On the Road

At first glance the world seems like a huge place. Then, when you start to apply your criteria of a dream location it begins to shrink drastically. For one thing, you probably don’t want to be moving anywhere that’s a conflict zone so that rules out half of Africa for starters – and don’t forget to check with the US foreign office to see who they’ll be invading next.

Then there’s the language – if you only want to live places where everyone speaks English then you’re limited to the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and maybe Belize, the Philippines or India. And if you plan on learning the local language, it’ll be much easier if it’s a Latin language like Spanish or French – getting your teeth into something like Vietnamese gets really tough as those brain cells start to go.

Of course, many ex-pats famously never learn any of the local language even after 30 years of living abroad – check out your average Brit in Portugal. Money talks, grammar balks. But if you want to get to know the place and connect to the locals it’s a bit crap if you can’t even communicate with them in their own language.

For many, the key consideration will be either a low cost of living or else the opportunity to work. It’s unfortunately impossible to budget accurately before arriving somewhere – living somewhere tends to involve many more hidden costs than just your food, beer and rent. Whatever figure you plan to live on, add 20% to the total just to cover yourself.

If you’re planning on working in your new country, go for it but do as much research as you can before you arrive. Learn as much of the local language before arriving and the transition will be ten times easier. Likewise if you’re likely to need any kind of paperwork or certificates to get work visas or impress employers, these are far easier to arrange from home than away.

The last question you need to consider is whether you can really immerse yourself in the culture of the country you’re heading to. In much of the world, especially Africa or Asia, your chances of blending in are slim, even if you do speak the local language. It can be quite galling to always be the foreigner, always be the outsider.

To this extent, many travelers choose to live somewhere that at least attracts other expatriates. It can be quite a comfort to be around a community of people who understand where you’re coming from, especially when the shit hits the fan. Be careful, though, an expatriate community can become a world within a world and you may end up completely isolated from the locals.

For specific ideas check out the Emigration Index

Want to meet other road junkies?
Come to the Road Junky Sahara Retreat Feb 6-11 2012 to hang out with 30 other travelers to meditate, make yoga, tell stories and dance under the full moon in the desert.

Follow Road Junky on Twitter for live updates @roadjunky

Back to Top - More On the Road Articles - Print this page