given notice so that on October 15th I can head down to Portland for an Animal Rights conference followed by a trip to Panama where I plan on spending 3 months settling, learning basic Spanish and trying to build a remote business. I do have fallback consulting gigs I can take up, but in reality I want to start fresh. I have a few places in Central and South America I hope to visit, but in reality I expect the journey will be better then the destinations. Good Luck and safe travels!
Just Go!
I left for Japan with no job, no visa and very little money and it has been one of the greatest decisions of my life.
You develop so much as a person from living in a different culture.
Hawaii is a unique choice because of its special location. It is only an extra $100 or $200 to do a stop over in Hawaii from Asia. That means it is an extremely cost effective location to travel from. For example, US to Hawaii to Japan to Thailand. That type of itinerary is only moderately more expensive than a trip to only one destination in Asia. On all my trips, I try to squeeze in a stop over somewhere because it is so inexpensive to see a different place and you can often add many extra air miles.
There are cheaper places to live, but they are less accessible and more costly to travel to regularly. Hawaii is definitely on my agenda for the future.
Heya Sean!
Decisions decisions! I definitely want to live somewhere else, but I have seen so little of the world I first need to travel for a year or two. I have heard Thailand is beautiful, but maybe Bali, or Mauritius. If I had an income online big enough to support my travels and living abroad I would without a doubt get on a plane and go travel indefinitely .
I’d say follow your heart, and keep us updated about the progress
Cheers
Diggy
Hey Sean!
I joined this party a little late, but I thought I’d let you know… Go For It! I’m kind of in the same position as you, trying to really decide what the hell I am doing, and what I want to do in the future. I personally would go to Thailand, but that’s me. Hawaii might be a perfect first destination. Lead the way man, and others will follow your example. I’m probably one of those others. And to echo what Colin said, we are all here. This community is strong and has nothing but support for you!
Hi Sean,
About 2 years ago I sold everything I owned and bought a plane ticket.
You asked: “what did you do to finally push yourself over the edge and make the decision to go?” I guess I realized that the fear of one day looking back on a boring life was not as motivating as the prospect of actually leading an adventurous one. The change of focus is an important one. I know exactly where you’re at.
You notice how a lot of these comments are saying ‘just go’?
They’re right.
Sean,
Life has a way of opening doors for us but seldom does it set a problem free scenario for us.
I have a personal litmus test for things like this–maybe it will work for you. If doing something scares me and I feel like I might not succeed because its outside of my skill set/understanding/comfort level— then I have to do it.
Are you nervous about making a change like this?
Do you see lots of reason why you shouldn’t, due to practicality, but are you still drawn to the idea?
If only 2 or 3 things were different about the scenario, would it be ideal?
If you answered yes to these questions, I think it means you should go.
Can’t wait to hear what you decide.
Ireland! I loved Ireland! If I hadn’t already globe trotted my way to adventure I’d grapple with your same decisions. Seems like you already know what to do. You’ve written enough about it, now you have to go. You have this community practically yelling “Just do it already!” at you. How you approach it is your question at hand.
What would intrigue me if I came across that decisions now would be how to do it without any credit! Work at each location you hit, now that’s intense! Unless you have a functioning and somewhat successful ($1000-2000) a month business you can be location independent with that’s going to be the kicker. Imagine washing dishes as you travel Brazil or something, whew.
The life experiences are invaluable, you should do it regardless, and keep us updated! Personally, if it were me, and where I’m at, I’d master this art of online business where you manage more than become actively involved at every stage. I would challenge myself once I’ve built “that” by first traveling around the US, to random cheap places, drive 6 towns away then 2 hours, etc. If I could keep it going..then the sky’s the limit. Educate and zoom off to someplace foreign…I’d choose someplace where a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a sweatshirt is all you need for weeks on end. That’s just me though…I’ve committed to being relentless until I have some functioning passive-ish revenue streams. Paychecks are the evil chastity belts of American business. Did that even make sense? Who knows, buy the ticket!
Wow! You’ve gotten some really great feedback on this post. I am not sure you need too much more food for thought. So instead I will just answer your question: I would go to the South of France. For years I’ve dreamed about going there to be an AuPair (live-in nanny). There are hundreds of opportunities but alas they’ve just been dreams.
I’m content where I am for now but if you do make the leap — I can’t wait to read about it!!
-Dena
Evolution
Hey Sean, I’m with everyone else: GO!!!
Recommend: http://locationindependent.com/
summer in Paris, winter in Bangkok so I could forever have nice weather! but definitely paris
Only you can make the decision about whether to go or not. That said, if part of the problem is that you don’t know where to go, think about places you have visited and what you liked about them. Keep in mind that a short term holiday type visit is always different from more permanent living. Once you start to see some common things you can then start narrowing the list of places. Also include the must haves, such as high speed internet to run a business. For me it was things like being by the water, warm temperatures, not too remote.
Dipping your toes in the water so to speak is a good idea. I moved states in Australia for the first three months just to ensure all the business stuff was sorted out and things I needed to fix were a lot easier because I was in the same time zone, country and generally used to the way things were done. That might make Hawaii a good choice and besides, if you get over here before the first week of December then look me up because I’m here at the moment!
Can’t remember the quote, however, if goes along the lines of just do something. Doesn’t matter what it is and you can always change directions if necessary. If you don’t like a place, then move. Might cost a few dollars, however, you will be a step closer to knowing what you like and don’t like.
Do it! Do it! Do it!
Only you can answer the question as to where? For me, for now it’s Europe. For many other folks, it’s Asia.
Where do you see yourself?
Asia and South America are always good options because of the cost of living.
No matter where you go, I know you won’t regret it!
I lived abroad for more than 10 years and it was the absolute best time of my life! You’ll have a great time in Thailand. Try and visit Cambodia & Laos… and perhaps Malaysian when you are out there next year!
And if you decide to stay in Portland, I know folks at a couple financial companies (1 hedge fund, one long only money manager) if you want an intro.
Hi Sean!
new reader to the blog – really like it!
just wanted to comment on this post as I have done it myself – some years ago on a journey I met an italian correspondent, Riccardo Orizio, and he had a dream about setting up a safaricamp: and so he did… He contacted me to ask if I wanted to come and live with him here and i said yes… and moved from oslo, Norway to the african bush (I had never even b e e n! in Africa before…)now we have two camps; one here in Masai Mara and the second in Samburu; we live in the bush and it sure is wild…; I am having waterbucks and buffaloes iin my garden and can hear them just now as I am writing…
I took up my former profession as an artist after spending some years in an officce – n o t for me… and have my first exhibition coming as well as arranging Drawing Safaris.
My strongest trigger to just go for it was that I just k n e w I was going to wonder for the rest of my life how life would have looked like if I took the big leap… and that was a scary thought!
wish you all the best in your newfound lifestyle freedom!
Mariane
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