Often people ask me, “How long does it take to plan a move abroad”. The truth? You can move abroad as fast as you want. Take Parco, for example. When a job opportunity came up, he moved within four (!!) days. And it wasn’t easy as he had to leave behind his long-time girlfriend. A big decision, but one that transformed his life. Read all about it in the interview we had with him.
After studying in Australia, you moved back to Australia for a job opportunity – moving within 4 days (!!). Tell us a little bit about that.
As I only had four days’ notice before starting my job in Australia, I didn’t plan much. Luckily, I still had friends in Australia (from when I studied there). So, I only brought the daily essentials and “crush-landed” at their place for the first three months. In terms of finance, I had enough savings to survive the first month and bridge the gap to my first paycheck.
Was it difficult to move abroad fast. I mean, four days is not a lot of time to prepare things.
No, not really. I would do it again if I had to. It was a simple preparation, but it wasn’t inconvenient, and I could quickly adapt to my new life. I did, however, wish I had more time to say farewell to my family, friends, and my girlfriend. Saying goodbye in such a rush was difficult.
My definition of home is a place where I can be who I am and enjoy the little things in life.
Parco
What is it like to live far away from your girlfriend?
It is hard to be far away. Fortunately, I could chat with my girlfriend daily. But not having physical interaction was definitely challenging, and it’s hard to maintain a relationship that way.
There have been moments that I felt lonely. Living alone was hard, mostly when I was sick. At some point, I had a lower back injury and had difficulty walking. Being alone during those days was very challenging.
Regardless of the ups and downs, the exposure and experience have definitely made me a very different person. I do not believe such a transformation could’ve happened if I didn’t have the experience of living abroad.
What aspect of living abroad made you “transform,” do you think?
The best thing about living abroad for me is being exposed to a completely different culture and interact with people from different backgrounds.
During my time abroad, I have improved my English and learned a few words in Dutch, Mexican, Polish, and German. I also tried different cuisines that are hard to find or do not exist in my home country. On top of that, it was super cool to see how people from different countries live their daily life with very different styles and habits.
The best way to make the most of living abroad is to be open-minded and stay away from your comfort zones.
Parco
You recently had to move back because your visa expired. How is it being home again?
Moving back home for me is harder than leaving home. When I moved to Australia, I only brought some essentials and sorted everything else after I arrived. Coming back home comes with a lot of tasks; sorting out my belongings, tax returns, bank accounts, etc.
Although I recently moved back home because of my expiring visa, I’m already thinking of either moving back to Australia or going to a new country.
For me, the priority is simple; I want to be able to live my dream-lifestyle; slow-paced, not that crowded, and not so technologically advanced.
As always, we ask everyone for their advice to living-abroad-newbies. What’s yours?
No place is a paradise, but each place definitely has its charms. The best way to make the most of living abroad is to be open-minded and stay away from your comfort zones.
Interested in moving abroad fast? Maybe not as fast as Parco did ;-), but a lot of people move abroad within six to eight weeks, especially when a job opportunity comes up. So, you can too! Get a copy of the Let’s Move Abroad Book today and go!
