11 Surprising Advantages Of Living Abroad: An Expat Guide

After several years of living as an expat, I’ve gone through more than my fair share of confusion, loneliness, and homesickness. I quit my job, moved halfway across the world, and started a new life in New Zealand to be with my partner. Despite the challenges, the advantages of living abroad far outweigh the drawbacks.

If you’re on the fence about moving abroad, here are some compelling benefits to consider!

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Advantages of living abroad

Advantages of living abroad

1. Exposure to new cultures

One of the most significant advantages of living abroad is the exposure to different cultures and ways of life. Your awareness of other customs, traditions, and habits will be heightened to the extreme. This can lead to culture shock — which, ultimately, can be seen as a positive because it’ll give you a new perspective!

Living in a new country means immersing yourself in the local culture. You get to meet new people from different cultural backgrounds, experience different ways of living and thinking, and come away with a unique perspective. The more you expose yourself to foreign cultures, the more new experiences you’ll get to have, leading to a more fulfilled life!

2. Improved language skills

If you’re moving somewhere that speaks a different language from your home country, your foreign language skills will be put to the test. The best way to overcome any language barriers is to immerse yourself fully in a new culture — you’ll be forced to learn the local language just to get by!

While it’s definitely scary and awkward at first, know that it’s also a great opportunity to learn a second language quickly. Full immersion into a new language gives you the chance to practice on a daily basis. It also keeps you out of your comfort zone, which is where the biggest growth happens.

Apart from improving your language skills, living in a foreign country will also give you better communication skills in general. When you don’t know the word for something, you’ll get very creative to describe it. And if all else fails, hand gestures and facial expressions are universal!

Read more: Top 10 reasons to study abroad

3. Enhanced personal growth and self-awareness

Having more international experience makes you more self-aware. You end up realizing that not everyone shares your beliefs, values, and experiences. This self-awareness ultimately makes you a better person to be around.

It’s true that the more you travel, the smaller the world becomes — but surprisingly, it also allows your inner world to become bigger and bigger. Personal growth skyrockets when you’re exposed to people with different personal values and life experience.

4. Opportunities for career advancement

If you’re moving abroad for your professional career, you might get many new opportunities for career advancement. Availability of higher-level jobs and a different professional network will help you develop new life skills that’ll bring you more career success and a higher salary in the long run.

Working abroad also gives you international work experience, making you more valuable to employers if you ever return to your home country. Being able to thrive in an environment full of cultural differences will show employers that you’re adaptable and can work in any kind of setting.

5. Improved adaptability and problem-solving skills

Living abroad comes with many advantages, but it can also come with its own set of challenges. Navigating daily life, sometimes in a foreign language, is difficult. Things may not work the same way you’re used to them working, and the local community may not be as helpful as you would hope.

Overcoming these daily challenges leads to better adaptability and problem-solving skills. When you have to get something done, you come up with a different perspective and get it done. Even though it may be a frustrating experience in the moment, overcoming hiccups becomes a positive experience little by little.

6. Increased confidence and independence

Living abroad leads to better self-esteem and a greater sense of independence. Developing new skills, making new friends, and navigating a whole new life abroad is an invigorating experience. You never realize how self-reliant you can be until you put yourself in a situation where you have to be self-reliant!

While it may be scary at first, the more you step out of your comfort zone, the more confident you’ll become. Making appointments, navigating public transportation, and introducing yourself to your colleagues gets easier the more you do it. New things are only nerve-wracking the first time around!

7. Opportunity to make new friends

Being able to meet people that you otherwise wouldn’t is one of the biggest benefits of living abroad. By some small twist of fate, your decision to move abroad has caused you to cross paths with people that could change your life forever. It’s incredible!

Making new friendships, especially as an adult, is so rewarding. Your fresh start could lead to a whole new group of friends that make your life better. Each new person you meet has the opportunity to provide you with a life-changing experience!

8. Improved ability to relate to others from different backgrounds

Living abroad can provide a unique opportunity to gain insight and understanding into different cultures and backgrounds. Being immersed in a new environment exposes you to different customs, values, and ways of life. This exposure gives you a deeper understanding of the perspectives and experiences of people from different backgrounds.

Having to adapt to new ways of communication, social norms, and lifestyles causes you to become more empathetic. You can also learn to challenge your own biases and assumptions, letting you relate to others more easily.

9. Exposure to new cuisines

Everybody loves trying new foods when traveling. When you live abroad, your exposure to new foods and cuisines will be tenfold! The ingredients at the store will probably be different than what you’re used to, so you’ll need to get creative and try new recipes.

Learning to eat where the locals eat will also allow you to authentically try the local cuisine. One of the many advantages of living abroad is gaining international experience with different types of food. The more you travel and live abroad, the more good food you’ll eat — sounds like a good time.

10. Opportunity to travel

Moving away from a small town is a unique experience. Whether you’re moving to South America, Southeast Asia, or somewhere else in the United States, your travel opportunities will most likely seem more exciting.

One of the best parts of living abroad is having the opportunity to travel to new places. Traveling to different countries becomes easier because you’ll be geographically closer than you ever were before. Your new global perspective will also put new travel opportunities on your radar.

11. You find out which relationships are important

Moving away from your hometown will weed out a lot of acquaintances and fake friends — and that’s a good thing!

Because it’s not as easy or convenient to see your friends as often as you used to, some of your personal relationships will naturally drift apart. Living abroad is a great way to figure out which of your “friends” are actual lifelong friends.

Do friends and family members make an effort to see you when you visit home? Are they planning on visiting you in your host country? Sometimes, it’s the little things that matter the most — do they text you or call you to talk about your daily life? It’s easy to blame lack of communication on different time zones, but a real best friend will make the effort regardless.

advantages of living abroad: Niki in Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Thanks for reading about the advantages of living abroad! Have you ever moved to a different country? Let me know about your experience in the comments below!

xoxo Niki