I live in the US and even beyond the current stuff going on, I’ve just become so depressed living in a place that feels like it doesn’t care about people. I’ve been watching videos about some other countries, in particular Vietnam and China, and I’ve thought it might be nice going somewhere that’s more committed to making life better for people. At the very least going somewhere that’s building a bunch of trains would be cool. (Yes I’m autistic, how could you tell? /s)
I don’t know if I’d actually end up doing anything because it’s tough for me to get anything done at the moment, but I was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts or experiences to share about living in other places, especially if you moved there. What’s your pitch for why it’s a nice place to live? What problems does it have?
If you moved there, what were the challenges in moving and adapting to the new place? Did you learn the new language? Was it tough getting used to the local foods? (This is something I worry about a lot because I’m kind of picky) How did you meet people? Etc.
Outside of college, I’ve lived in the same place all my life. I’ve only traveled outside the US twice and it was to other western or westernized countries. (France, Amsterdam, and Japan.) I’m relatively introverted and socially anxious, but it is nice to try to get to know people I could be comfortable around. I have a college degree but I haven’t had work experience due to my depression, so I’d be kind of starting from scratch in that regard. (I’m maybe about to get some treatment which might help, fingers crossed.) So all around it’s hard to say if I’d be able to move anywhere, but maybe at some point I can work up the energy and courage to make the leap and it would be helpful to have some ideas of how to approach that. Maybe I’ll try to slowly learn the language as I can.
First, try to figure out exactly where you want to move and what options you have for long term residence. Employers will usually sponsor you for work visas if you either have skills that are in high demand, or for seasonal jobs (resorts, hotels, agriculture). Pursuing higher education or doing volunteer work can also get you a visa in some cases.
I definitely recommend learning the local language. Not only will it improve your chances of finding work, but it’s the respectful thing to do if you plan to stay somewhere for an extended period of time. You need to think about where you will live and how you will afford to cover your expenses. Some of the seasonal jobs might offer a living space, but I wouldn’t count on it. You could also try finding remote work and living as an expat before committing to moving.
As for food, keep an open mind and learn to cook. It will help if you don’t like the local food, save you money, and is simply a good skill to know in any case.
Lastly, people usually migrate to places where they have something and someone familiar. I would advise learning about the culture and getting to know people who live in the place you want to move to first so that you aren’t in for a shock.
What are some good ways to learn about this kind of stuff?
What in particular do you want to learn about? As I said before, a good first step would be identifying where you want to go, because the rest of the steps, opportunities, and challenges will depend heavily on that.
I suppose it would be the employment stuff and how to learn more about the culture/meet people before I go. I suppose for the latter there’s not much to be done before I can learn the language though.
Without knowing more, I think the place I’ve been most interested in has been Vietnam. There are some youtube channels I’ve watched that talked a lot about life there. But obviously there’s only so much that can be gleamed from that.
Write down questions about specific things that interest you. Look for online communities about Vietnam, immigration, expats, etc. Once you learn the basics of the language, you can look for a language exchange partner or pen pal to get practice and also learn about their country and culture.