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Pros and Cons of Living Abroad

Every adventure has its ups and downs

By Tone BreistrandPublished 4 years ago 5 min read
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Photo by Frank Vessia on Unsplash

I've lived abroad for almost a total of seven years now, in two different countries, and it's been the greatest adventure of my life. Deciding to move abroad is a big step, as you're leaving the life you know and taking a leap into the unknown. Here are the biggest pros and cons I've experienced.

Pro - The diversity

I'm gonna start off with my favourite part about living abroad, which is the diversity. I'm from a small town in Norway, so I hadn't experienced many different cultures or met people from a lot of other countries. Meeting people from way different countries to yours can teach you a lot, and it's amazing to learn about other people's way of life. Living abroad has given me friends from every continent of the world, and I've met people from countries that I didn't even know anything about before. Learning about things such as what holidays other countries celebrate, how their society works and what kind of food they eat is incredibly enriching.

Con - It's a lot of time away from home

Living abroad unfortunately means that you'll constantly be missing out on stuff that happens back at home. Of course you can go home for some occasions, I myself always go home for Christmas for instance, but you can't go home every time something happens. Travelling takes time, is expensive and enlarges your carbon footprint. That means that you will be missing out on a lot of things, such as birthdays, bachelor/bachelorette parties, baby showers and baptisms. I'll be honest and say that this truly sucks whenever you don't get to be there for something, but it's just a part of the journey of living abroad. It's also something that doesn't stop being hard, because things will keep happening that you'll want to take part in. The most difficult part is not getting to be there when your friends or family are going through something tough, and all you want to do is to hug them hard.

Pro - You gain a new perspective on life

Depending a little on where you're from, your life in the new country will be completely different to what you're used to. There's a whole new culture, people do different things, the social life is different and you adapt a new lifestyle. I feel like I have a different insight on the world because I know how to live in three different countries. I love change and I love new things, so for me, the constant input of fresh and different is great. I genuinely think it could be healthy for everyone to try living abroad at some point, even for just a semester or a year. Living in such a multicultural city as London has taught me so much about the world, and it's given me a perspective on life that I'm incredibly grateful for. When you hear people's stories of how life is where they're from, it's interesting to compare to how it is in your own country. You can read about other cultures or watch documentaries, but hearing stories from people from the other side of the world is a different experience. It makes you realise how lucky you are for what you have, and it makes you wish you could implement certain things in your own country.

Con - People at home don't understand

This is kind of the opposite of my last point. The people at home, your friends and family, don't have the same perspective that you do. That means they won't understand your new life or what it's like to live abroad. People definitely don't appreciate how hard it is to do all the same things that they do in their lives, but in a different country. There is so much to learn, and it can get overwhelming at times. If something's difficult, the people at home won't really understand specifically, because they just don't know. It's not that I'm craving sympathy, it's just nice to know that people know what you're talking about. Of course, this doesn't apply specifically just to living abroad, but to most situations where you're doing something different to the people you know.

Pro - It makes you more independent

Living abroad is great for personal development. I'm a completely different person than who I was before. I was a little shy, scared of adulting and timid, always avoiding confrontation. Now, I do everything on my own, I don't mind being an adult and I'm not worried about talking to anyone. I know what to expect from people, and I know how to get it. Being on your own in a new country really strengthens your personality and your willpower, and I'm not scared of anything. I appreciate the experience and knowledge I've gained, and I'm much happier with the person I am now.

Con - You'll make mistakes according to the culture

When you're in a new place, different things are socially acceptable, and you'll just have to accept that you'll make mistakes. I've offended loads of people by being straight-forward, as that's what I'm used to in Norway. In the UK, people sugarcoat things a lot more, which is something that I'm actually still adjusting to. There's an endless list of examples like this, where what you used to do at home isn't normal or even sometimes acceptable in the country you've moved to. The culture clash is a constant thing that'll continue to be a challenge throughout your time living abroad. Luckily, people usually understand that it's just down to cultural differences, and not that you're intentionally being rude or ignorant.

Those were my most prominent pros and cons of living abroad. It's an amazing experience, and I think everyone should do it if they get the chance.

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About the Creator

Tone Breistrand

Hi there! I am a Norwegian writer living in London. I like to write about love, Disney and finding happiness.

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