People never seem to raise an eyebrow if you’re:
- A corporate executive who gets transferred abroad (or their tagging spouse)…
- A student attending university…
- Over the age of 50, retiring, and hoping to stretch out your pension overseas…
- Volunteering… or, of course…
- Just passing through…
But, tell them that you’re an unmarried woman who chose to move abroad—not for a partner or a job, but just because it felt like a great opportunity—and you can expect looks of confusion.
Yes, that’s correct. I chose to move abroad as a solo female… and, I can tell you it was a lot less daunting than most people imagine it to be. If you want to have an adventure, and you take the time to plan it out, your new life overseas can be easily accomplished.
My region of choice for the last six years has been Latin America—the natural choice after I fell in love with the language and culture while studying in university. However, I came to my current home country in a roundabout way…
After moving from Mexico (where I lived for one year) to Colombia (two years) to Chile (only six months), then back to the United States for eight months, I decided again that, yes, I wanted to move abroad for real this time… and to settle in Chile…
No one was waiting for me there: not a roommate, a man, or a job opportunity. Most of the group of friends I’d made during my initial six-month stay had since moved away. So it was just the city of Santiago… and a blank page of a new chapter that I was going to fill.
Usually, as I start to list the countries where I’ve lived, sirens go off in people’s minds: “But isn’t it dangerous there… especially for a female on her own?”
Despite how the news depicts Mexico and Colombia, these countries are no more dangerous than the United States or Europe. Of course, you must always be careful, but whatever danger could happen abroad can also happen in your own backyard.
Another topic I get asked about a lot is around meeting basic needs. Luckily there are many vibrant expat communities in almost every location paving the way for newbies. Facebook groups will become your best friend as you migrate into expat life. Have a question about how to locate an apartment, find a supermarket, open a bank account, or get a drink to celebrate that you finally made it abroad? Expats are standing by to help.
The concept of moving abroadalonedoesn’t last very long either. Expats tend to band together, and there is a strong comradery between people who have made the same leap of fate to give up everything they know for an adventure abroad. Often the new friendships made abroad feel stronger faster than those you’ve built at home.
One of the main reasons that excited me about Latin America was the quantity of opportunities. Many Latin American countries have growing economies and are innovating quickly, but they’re still just a tad behind the United States which provides a climate of opportunity.
If you know you need to make an income to support yourself overseas, it’s helpful to have some idea of what you’d like to do. However, it’s 100% easier to find opportunities once you’re on the ground in your country of choice. In other words, if you’re waiting to find the perfect job opportunity abroad before you book your ticket, you may never actually go.
Sometimes being an expat abroad is a competitive advantage. In Asia and Latin America, for example, English teachers are sought after. Being a native English speaker is an asset that can be taken advantage of.
If moving abroad is something you’ve been fantasizing about for a while, I encourage you to not wait until you retire… or find your international dream job… or for a partner with a similar global mindset to walk into your life…
If you’re open and willing to get yourself out there, you’ll see that opportunities to make money and meet people abroad are endless.
Your basic living needs will be met… and often exceeded.
You’ll be safe if you make safe choices… just as you do in your home country.
Some days will be challenging… but the majority will be fun.
You’ll likely look back and say that it was the best decision you ever made… and wish you had made it sooner.
Really, what’s the worst that could happen?
You move back home, taking everything that you have learned with you. Maybe the first place wasn’t right for you.
But the newfound courage that you “did it” might just lead you to a new and better next adventure…
Lauren Brown
This article was first published in 2018 and has been recently updated.
