Left the U.S. for a foreign country?

24

Replies

  • PlunderBunneh
    PlunderBunneh Posts: 1,705 Member
    Just as a child, my father was in the military and so I ended up spending most of my childhood in Scotland and Guantanamo Bay. I get itchy feet sometimes, and the idea of living in one town for more than 5 years makes my skin crawl, but I'm trying to do it for my kids.
    Given the opportunity, I would move out of the country. But hey, I'd move out of the state, just as long as it meant a new adventure.
  • Trail_Addict
    Trail_Addict Posts: 1,340 Member
    So has everyone so far had a job lined up before they left? Did anybody go and wing it?

    did anyone really answer your question? :laugh:
  • jillomahony
    jillomahony Posts: 23 Member
    I left the US after undergrad to work as a Nanny in Zurich. I was supposed to go back after a year and go to law school.....that was 2003. I've never gone back, but since then I've lived a few years in Geneva, did a masters in England, lived in Australia, Ireland and now have been in Belgium for 2.5 years. I can't imagine living in the US ever again. I've always managed to find work from a Nanny gig, tutoring, office work and now teaching. the two worst things about Belgium are the constant rain and the highest tax burden.
  • Schnuddelbuddel
    Schnuddelbuddel Posts: 402 Member
    So has everyone so far had a job lined up before they left? Did anybody go and wing it?
    I had a job before I moved. Back then though, that wasn't a necessity as it was an employees market so to speak :) Probably a touch different these days!! Oh, and my job came with built-in accommodation, another plus!
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    So has everyone so far had a job lined up before they left? Did anybody go and wing it?

    It really depends on where you go. Each country has its own requirements for living there, and some require you to have employment lined up in advance. You need to decide where you want to go and work from there.
  • sktllmdrhmz
    sktllmdrhmz Posts: 1,799 Member
    So has everyone so far had a job lined up before they left? Did anybody go and wing it?

    did anyone really answer your question? :laugh:

    No, sir. Not a one so far, I don't think, lol.
  • daffodilsoup
    daffodilsoup Posts: 1,972 Member
    Went to China for six months. Taught English. Hated it. Came back.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    Of course, for some of us, the US *is* a foreign country.
  • osualex
    osualex Posts: 409 Member
    So has everyone so far had a job lined up before they left? Did anybody go and wing it?

    Currently, I have a job abroad that was lined up long before I left (I'm an English teacher with the Peace Corps in Romania) but when I was 19, I decided I NEEDED to live abroad for a summer. I was hoping for a job in Brazil but it fell through right before the summer, in May I think. A few weeks later, I changed my mind to Turkey, found a job in about a week and a half, and left about 2 weeks later. Best summer of my life :smile:
  • Colofit
    Colofit Posts: 177 Member
    From Colorado but live in England...my story...well let's just say it's one for Jerry Springer!!!!!
  • iron_jj
    iron_jj Posts: 446 Member
    If I ever did... and something huge would have to happen here... I think I would go to either the Netherlands, England, Germany, or Sweden... 1) because they are essentially my "motherland" (though my ancestors came here back around the civil war), 2) because I just love those countries and 3) while their taxes may be atrocious, they value personal freedoms and rights.

    ^^^^This. for reason #3. I also love Switzerland. It is so beautiful up in the Alps. I'd live in a little village with no cars...

    I left switzerland for the states :laugh: It might be beautiful but it's expensive and hella boring! :bigsmile:
  • Trail_Addict
    Trail_Addict Posts: 1,340 Member
    So has everyone so far had a job lined up before they left? Did anybody go and wing it?

    did anyone really answer your question? :laugh:

    No, sir. Not a one so far, I don't think, lol.

    They read the title post, and don't bother reading the actual question. :laugh:
  • Cindy311
    Cindy311 Posts: 780 Member
    My husband was only supposed to be in the USA for nine months (he's German) but whooops it'll be 10 years in September :) We lived in Germany for three months so he could finish up loose ends with work though. Nice country but I'm too backwards to live there, lol, oh well he's now an American citizen now anyway!
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
    I haven't left the US to MOVE to another country - not yet anyway.
    Most of my family is in Canada and I've seriously considering moving to Nova Scotia or PEI.

    I went to Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and England when I was younger.
    I'd love love love to go back to Wales.

    Maybe in a few years when I'm bored of this job, I'll work for one of the manufacturers of the equipment we use and go live in France.
    When I was looking for jobs, I looked in France, India, China, and Canada.
    I don't think I'd do well in China or India though - I can speak some French though it's very poor but not Chinese or anything else really lol
  • salyha01
    salyha01 Posts: 36 Member
    I made my way around Eastern & Central Africa for nearly 10 years before coming back to the states. Been back just 2 years now and still miss living in the bush almost every day!

    Where are you in TZ?
    I'm from Florida, living in Tanzania. It's pretty cool here. Except when it's hot, and then I miss air conditioning.

    Why Tanzania? How'd you find a job?


    Actually, it was chosen for me. I'm in the Peace Corps, but I love TZ, and may get another job here when I finish PC. There are tons of organizations here that hire ex-pats.

    I'm a PCV too! Living in Romania right now and no strong desires to return home yet.
  • taliesyn_
    taliesyn_ Posts: 219 Member
    Of course, for some of us, the US *is* a foreign country.
    ^^This. But, having visited for work and pleasure, would stay there awhile in a heartbeat. I think I would always want to come home too though.
  • iam_thatdude
    iam_thatdude Posts: 1,266 Member
    This will get me labeled as jingoistic, but if I didnt have kids Id live for a year or two somewhere else, just for the experience, but for a permanent basis or to raise children there is literally no place better on this earth (or in human history) than the US.

    I will prepare for flaming and a listing of how the school systems in fill in the blank country are better.....

    but.......

    All said at the end of the ledger, nothing beats America.

    We are the only country with true freedom (and even thats being chipped away at now, but still...)
  • volleypc
    volleypc Posts: 134 Member
    I left the USA and moved to Mississippi... Does that count? Seriously though, after my parents pass it is very likely I will move overseas. I would spend a year traveling Eastern Europe and find a place I really like with things nearby that I like to do. I would not rule out Central America either.
  • OceansForever
    OceansForever Posts: 221 Member
    So has everyone so far had a job lined up before they left? Did anybody go and wing it?

    I moved from Germany to the US. Did not have a job lined up but did some babysitting for 4 weeks (wouldn't really count that).

    Visa paperwork took over 1 1/2 years to get approved and I had to wait in Germany to join my American husband until it finally got through.

    I was lucky enough to get a job within a month of moving.

    As far as leaving US to move abroad, I would definitely go back to Germany again. Both countries are great to live in and both have their ups and downs (things I like and don't like) but Germany is still my home :/

    Chances are rather slim, though, that I'd go back. Would only move back if I had a good paying job lined up, since I am no longer as care free as I was in my early 20s. Plus I now have a child to think about :)
  • TheKitsune6
    TheKitsune6 Posts: 5,798 Member
    So has everyone so far had a job lined up before they left? Did anybody go and wing it?

    did anyone really answer your question? :laugh:

    No, sir. Not a one so far, I don't think, lol.

    They read the title post, and don't bother reading the actual question. :laugh:

    People are usually super eager to talk about themselves. This is a result.
  • iam_thatdude
    iam_thatdude Posts: 1,266 Member
    I left the USA and moved to Mississippi... Does that count? Seriously though, after my parents pass it is very likely I will move overseas. I would spend a year traveling Eastern Europe and find a place I really like with things nearby that I like to do. I would not rule out Central America either.

    just spent 10 days in the most modern city in Central America....let me rule it out for you lol.
  • swisspea
    swisspea Posts: 327 Member
    I left North America for a foreign country, does that count?

    I came to Switzerland after completing my bachelors degree to spend a year abroad as a live-in nanny (Au Pair). I joined a website that matches au pairs and families- it was a risk, but I have a good head on my shoulders and took the proper precautions. The way I ended up here is pretty strange- I wanted to move to France to improve my French, but all the French families I met seemed a little snobby and rude. I was feeling pretty discouraged, but then I thought I'd expand my search to Belgium and Switzerland- other French-speaking countries. I got contacted by a lovely family with 3 children under the age of 6 that lived in Zurich, Switzerland. It took me a while to respond, as Zurich is in the German speaking part of the country, and 3 kids under the age of 6 was a bit more than I wanted! But they seemed lovely and lived in the centre of the city. Long story short, I moved to Zurich, took lots of German classes, and met the man that is now my husband! After a year of long-distance between us (I was in Canada to get my bachelor of education) I moved back to Switzerland, and we got married in October! Switzerland is my new home, but Canada will always be home too :)

    That said, I love it here! The culture is different and interesting, and the language is fantastic. I love German and Swiss- German, and I've forgotten most of the French I ever learned! I love that I'm close to so many different cultures, countries and peoples. I love the celebrations and tradition here. I love how everything is steeped in tradition, and the pride people have in their home village. I love how much Swiss people love the outdoors (and it shows in the amazing trails, parcours, bike trails and climbing routes that are literally everywhere). Lastly, I love the environmentally-friendly way of life- wastage is not tolerated, everything is efficient, the transit system is beyond compare (to say it's easy, cheap, accessible and efficient is an understatement).
  • dinovino_59
    dinovino_59 Posts: 1,700
    I'm still waiting for Alec Baldwin to leave...wasn't that supposed to happen long ago?
  • SMarie10
    SMarie10 Posts: 956 Member
    I've thought about chucking it all and moving somewhere - I'd like to live in either Ireland or England or even Italy. If you're serious about relocating, I'd suggest doing some research on which countries you could work in, for how long (Visa / passport restrictions). Do you have special skills or education that would translate to a job in another country (like a teacher with a degree in English), or Computer skills that are in demand. I think the possibilities are endless if you want to do the research.
  • OceansForever
    OceansForever Posts: 221 Member
    I will fight for everything this country has to offer and have never considered abandoning it for another counrty.

    LOL - sorry but that just made me chuckle.

    I never considered leaving my home country was abandoning it - hehe
  • sarah_7626
    sarah_7626 Posts: 31 Member
    I grew up mostly overseas but I'm back in the U.S. now. I plan to study abroad for a semester next year though. Personally, I wouldn't go to a foreign country without some sort of plan/job opportunity/program/support of some kind at this point in my life. While going to another country and winging it sounds like a really fun adventure, you should definitely do A TON of research first. I'm talking about stuff like looking up crime rates, making sure you know the language, reading the local news for that place and talking to people who are from there or have spent a lot of time there. It would also depend on what kind of job you're looking for and what you're qualified to do. I would only go to a country that you're fairly fluent in the local language. Also, before you go somewhere, look into what they're tolerant of. For example, some countries don't like Americans, white people, Jews, gays, etc very much. So make sure you're going to a country you will be safe in. Might want to also look into the cost of living so you have a general idea of whether or not you can afford it. But as long as you have a good idea of what you're getting yourself into, going abroad and playing it by ear would be a blast and a great learning experience. Hope that helped at least a little. Good luck and be safe!

    Also, editing to add - I am proud to be an American. As much as I love to travel and learn about other cultures and experience other places, I am so fortunate to be American and wouldn't trade that for anything.
  • jansari2
    jansari2 Posts: 15
    My family used to travel a lot and move much until I started college. I was raised in Pakistan and moved to the US for college. I'm dying to move to Europe...hopefully, soon. Having travelled so much as a child, I am itching to move again. Being in the same state, country for more than 4-5 years drives me crazy! Hopefully, my children will get to have an equally awesome childhood as I did and get to see the world!
  • iam_thatdude
    iam_thatdude Posts: 1,266 Member
    I'm still waiting for Alec Baldwin to leave...wasn't that supposed to happen long ago?

    bravo my friend, bravo. There are quite a few others who claimed they would leave, yet didnt. Can we ask the Dixie CHicks to finally move to?
  • iam_thatdude
    iam_thatdude Posts: 1,266 Member
    notice how most of the posters came to the US? Thats because we are the best.
  • sarah_7626
    sarah_7626 Posts: 31 Member
    notice how most of the posters came to the US? Thats because we are the best.

    AGREED!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories