Living Abroad as an Expat is Easy

BLUF:
living in ‘dream’ destinations abroad has been put on a pedestal in the minds of most people, despite it actually being possible and affordable.

It's my dream to live in Paris.

I'd love to just move to Bali, do yoga, get healthy, connect with nature, you know?

I just want to go live somewhere I don't know anyone and reset my life.

You hear these kinds of expressions all the time. People have a version of a fantasy life that is just that, a fantasy, something that can't seriously be contemplated, and must remain squarely in the dream zone.

We're taught as children that we should chase our dreams. I'm not really sure when we lose that lesson, or if life teaches us another lesson, or if we realize that dreams don't come true in real life (didn't Disney tell us otherwise?)

So today, Maggie and I were talking about how many people dream of living somewhere overseas, somewhere exotic, and living a life of adventure, if only for a brief chapter of their lives. Most of them, if questioned why they've not pursued these dreams, would simply reply that they certainly can't afford to go live *there* - wherever that is.

As we've traveled the world, we've stayed in some magical locations. Cities across Africa, Asia, and Europe that have a vibe, character, and texture of their own. The way people move, their pace of the day, is sometimes relaxed and calm, is sometimes hectic and energetic. Some places are romantic and artistic, full of renaissance and enlightenment, others are rugged, raw, and almost desolate but somehow equally attractive, depending on what a person seeks in their surrounding community and living situation.

I don't know what the average person has in savings. I don't think it's too outlandish that money can be saved, put away intentionally and thoughtfully with plans to embark on a grand adventure in a year or two. But having traveled so extensively...what I do know is the cost of living in these magical places I'm talking about, and it turns out that it's not nearly as expensive as everyone would imagine.

For example: Namibia is a rugged country that holds the oldest desert in the world. It's a former German colony up until WWII and only gained independence in 1990. The cost of living is extremely low, but the quality of life and adventure to be had is extremely high. Windhoek, the capital, is a fairly large city, and we had an apartment that overlooked the desert in a high-rise building that was ridiculously affordable and gave us the most memorable sunsets of our lives. On top of this, you have the adventure that the desert offers, the skeleton coast, the resort beaches, and an extreme sports industry that will make sure you're never bored. Most people have no idea what kind of life they could live in Namibia.

But it's just that, a country that most wouldn't consider. You'd have to visit or do the research to see the opportunity.

What about Bali, then?

Bali, the most talked about, trending, up and coming travel destination in the world. The only thing keeping it from being overran is how far away it is from most westerners (with the exception of Australians).

Bali, believe it or not, is extremely affordable, and they call it the island of the gods for a reason. It's an amazing place to spend time, and you could absolutely live in the energetic cities like Seminyak, or retreat to the more peaceful, spiritual spots like Ubud in the mountains. Would you believe that we stayed in Ubud for about $14 per night? And we weren't roughing it - we had a pool! If you spent a year in Bali doing yoga, meeting the incredibly friendly locals, getting healthy, spiritually healing, exploring your hobbies and passions, whatever you need to do, it wouldn't be a wasted year.

We're currently on the coast of Croatia, in Dubrovnik. We have an apartment with everything we'd need, at only $38 a night, that has a view of the old city. We could totally live here, and it'd be awesome.

So to wrap it up - the world is full of incredible places you could spend a year or two, if you are the nomadic type of person that isn't tied down by responsibilities like mortgages, families, pets, etc. I do realize that the majority of us simply do not have the option of dropping everything and moving to Bali.

But some of us do.

And yet we still talk about living somewhere fantastic around the world like it is a dream that can't be lived.

And for those of us with responsibilities - how concrete are they, really? Sure, children are one thing, and so are pets. But material things like mortgages, possessions....well, you know what we think about that (and what we did with all of our stuff).

I intended for this to go longer, and I think I had a point to make, perhaps I've made it, perhaps not. But I'll wrap it up there - Maggie just came back in from a run and apparently tripped on the stairs and has a bloody knee. She's perfectly fine, don't worry, but I'm going to use it as my mark to end this here.

More writing to come - I'm attempting to make this a habit, because I enjoy writing, and I enjoy good habits, and I can't see any harm that will come of it to take twenty minutes of my day and put down some thoughts.

Last note - the book Atomic Habits (on the subject of habit formation) is a great read.

But only after you read the Red Rising series (my favorite sci-fi story ever).