“Kathleen, we are interested in the ideas and the places you write about, but we just don’t know anything about these areas. We are afraid you could easily end up in a bad area if you don’t know what you’re doing…”
–Mike S., United States
Your concern is understandable. This is a big idea… starting over in a foreign country. So break it down into smaller ideas… into pieces. Don’t think about relocating full-time and permanently overseas. Think about taking a trip. Identify, through research and reading (as you’re doing, by reading these daily dispatches), a place that interests you. Then go see it. Spend two weeks. At the end of the two weeks, return home.
Worst case, you’ve had a two-week vacation and seen a part of the world you’d never seen before. What could be so bad about that?
More likely, though, given the fact that you’re open-minded and curious (indicated, again, because you’re reading these dispatches), something more will happen. Maybe you’ve love the place and want to return as soon as possible. Maybe you’ll meet someone while in the place who will tell you about another place that appeals more. One way or another, though, I’d predict that you’ll be encouraged to take a next step.
Take that next step… and see where it leads. Maybe to another two-week trip…maybe to a more extended trip…maybe to the confidence to begin thinking about making a more permanent move.
Or not.
The point is, none of that matters. Move part-time, move full-time, don’t move at all… This isn’t about the end game. This is about the journey… and the discoveries and adventures you enjoy along the way.
Continue Reading: Retire Overseas Vocabulary Lesson
