Often times when someone considers moving to another country it could be for retirement or for the lifestyle change, often this is because of having some wonderful vacations in the area they may be considering moving to. Or it could be based on something they’ve read or seen on TV or in a movie. Not exactly the best way of basing your foundation on moving to another country.
Even when a person spends some time in a country they are considering moving to, the image that is created really isn’t the same as actually living there because a persons vision of the place is idealized and not a true vision of what it would be like to live there on a daily basis. It is far to easy to accentuate all the positives when you are on vacationing a place and it makes it a lot easier to overlook all the negatives there might be to face. No matter how nice a place is to visit does not guarantee it will be a nice place to live in.
There may be things in the end that can cause problems and it can be as simple as not being able to buy your favorite kind of peanut butter, coffee or toothpaste anymore to something as major and not being able to understand a doctor or the pharmacist for your medications and treatments. So, it is important to consider some very important things before you start moving to another country.
One very important thing to consider before moving to another country is your family and friends. How close are you really? Do you see them often, do you share different activities with them like sports, shopping, going out to dinner and on a regular basis. Or is it you rarely see any of them and have very little friends? Consider how much you would miss major events such as a grandchild’s birth, a graduation, a wedding.
The second important thing to consider is language. Are you considering moving to another country where English is not the major language being spoken? Do you know the language of the country or is it easy for you to learn new languages? How well will you be able to cope with an emergency that sends you to a clinic or hospital or even smaller emergencies like household emergencies that require the attention of an outside professional?
Medical issues that you may already have can be an issue as well if you are moving to another country where you may not be familiar with the language. If you have a medical issue that requires continuing care you need to consider whether or not you will receive the same kind of treatment as you have in your own country?
Culture is another important thing to consider before moving to another country. Even if they do speak your language each country has their own culture and their own way of doing things that more times than not are very different from the ways you are use to doing things. The way they interact when shopping, when at work, when doing business, repairing homes, social settings and so on. All these things can be extremely different from what you are use to. Will it be easy for you to adapt to all these new customs?
What is the cost of living like in the country you may be considering moving to? Even if it seems lower than where you are from there could be a lot of hidden costs that you may not be aware of. It might be more expensive when it comes to buying a home or doing other kinds of business which could make the cost of living far higher than expected.
What if you need to find employment? You will need to make sure that you will be legally allowed to work there and then if you are, will you have the right skills or talents that an employer might be looking for in that country. Some jobs will require that you have a working visa or that you have permanent residence status before being able to work in their country.
You need to consider if the lifestyle that you are used to will still be available in the country you are considering moving to. Will you still be able to enjoy going out to eat at a good restaurant or your favorite fast food place, will you still be able to enjoy a wide selection of the foods you enjoy. What about television and music on the radio. Some countries have a few as three TV channels to watch.
You should also consider the shopping and what it is like where you are considering moving to. Will you be able to access the same kind of clothes you like, same kind of foods you like, books, magazines or even newspapers? Will there be shopping close by where you want to live or will shopping end up being an all day affair.
You will need to consider what it would be like to have to return to your native country. What if someone dies or is very ill how quickly will you be able to get back? Will it be fast enough? Also what if you just want to go home because it didn’t work out in the country you moved to? This can be very expensive and it can actually be yet another culture shock going back home if you have been gone for a few years.
The bottom line to all of this is if you are planning on doing something like this you need to be extremely flexible and willing to adapt to whatever might come your way moving to another country.
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