Hi all, it's Liz again. (That's me with my husband Matt in Patagonia, near the Strait of Magellan. You should put it on your bucket list, if you have one.) Thanks to all of you who have tuned in as I've blathered on about my life in Chile. This is my fifth of five guest posts, but I'm sure it felt like more for some of you!
When my family had the chance to move abroad, we studied it out, we talked to people, and we fasted and prayed, but I knew from the start we would do it. We had always talked about living outside the US but never dreamed we'd have a chance, and here it was.
I loved hearing others' reactions to our impending move -- they varied from excitement (even jealousy!) to total shock. A couple of people were so surprised we would move our family so far from home, their reactions bordered on rudeness.
I want to mention that our move abroad was pretty low-risk. We're here working for a big international company, which took care of many of the legal and logistical (and cost) details. I doubt my husband and I would have taken a leap and moved abroad on our own -- we're pretty cautious people -- but we know several families who have, with varying results. If you are considering actually doing this, whether on your own or with a company, please do plenty of research (that sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised what people do). It is more expensive than you might expect, and depending on where you go, getting the appropriate legal status can be difficult.
But if you could throw caution to the wind and go anywhere, just for fun, tell us, would you move abroad? And what would be your dream locale? (Only please don't say Paris. We all want to go to Paris. Let's just assume that's on your list, and come up with a more creative answer.)
As for me, I would be willing to go literally anywhere there was a good job, and we could ensure a reasonable level of safety. We have friends who have lived on nearly every continent -- imagine the possibilities!
20 comments:
My family and I have already relocated to our dream area, moving from the city to the country and 200 miles away from friends and family. But if I had to do it again, I'd love to live in the States. I have this dream of walking around a grocery store and being able to buy all the stuff I've heard of but never tasted. I love the school scholarship system that the States has in place. And your Christmas' just look the best. I'm probably looking through rose tinted TV program glasses, but I'm allowed to as its only a dream.
Hmmm... I've always wanted to live in England or Scotland. Since I was a little girl!
I'd love to live in Greece. How fun and adventurous would that be?
After spending a lot of time in Europe visiting family and on vacations, Mr. M and I would love to spend time abroad in someplace TRULY exotic, like Thailand -- We both know individuals and families who've been ex-pats there, and all our friends have come home with the most amazing photos and stories. Other countries that would make my list? South Africa, Costa Rica, and Turkey.
After my husband and I visited New Zealand, I decided that was a place I could very happily live. Totally gorgeous landscape and way nice people. Plus they speak English so it would be an easy transition.
china! my husband speaks mandarin, he's a businessman, win-win. and it's probably nieve of me to say, but who doesn't love going to chinatown in new york and san fran? i bet it's something like that....
I would move to Italy, but if my husband had his pick, we'd be in Germany. I could probably be ok with that one too! ;)
I've absolutely loved your guest posts. My husband and I dream of living and working abroad. I think I could love any place that met the following criteria: warm, sunny, and relatively safe. Those are in order of importance. :)
I would love to travel and see all sorts of places--for a limited time. I admit, I would have a hard time calling some other country home. I also am a bit of an anglophile, and would love to live in England, Scotland, and Ireland for a while. But if I am going to branch out and be bit more adventurous, I think it would be very interesting to live in Japan for a while. They have such an amazing history and culture, as we've all been talking about recently with the terrible recent tragedy over there. I also think it would be fun to go to Italy or Australia!
Fun question, Liz. I'd like to live in Switzerland or Austria. Someplace quiet and quaint with bustling cities in close proximity. Spain would be neat, too.
Nate served his mission in Osorno, so the Patagonia is definitely on our bucket list.
Thanks for your great posts!
Half of my family currently lives in Abu Dhabi in the Middle East, so they are livin' the dream! I'd love to live in England or Australia or Israel or the French countryside.
I've loved reading about your life in Chile. My husband and I are having a baby in June, then moving to Singapore the next month. We might be crazy, but we are stoked! Ideally, I think I'd totally go for New Zealand...or always somewhere in Europe.
Dublin! Ireland, not Ohio...we're already there. And then Brazil or the south of France (as one of us speaks French and the other Portuguese). Paris is NOT on my list! ;)
After visiting Australia last year I think that we could live there (if it wasn't forever, anyway). But even though they speak English I would still have a hard time understanding them! Brekky? Bikky? Winging?
My husband will never live anywhere but the US. So I'd better be happy right where I am!
Damascus is at the top of my list. It's a beautiful city with wonderfully friendly people, unbelievably good food, and so much history.
Jessica, we were in Sinapore a couple of years ago and it's a wonderful place for kids. Everyone loves kids; if you're carrying a baby they'll even get up out of their seat for you on the trains. There are tons of wonderful family activities - even the shopping centres sometimes have playgrounds on the roof! I have never seen nappy changing facilities that are as good as they are in Singapore.
We're preparing to move to Guinea in August, the first of what will be many moves overseas, and it is definitely not my dream location.For that, I have a few! Turkey, Morocco, Lebanon, Jordan, UAE and let's throw in a random Ireland. Hopefully before we're through with our adventure I'll have lived in at least one of those places!
I would LOVE to live for a time in Sweden. although I am sure I'll never move abroad, so I can't say I dream about it. and I have also thought recently that it would be amazing to move to Japan and help to rebuild where we can. even if it's just sharing hope.
Loved your posts, Liz.
I'd pick Spain.
I would have to say Sweden. Wouldn't that be awesome. Or the Netherlands. I love all the canals. I know you said not Paris, but I would love to live near Versailles. We lived in Paris once already and my first child was born there, and I can always feel it pulling me back. Right now we live in Turkey and as fun as Asia is, I really want to go back to Europe. My husband is always talking about Tunisia and Morooco though. All this moving has made me learn to go with the flow.
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