Advice on moving to a foreign country,

[tthor]

Just recently, i've started kinda contemplating the idea of moving to somewhere in Europe. Now I am still fairly young at 19, a U.S. citizen in my first year of college and don't yet live on my own (so of course if I ever did decide to move, it probably wouldn't be for several years). I'm not super serious about it at this time, just kinda contemplating it, But i figured members of the Escapist might be able to give me some random knowledge/advice for someone interested in moving to a foreign country.

So, what advice do you have for a young person interested in maybe someday moving to Europe?

 

[mercenator3000]

Just one thing to say here: Spain. Maybe I'm biased because I've been taking Spanish classes for years, but Spain is beautiful. Lotta history there too if you care about that.

 

[tthor]

Cracked.com has already written an article on this very subject that's pretty accurate.
http://www.cracked.com/article_19363_6-reasons-your-plans-to-move-abroad-might-not-work-out.html

lol thanks

Edit: that was actually very informative about some of the things I wanted to know. Like I said, I'm not super serious about this, its just something I vaguely considered.

 

[GabeTheOptimist]

Get some savings here first, visit the country a few times to see if you meet any of the job requirements there and check the conditions, and if everything works out, get your citizenship,(which takes 4-6 years I have been told) then you can try a move. If things don't work out you can fall back on your savings and come back to America.

Remember the biggest mistake people make is crossing borders without work arrangements in order.

But in all seriousness it's probably not worth it unless your job requires you to be there.

 

[revjor]

No jobs in Spain.

 

[GabeTheOptimist]

Get some savings here first, visit the country a few times to see if you meet any of the job requirements there and check the conditions, and if everything works out, get your citizenship, then you can try a move. If things don't work out you can fall back on your savings and come back to America.

You can't get citizenship before living in said country for a long time, you first need to get a work visa, then after a long time you apply for permanent residence, assuming they don't hate you and let you stay (say after 4-6 years) you can start the application process for citizenship

thanks. I'm editing it.

 

[SidingWithTheEnemy]

Anywhere in Europe can be nice, if you want more worth for your dollar head east, if you want to take a job and earn more stay in the center.

 

[Wushu Panda]

im planning to do the same in a few years. its pretty simple; make sure you find an area where they wont hate you too much for being an American, learn some of their politics, make sure you have a good understanding of the language, etc. dont go in blind or youll regret it, do research.

 

[Darkmantle]

move to canada eh? bring a sweater!

 

[Darkmantle]

if you don't know French stay in west canada

 

[tthor]

move to canada eh? bring a sweater!

you know, that almost seems like a good idea. I already live in Minnesota, so the weather wouldn't be too dramatic of a shift.. it wouldn't be nearly as difficult/costly to move there, and it wouldn't be nearly as bad of a culture shock. the only problem i see is that canada might be a bit too much like america,

 

[Jedoro]

Know the language, then know the dialect of where you're moving to. It is terrible when you can't understand people who are speaking the same language as you. /notreferringtoownexperienceatEscapismUK

 

[Puddleknock]

Well moving to the UK or Ireland would mean not having to learn another language, just adapt to the differences in English. Moving to the Netherlands or the northern European countries would also be ok as English is largely spoken in those nations. Though if you're willing to learn a language and head out to a country then all the best.

I did my masters in the Netherlands as a way to experience the continent (I'm British so not as far for me). Maybe that could be an option, masters degree in Europe get a years worth of experience and see if moving is right for you. I don't speak Dutch (still don't ) and yet studied there as many masters programmes are in English. A flaw with this plan is the cost, I think Dutch unis are expensive for those outside of the EU.

 

[KarlMonster]

I was born in Chicago. I always wanted out of that place. I ended up living in Norway for about a year while I was still young (wasn't my idea). Then I was back in damn Chicago again. Eventually I moved out of there for good.

Its really nice to see that there are parts of the world that aren't as screwed up as the places you already know. Sometimes your destination will be really nice. Sometimes they are screwed up in different ways. Other times, they're like Mount Rushmore: even if you go there, you already had all you needed to know. Looks just the same up close and personal.

There's nothing wrong with going abroad - unless you're going for the wrong reasons. Definitely have some understanding of why you want to do this and what you're getting into.

I got my passport just so I could drive from Michigan, through Canada, and into Buffalo, New York. I have to say, I was a little disappointed. The area south of Vancouver looked like Illinois. Though if you need to go somewhere, Canada is a non-threatening choice.

 

[chaosyoshimage]

I've always fancied the idea of Canada, but right now I can barely get a few miles away let alone get to another country...