Anyone just picked up and moved to another country before?

SteR

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I realise this isn't really to do with women but I'm curious to see if anyone else has done this before and how it worked out for them?

In the last year or so I've pretty much changed everything in my life: my job, where I live, the woman I've been seeing etc and I still feel unhappy. I can't seem to figure out what it is other than where I'm currently living.

I'm starting to entertain the idea of just picking up everything and moving abroad for a year or two.. maybe Australia or something but I'm a little apprehensive. I can't figure out whether it's the answer I'm looking for or whether I'll just end up in another country, in the same situation, feeling even more miserable for moving away from friends/family.

Have any of you been through this before? How did you find it?
 

MatureDJ

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I moved to Ukraine. Love it. There are the same difficulties as in moving to another city, but of course with the language barrier as well - and of course immigration. If you need to earn an income, that is another issue (although you can usually find work as an English instructor, especially if you have some sort of TESOL certification.) Most big cities & countries have some sort of expat community that you can usually contact via online.

As an English speaker, you can get involved with English speaking clubs where you can meet women eager to practice English. And then there dating websites where there are more than just maternal whales to hit on. Some men do well with street action, but that's definitely iffy if you don't know the language. Oh, and for those dry times, there is pro action that is attractively priced. Yes, it's definitely not depressing to go out on the town and see lots of attractive women that you would want to date, rather than a bunch of whales with the occasional attractive woman that you know you would have a slim chance of getting.

If you know Spanish, the obviously South America is where you should be (I'd recommend Argentina.)
 

Von_S

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Immigration is the hard part, Commonwealth countries (Australia, Canada, Great Britain) and EU countries are tough to get into if you don't have a reason. And "I want to nail your hot women" isn't a good enough reason. ;-)

You need a job, immediate relative with citizenship or some very valuable skill they need in order to justify it. Different places have different rules, pick your country first then figure out how you'll get in
 

SteR

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Well firstly I'm not entirely sure I'd be living abroad permanently.. I'd just take a working visa and stay out there for 1-2 years. I'm also quite fortunate in the sense my skills are sought after so finding a job shouldn't be difficult.

I just wonder whether moving abroad will really be the answer I'm looking for. Were you disappointed when you got there MatureDJ or did everything turn out as you'd hoped?
 

MatureDJ

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SteR said:
Were you disappointed when you got there MatureDJ or did everything turn out as you'd hoped?
I think the key thing to remember is that just because you show up, things are not going to change overnight. It takes time. If you consider success as being able to see attractive women out and about and have a reasonably decent chance to get into a relationship (as opposed to a virtually zero chance in the USA), then you will be successful. I have traveled to Eastern Europe before, and have gotten into relationships, but I was of the mind to be very. very aggressive in meeting women then. I have been taking a much more laid back approach now that I live here (I need to get a bit more aggressive again.)
 

deuce42

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Done this twice now and both cases were really bad moves - BUT that being said, I have known people who did it and had amazing life changes because of it and its been great.

I think it is really a case of you never know which turn life will take, but you can make many different opportunities for yourself along the way. A new scenery and place can be a great new opportunity. If things aren't working for you in your current world, doing the same things is unlikely to change it. Creating a new experience is often a great way to get out of a rut plus the experience overseas is a wonderful thing to learn and keep with you.

I can just say for me that I inherited other problems along the way however when I relocated overseas. These included replacing the boring monotony or routine in one place for the boring monotony and routine of another, but with the added problem that I had less friends and contacts and had to start all over again.

My small advice is that a relocation could work if its for a reason, say you are studying abroad or something, because you are going to meet new people and the same people regularly which can mean forging new strong friendships etc. Just packing up and finding a job in a new country or city can actually be very lonely and isolating - especially since for a lot of people their friendships come from their childhood days or the workplace. If your new job doesn't yield a wonderful social life and you dont have your old childhood crew to hang out with, it can be real stretch to make new friends in a new place as an adult. Meetup.com is full of lonely isolated foreigners in new lands desperate for getting a life and feeling empty. Many other foreigners I met abroad confided in me they wanted to go home but were too embarrassed to themselves or their family and friends to admit defeat.

That being said, a lot has to do with luck and some people do manage to find wonderful relationships, friends and experiences. I have also met people who met their partners, friends, whatever overseas and are bursting with life and excitement. Like I say its really about luck I think and probably not that much more. In fact the older I get the more I am starting to learn that despite our dire belief that we control our destiny and get out of life what we put in, I actually believe most things are based on luck and not much more. I know its remarkably unintellectual but I really believe it from experience. Sure if you never give yourself the chance to experience any new opportunities you cant get the luck, but my analogy is like a lottery. If you dont buy tickets you can guarantte you wont win, but whether you do win is only about luick - and the only thing you can control is buying as many tickets as possible to give you as many chances. So to with going abroad. See it like a lottery. You're giving yourself a chance to potentially win something called the things you may be searching for.

Guess the only way to know is to try it for a short while and see what comes of it on the basis that you are only sampling it and if it isn't rigt you can always go back home. If you do though you need to sample it for long enough to give it a good go. Like 12 months at least.

If you dont take chances for new experiences in life you definitely have less chances of getting the things you feel you're missing now! Thats the only thing that can be guaranteed. I hope you find good things man.
 

janealb

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I did this and it is awesome. Moved to Berlin and my life has changed considerably... Can't say it was easy though but if you like challenges...that's the way to go!:yes:

It's true you start everything from scratch, finding a home, decorationg you home, finding a job, making friends and simply discovering places....but I think it's all worth it!
 

englishman

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I moved from the U.K. to Canada. For me it was a good move, but I'd been here before so I knew what to expect.
I've spent a few months in some other coutries, not working just hanging out there and it really felt good.
If your under 30 there are a lot of countries where it's easy to get a one year working holiday visa. That way it's not a big commitment, if you don't like it you can just get on a plane and come back.

http://www.anyworkanywhere.com/whvchart.html#

http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/working-holiday/
 

SteR

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englishman said:
I moved from the U.K. to Canada. For me it was a good move, but I'd been here before so I knew what to expect.
I've spent a few months in some other coutries, not working just hanging out there and it really felt good.
If your under 30 there are a lot of countries where it's easy to get a one year working holiday visa. That way it's not a big commitment, if you don't like it you can just get on a plane and come back.

http://www.anyworkanywhere.com/whvchart.html#

http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/working-holiday/
Yep.. I think this is what I'm going to try!

And thanks to everyone else for their input in this thread :)
 

Buddha_Mind

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I moved into my vehicle a few years back and never regretted it -- well, maybe some low-times, yes I thought "good lord what the hell am I doing?" -- but man life is about adventure and new experience and you won't grow any better way than some self-derived challenge!

Isolation, new culture, new people -- this really pushes a person to reach out!

But be aware of financial stability in your decisions. I had some hard times, and I fortunately, had some good people to help me. I'm not sure some of the rough patches would have gone over so well without them.

Sometimes life needs a mixup. But I know myself at least, I can be at times, rash and impulsive. Make sure you deeply investigate your motives and formulate a plan.
 

Lexington

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I've lived in 6 different countries growing up including Australia and New Zealand. We moved to the US when I was about 9 and until then, I grew up speaking Aussie English. In all honesty, there isn't a huge difference in the lifestyle between all the Anglophone countries. That's especially true in this era of globalization.

You have to work, pay bills, pay taxes and women are women wherever you go in the world. It sounds to me like this idea of moving is just a form of romanticism. There is no place in the world where you won't have problems. Relocating somewhere else isn't going to magically solve the problems you have now and it may in fact bring about new ones.

I think you should take a long hard look at what's bothering you and work on solving those problems. Moving away and starting anew sounds great in theory, but the reality isn't so great. You just have to figure out what's eating away at you and then try to tackle those issues head on.
 

Yahooey

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I've lived in four countries, some more than once, and each time I moved it was to follow opportunities. I never moved to get away from where I was or to do a reset.

Joining the choir of the previous posters: Moving is not a magic pill. As light as you may travel, you will always take your problems with you if you haven't worked on solving them. This I know because even when moving for the right reasons, I have always found my unsolved problems waiting for me at my destination.
 

self_mastery

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I hope to do this soon. I run an online business, so I can get up and go anywhere. I've been thinking about costa rica or any latin country with cute girls and safety.
 

SteR

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Lexington said:
... Moving away and starting anew sounds great in theory, but the reality isn't so great. You just have to figure out what's eating away at you and then try to tackle those issues head on.
Yahooey said:
Joining the choir of the previous posters: Moving is not a magic pill. As light as you may travel, you will always take your problems with you if you haven't worked on solving them. This I know because even when moving for the right reasons, I have always found my unsolved problems waiting for me at my destination.
Well, this is what I can't figure out. This year I switched up my job, where I live and the woman I was seeing.. and I still feel unhappy! I can't figure out what it is? Due to the process of elimination, the only other thing I can think of changing is the city/country I'm living in?

Has anyone been in this situation before? It just seems like everything's fizzled out and nothing seems enjoyable anymore...

(and before anyone mentions it, I wouldn't say I'm depressed :) )
 
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