Lessons from moving to another country.
1. The world suddenly becomes more accessible than it has ever felt before.
As most things that you have not yet tried, or successfully accomplished, the idea of doing that thing can feel daunting. It might even feel impossible. And as most things, once you finally do try, or succeed, that thing can begin to feel like second nature. Like it had been within reach the entire time.
Getting yourself set up in another country is liberating. To make a decent living, spend time doing things that bring you joy, meeting amazing people and making new friends in a new place gives you the confidence that this feat can be accomplished again and again anywhere you may end up.
Not only do more doors open, doors you didn’t even know existed appear before you.
2. You realize how much a place shapes who you are.
This is an important realization because it means you have greater awareness of how the environment you immerse yourself in will inevitably have a say in who you become. It means you can take action on the control that you have around the environment you are in. In a sense you can create the mold of who you want to become.
Of course, not all of us have the circumstances that allow us to move to different countries, but I believe this can also be applied on a more granular level. Think of cities, towns, or even neighbourhoods within. Take another step further and think of the people you surround yourself with. There is a common saying that you are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. I remember learning this cliche many years ago. I even believed it to be true back then. For some reason it wasn’t until I started living in a different country that the meaning behind the saying really set in.
3. Life actually is short and time really does fly.
Another common cliche that turns out to be true. And this isn’t a new discovery either. We all know life is short, and long, and everything in between depending on the day and life circumstances. What changes from moving to a different country is the number of times you interact with people you were previously used to seeing on a regular basis. Each time you chat with friends or family back home you realize how much time has passed since the last encounter.
It isn’t rocket science to begin calculating the number of interactions you have with your family and friends in a give year. Then multiply that number with how many years of life you have left assuming you live at least as long as the average life span. That number might be surprisingly small. Or at least I did for myself. Two years living abroad went by in a blink of an eye and now the next coming decades feel like only weeks away.
That being said, time has never moved so slowly than while living in a strange, without anyone you know close by, trying to find your next job and place to live.
