Whether you grew up in a big city or the middle of nowhere, chances are, you’ve considered running off to another part of the world at least once in your life. And why shouldn’t you? The world we live in is huge, and there’s a vast wealth of experiences out there just waiting for you.
Sure, you can travel the world, exploring different areas, but there’s something about actually living somewhere completely new and different that makes the experience that much more enlightening. It’s hard to do and see everything in the span of a week or two, but give yourself months to absorb the life and culture in your favorite location, and well, you’ll get to experience it in a much different way.
Not only will it enrich your life, but there is a ton you can learn about yourself in the process. Take it from me: I’ve done it not once but twice now. And chances are good I’ll do it again in the near future. So, what can you expect from moving far, far away from home?
#1 It’s Exciting and Every Day is an Adventure
If you’ve lived in the same place your entire life, or at least in the same part of the country, your local attractions probably lost their appeal long ago. But when you’re in a new city, new state, or new country, well, suddenly you have so many new things to see and do. Depending on the location and your personality, you might have enough activities to keep yourself busy for years to come. Boredom will definitely become a foreign concept to you.
#2 You’ll Miss Your Family and Friends
You might be asking: How is that a good thing? Well, simple, really. Many times, we don’t appreciate the people in our lives until they’re not around us 24/7. You might be surprised to see yourself talking to your mom more often than when you lived within easy driving distance. Suddenly, you’re closer than ever before even though you may be physically far away.
#3 You’ll Have to do Things Alone – And You’ll Enjoy it
Unless you move with someone, there’s a chance you may be moving alone, and it could take a while to make friends in your new locale. Yes, you might be intimidated at first. Going out to eat by yourself? It’s actually not as bad as it sounds. But then you start meeting people, you start learning how to do things all by yourself, and you grow stronger because of it. There’s no greater feeling than being okay with your own company and not feeling like you need people around you all the time to have fun.
#4 You’ll Learn that You’re Stronger than You Realized
You’ll forget how often you needed your friends and family when they’re no longer there. Buying furniture? Who will help you assemble it? Suddenly, you’re googling “How To” videos and doing it yourself. You’ll surprise yourself daily at the things you can accomplish – things that you probably wouldn’t have tried if someone was there to do it for you.
#5 You’ll Get to Live like the Locals
When we visit a place, we have a short period of time to cram in everything we want to see and do. We also often get lumped in with the tourists and do touristy type things. But once you become a local, you get to try all the little hole-in-the-wall restaurants and experience the place like a local rather than a tourist. It’s an entirely different experience – trust me.
#6 You’ll Try All Kinds of New and Yummy Foods
Those hole-in-the-wall places I mentioned above? There’s a good chance you’ll experience cuisine unlike anything you’ve had before – even within the United States. Every region has cultural dishes that aren’t served elsewhere. In the South, you can experience the joys of soul food. In Chicago, you have the deep dish pizza that isn’t the same outside the city, and there are so many foods you’ve probably never even heard of before.
When you move to another country, prepare to be blown away by the different types of food you’ll experience! You’ll have a chance to them all by living there. Sure, some of them might not be so good – but you will never know until you try it. Who knows: You just might find yourself a new favorite dish.
#7 You’ll Open Your Mind to New Lifestyles and Traditions
Families have holiday traditions they pass down from generation to generation. It’s always interesting to experience a holiday with someone else’s family because their traditions might be like yours, or they might not.
Imagine that experience in another part of the world where people’s lives may be so much different than what you’re accustomed to. It’s interesting to see local customs and traditions, and to also understand the different lifestyles. You’ll meet a variety of people; people who may have lived a life much different from yours. You might find yourself more enlightened and even more open-minded than ever before.
#8 You’ll Have Stories to Tell
Who doesn’t like having a good story to tell? When you talk to you friends and family, you’ll get to tell them all about the new foods, the new sights, and everything else you’ve experienced. Even if you do move back home (or somewhere else), your memories are yours to keep for the rest of your life. You just might find yourself telling your future grandchild all about that time you got lost in a new city and ended up finding their grandfather in the process. Who knows what stories you’ll have to tell!
#9 You’ll Have More Than One Place to Call Home
We often get tied down to this concept of ‘home,’ and we often think of one place, and one place only, when hear that word. But, live in different locales, and experience new things, and you’ll realize that the word ‘home’ is more fluid than you once thought. After all, you’ll have fond memories of several places now, and each one will change you in some way. They’ll help you grow into the person you’re meant to be, and it’s a beautiful thing.
#10 Eventually, You will Gain an Appreciation for Where You Come from
Even if you decide never to go back, you’ll see that your hometown has at least a few things you miss. Many of these are things you take for granted, things you probably don’t even think about while experiencing them every day. Perhaps it’s a certain style of cooking or the community itself. Whatever it is, there are many aspects of your hometown you won’t even realize you love until you learn to miss them. And when you do go back, either to visit or to settle down, you’ll see your town in a whole different light – and you’ll likely find a reason to smile whenever you get a chance to tell someone about it.
Moving far, far away from home can only have benefits. The experience will enrich your life and character – you just need to take that first step. What are you waiting for?
Great post!! I actually did that this year. I went to Charleston for five weeks to experience a new city and it was amazing! I set up business lunches, met new friends, went to events alone and even went out on a few dates. It made me realize that if I wanted to, I could pick up and start a new life somewhere else. It was an amazing experience and now I am kind of itching to try somewhere else. :)
Excellent article, and so true! I definitely appreciate my family much more now that I live further away (I’m originally from Iowa, and relocated to Connecticut after completing my enlistment in the US Army), but I sure as heck have no desire to move back closer to home again.