Making My Own Way

 

–Are you mentally ready? You basically will decrease physically seeing your friends and family about 100% of what you already do. Of course there is Skype, G+ hangout, FaceTime, ect. I have missed a lot of weddings, baby showers, holding my niece, amongst other things. Ask yourself if the living abroad experience is worth giving up some of those moments.

-Moving abroad does not come with instructions. No one tells you how anything works. They do not give info packets when you move somewhere! i How do you pay taxes? What are your rights as an employee? When do you renew your visa? I suggest finding expat forums and websites!

-Do they offer resident visas? It is illegal to just move to another country to live and work. Of course, if you are looking for a 3 month holiday, and you hold the right passport, you can move places for 3 months on a tourist visa!

-Do your research. I cannot stress to you how important it is to understand the country you are moving too. What language do they speak? What is the housing situation? When I moved to Sweden, I did not do my research and ended up looking for an apartment for 4 months! Sweden’s housing is government regulated, so they have some housing issues here CLEARLY!

-Do you have your college degree? Many may think this is unnecessary, but in fact, it is one of the most important aspects to obtaining your money source while in another country. You need to show employers you are able to compete with local talent and even go beyond. Think; why would they choose you instead of someone who already speaks their language?

-Money. You can’t just move to a country without some cash in your bank account. This is because you need to be able to survive for the first couple of months  as you set up your accommodation and also job prospects. Are you staying in hostels? How much is an average carton of milk? Bread? Internet? You can find this information here: numbeo.com