Leave Your Country, Now!

I never, EVER imagined myself living outside the United States. But, life is full of surprises. I have now been living in the Middle East for going on 3 years, and I have come to love, love, love the expat life. And, since the primary drawback to this lifestyle is not having your friends and family nearby, I have consistently tried to recruit my loved ones to join us here in the Sandbox. So far, we’ve been unsuccessful in luring anyone other than a socially awkward college acquaintance, though (fail). But I feel so strongly about how moving abroad has benefited us that I just can’t keep from sharing. Here are some reasons why you should say, “Adios, America,” ASAP.

The Perks of Being an Expat:

1. Money, money, money. Let’s be real, we all need good jobs to pay the bills, and those aren’t too easy to find in USA these days. Of course, it depends on what your experience is and what field you’re in, but many countries around the world hold fantastic opportunities if you are just willing to look for them and apply. Teachers, for example, can often make more in international schools than they can as new teachers in the U.S. public schools. In some places, like Korea, you don’t even need a teaching certificate or teaching experience. I’ve had so many friends teach abroad for 1-2 years, and they all loved the experience, even if they don’t want to stay teachers for the rest of their careers. And if you’re in the sciences, a place like the Middle East might be just the thing. In a lot of Middle Eastern countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., and Kuwait, expatriates actually outnumber citizens, so you know there’s jobs to be had. Some of these places will give you the highest salaries, too, since they realize no one really wants to come to the middle of the desert.
2. Benefits. Okay, this is kind of the same thing as money, but at least for us the other benefits my husband’s company provides have made a world of difference. This will all depend on where you are and what company you work for, but for us we receive very cheap rent on a beautiful villa, free utilities, free medical care, very affordable worldwide healthcare on top of that, an amazing retirement plan, 40+ vacation days, and a travel bonus each year. I cannot tell you how life-changing it is to never have to worry about bills. Because there are none! Back home I hear my parents and friends bemoaning their heating costs in the winter, their cooling costs in the summer, the fluctuating gas prices…I haven’t had to deal with any of that in three years. It’s no wonder we’ve stayed this long and plan to stay longer.
3. Travel. I didn’t have a particularly strong travel bug before I moved overseas, but being in a new part of the world has made me much more interested in exploring it. Suddenly, destinations that previously sounded too exotic or far-flung to reach are one flight away: Sri Lanka, Jordan, Oman, Egypt, Turkey…every year I check more places off my bucket list, but also inevitably add more that I hear about from my friends. It’s been such a blessing to be able to see the world. Even if I never travel again after leaving this place, it will be enough.
4. New Friends. Though it can be hard to make friends in a new place, I have found that the people I have met overseas have been just awesome. It’s so fun to have a diverse group of friends, because that brings with it interesting new perspectives (and sometimes challenges). If I stay here long enough, I’ll have friends all around the world someday, and that would be pretty cool.
5. A New Perspective. Perhaps the final, best reason to spend some time living abroad is that you will never see the world the same way again. I have now visited countries I didn’t even know existed four years ago. I have met people from numerous different countries, cultures, and religions. I have come to see important world events and issues in new lights, because I am much closer to the action and the people who are actually being affected. In truth, I think I have become a more globally minded person, rather than just another “Ugly American.” When I first moved here, I remember thinking, “This is nice, but I’d never raise my children here. I want them to know their own country.” Well, since then I have seen many friends and acquaintances welcome new babies despite the fact that said baby may not visit “its own” country for several years. I still think it would be nice to move my family back “home” someday, so my children can have some of the same cultural experiences I did growing up. But at the same time, I now know being raised in the American Way isn’t always the best way. Many of the kids I know here grow up with a wonderful international perspective you just wouldn’t get back in the U.S.

I have seen families of all different ages, shapes, and sizes move here, whether it is empty-nesters, newlyweds, people with young kids, or people with school-aged kids. I’ve seen that expat life can work for many types of people. Could you be one of them? If I live here for two more years, or five, or twenty, I’ll always treasure what I’ve gained from this experience. It started with the material benefits, but it has become so much more than that.