🌍 Thinking About Living Abroad? Here’s What to Consider – Especially as a Family 🌍

Making the decision to spend time abroad as an expat is exciting and complex. Whether it’s a short-term assignment or a multi-year move, relocating to another country brings with it a wave of opportunities and challenges.

It’s not just a change of location. It’s a change of life.

As an intercultural trainer and expat myself, I’ve worked with many families navigating this journey. And while no two paths are the same, here are a few key reflections to help you evaluate if the time is right:

➡️ Shared Motivation: Why do you want to move abroad? And what about your partner or children? Alignment and honest conversations are essential.

➡️ Emotional Preparedness: Living abroad will challenge your identity, stretch your comfort zone, and at times, feel overwhelming. But it will also foster resilience, flexibility, and self-growth for everyone in the family.

➡️ Support Systems: Will you have access to local networks, international schools, healthcare, and emotional support? The more connected you feel, the smoother the adjustment.

➡️ Cultural Openness: Are you ready to learn, listen, and occasionally feel like a beginner again? Embracing differences with empathy is at the heart of a successful expat experience.

➡️ Exit Plan & Return Strategy: Think ahead. How long do you plan to stay, and what will your re-entry look like? Reverse culture shock is real.

🙌🏻 One thing is certain:
Spending time abroad will change you. It will shift how you see the world, your culture, and even your values. You and your family will grow in ways you never anticipated.
So if you’re on the edge of making this decision, don’t only ask: Is this the right move for our careers?

‼️ Also ask: Are we ready for the personal transformation this journey will bring?

💡I’d love to hear from others: What helped you make the decision to move abroad? What would you do differently?