Home > Passports + Visa

Two Things I Learned from Living Abroad

Last Updated:Ā 

Hey, I'm Ryan. I live in Edmonton, Alberta in CanadaĀ and I used to live in Vancouver, British Columbia (and 3 other cities abroad).

A quick highlight of my career: I used to work as an accountant, a Support Specialist atĀ Shopify Plus, a mathĀ instructor at a learning center in Vancouver, as well as an assistant to a research team at The University of British Columbia. I also have a diploma in graphic design and a degree in business.

Over the past 11 years, I've lived inĀ 5 cities across 3 countriesĀ (previously šŸ‡øšŸ‡¬šŸ‡®šŸ‡©). I've also travelled to another 15 countries and territories in Asia, Australia, and Europe.Ā Some of these moves are for work, and some for school.Ā In my lifetime, I've lived in about 12 houses and apartments across these 3Ā countries.

Here are 2 main things I've learned from living abroad.

Two Things I Learned from Living Abroad

1. Stability is importantĀ to grow your finances and relationships.

When I tellĀ people about my life story, they often seem fascinated, but I would almost always tell themĀ that I much prefer having stability now.Ā 

I still enjoy travelling (which isĀ not the same thing asĀ moving abroad), butĀ having a solid home base to build your life upon is invaluable.

From my experience,Ā the hardest thing about living abroad isĀ the lack of stability. It is hard to build a life somewhere for the long termĀ when you know you will have to leave in a couple years.

Without stability, itĀ can beĀ challenging to build a proper foundationĀ to grow yourĀ finances, connections, and also relationships.Ā 

This is what I like to tell people when they say they want to move abroad solely for financial reasons.Ā TheyĀ tend toĀ think that their money problems will go away somewhere else, but they almost never think about the challenges of livingĀ in another country on a temporary visa: How will they manage and grow their finances and investments for the long-term when their visa expires in a few years with no guarantee of renewal? I've written moreĀ about this here.

2.Ā What makes a city or a country specialĀ is its people, and their values.

Sometimes I get asked what's it's like living in a city or a country versus another. For the most part, I would say what makes a place different from another is its people, and their values.

The rest aren't as important.

People in different cities and countries have different sets of values and morality, and this is what affects your day-to-day life at the biggest level.

For example, in some societies,Ā the concept of personal space and privacy may be different than what you are used to. Government and organizations may also treat your personalĀ information the way you are not used to.

AĀ society may support your personalĀ values and morality,Ā or antagonize them.

This willĀ have an effect onĀ you in your workplace and friendshipĀ groups, and it WILLĀ affect your personal and career growth.

The rest aren't very important by comparison. These days, things likeĀ "first-world" conveniences, modern infrastructure, speedy internet, online shopping or food delivery and the likes can easily beĀ found in major cities in bothĀ developingĀ andĀ developedĀ countries. I'd say they're far lessĀ important thanĀ the values you surround yourself with.

About LingoNomad

At the moment, I'm writing for LingoNomad as an outlet for my experience and interests in personal finance, travel, living abroad, and languages.

Here areĀ featured content sections you can find inĀ LingoNomad:

  1. Canadian Credit CardsĀ for Travel

  2. Canadian InvestingĀ and Personal Finance

  3. e-guide on How to Get a Visa Abroad: The Advantage Passport

  4. Learn French with FrenchPod101
  5. The Passport Series

  6. Should You Move Abroad?

Want to Move Abroad?

Learn about the cons of moving abroad, and how to get a visa if you think moving is right for you. More about this here.