@@So overwhelmed with current events, moving out of country…

[rubytue]

May 31, 2022 21:59:47 GMT -5 thejen626 said:

I have similar thoughts. What’s been helpful for me, personally, was to move out of my purple/red county. I moved to a liberal city in a blue state and it was like living in a whole new world. Then I recently moved to Seattle and I feel very safe, most people I interact with are like minded. It’s been very refreshing for me. If you live in Texas, step one would be to move out of there.

I did the same thing, only I just moved one county over. It’s not perfect though. I was chatting with my neighbor, and he happened to mention he was not vaccinated. I did a double take and he laughed that no one expect a Republican here. It’s true. I had assumed. He said he joked with his landlord about putting up a trump sign (two family house). But, he seems to be a sane one and isn’t spewing the shit I heard one county over. 

[pixy0stix]

It's helpful to know the abortion laws for other countries. This document gives you the gist of most of Europe - reproductiverights.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/European-abortion-law-a-comparative-review.pdf

Basically, it looks like a mix of what we have here in the states, right down to mandatory waiting periods or counseling.

[Deleted]

Jun 1, 2022 12:02:33 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

It's helpful to know the abortion laws for other countries. This document gives you the gist of most of Europe - reproductiverights.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/European-abortion-law-a-comparative-review.pdf

Basically, it looks like a mix of what we have here in the states, right down to mandatory waiting periods or counseling.

It’s also important to check out the status of LGBTQ+ rights in a country that you’re thinking of moving to.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_by_country_or_territory

[pixy0stix]

If we're talking covid response, Europe was virtually the same as the states (some areas like the Netherlands really didn't do shit) - www.healthline.com/health-news/how-europes-initial-response-to-the-covid-19-pandemic-differed-from-the-united-states#EU-lacked-authority

[Michelle]

Jun 1, 2022 12:02:33 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

It's helpful to know the abortion laws for other countries. This document gives you the gist of most of Europe - reproductiverights.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/European-abortion-law-a-comparative-review.pdf

Basically, it looks like a mix of what we have here in the states, right down to mandatory waiting periods or counseling.

And I'd add LGBTQIA (hereto called Queer) rights. Reproductive and queer rights are the biggest restrictions to my family's happiness in Texas right now. All my queer friends are feeling very afraid and vulnerable, and being able to pick up and move is really difficult for many of them. One lesbian couple are both librarians and finding comparable jobs in the same city if it is also racially diverse (a requirement for them as well) is really hard.

If/when I move to another state, I will be looking for protections for reproductive and queer rights. I don't want to pick up and move only to settle for less again.

OP even if it doesn't impact you today, you never know if restrictions on queer rights will affect your kids. So you'll want to be prepared.

www.hrc.org/resources/international
www.hrc.org/resources/marriage-equality-around-the-world


Edit - thanks @villainv I see you already posted up thread... i was in a meeting and didn't realize i failed to hit "post" until just a minute ago.

[Aloe Vera]

Realistically, I would say 99% of people can't move to another country. Unless you are being sponsored (through a job, a family member) this won't be possible.

[wanderingback]

Jun 1, 2022 12:02:33 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

It's helpful to know the abortion laws for other countries. This document gives you the gist of most of Europe - reproductiverights.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/European-abortion-law-a-comparative-review.pdf

Basically, it looks like a mix of what we have here in the states, right down to mandatory waiting periods or counseling.

Yes! The non restrictive US states actually offer better abortion protections than much of the world. Canada is actually pretty good in regards to abortion access and being able to get care after 24 weeks, but that is definitely not true in much of most of the world. Most countries have much lower gestational age limits than the US non restrictive states and then obviously plenty of countries also ban abortion.

Different people definitely have their priority areas.
My cousin moved to Spain. Not because she thought Spain didn’t have anti-Black racism (she’s a writer and has written about the racism in Spain since she had spent a lot of time there), but for a variety of other reasons. I have another Black and gay friend who moved to Israel although gay marriage isn’t legal there. It can definitely be a hard decision based on a variety of factors if one has the means to do so. Overall, it’s definitely a good idea that if one is going to move to another state or country that you have realistic expectations.

For me personally it’s definitely freeing in an indescribable way living in a predominantly Black country even though many predominantly Black countries have their faults as well, but I’ve considered going back despite those faults, so it’s definitely a complicated issue for me.

[gardengal]

We were low key offered to be transferred via the company my H worked for to a country in Europe. I googled for expat forums in this country (I do agree the term expat is loaded but that’s the term you’ll want to use to search). I read a lot of posts. I’d recommend finding something for places you’d consider moving to

Then, we stayed their for a summer. The company had an apt they used for visitors that wasn’t need then so we went. We traveled a little but it was very much not a travel experience when you’re walking almost a mile each way to get as many groceries as you can carry & figuring out where to buy a broom when there’s not an obvious place like Target. It was a good test as vacations are very exciting but that’s not everyday.

My H loved it. He loved hanging out with his new colleagues & such. It was also a great place to indulge one of his hobbies. It was incredibly isolating for me trying to entertain kids in a place that I just knew the language basics & they didn’t really speak English. That means at playgrounds they couldn’t play with random kids (bc they couldn’t understand made up games) & the other moms/Nannies didn’t want to chat with me. The time difference was difficult keeping in touch with friends & family too. And they expected me to be breathless with excitement & joy over the adventure but I was depressed & it was all hard. It was difficult to talk to people back home of my struggles

Of course, if my kids were in an English speaking school the friends issue would have improved. My Hs company would not have sponsored a work visa for me so I’d definitely be stuck Sah.

In short, if you move forward, definitely make sure you are in a good place bc, at least in the short term, I found it really hard & we opted to stay here.

[sequins]

I agree with PPs that this is a very very very intensive, expensive, and all-consuming process. And this is something that you will deal with for the rest of your life. Being an immigrant is not easy and there needs to be very very compelling reasons to up and leave your home. TBH, I think about moving back home every day and I've been here 10+ years!

If I had the mental bandwidth, I would stay in a conservative area and vote and organize and fight for change. But if this is beyond your capacity now, I'd move to as liberal an area as you can afford and continue fighting for change from afar.

I know things look bleak but what I love the most about America is how engaged many people are in their (oops, our) political system. I love that people fight for things that won't directly impact them, openly and loudly. That's such a rare thing that I will never take for granted! I believe we still have a chance and we need to continue fighting for everyone who will come after us.

[foundmylazybum]

When I was contracting for the Army, every month they had the ceremony whereby new recruits would become American citizens. And I always thought that was one of the most..amazing things. These people are coming to the US and one of the ways that they will do the process of immigration is by volunteering to literally give their lives for our country--and honestly some of them might have to go BACK to their country of origin and fight against their homeland. That's some crazy shit right there. I'm not saying this b/c of like "go patriotism, yay United States!" Jingism nonsense. More that..they came to a new country and in some way "gave back" to their new land. They are giving self-less service.

I just think it's interesting to think about different perspectives. That a lot of people would leave the US and essentially go to another country for their own feelings of "safety" but I guess like not really EVER consider serving that country, or there isn't a lot of consideration of what impact YOU have on that country by packing up your lives and going to another land, just to serve yourself (it does have a touch of Colonialism to it!)

What would you bring to another country? I don't mean that rudely but--what do you have to offer?

[loira]

I think pps made some good points already. I am Canadian but I've lived abroad in Europe, Asia and South America. I'm now back in Canada.

I've said this in similar threads, but in Canada we hear Americans proclaim they're "going to move to Canada" every time something goes tits up in the US. And I'm not saying it's not a valid thing to be concerned about what's going on there, but Canada (and the UK and the Netherlands etc) is not a consolation prize. If you really want to move abroad, you're excited about living in the country and culture you're moving to, and you genuinely have something to contribute to the country then great! But do it because you really want to make the move and not just to get away. ETA: this comment applies to the OPs post, not people who genuinely need to get away and are applying for refugee status.

I think for Canada one of the easier paths to permanent residency is to do a program of study, after which you can get a work visa, which can then lead to a PR. The student's spouse gets a dependent visa which allows them to work, and children can also come along as dependents. It's easier but of course it's also expensive, and you also have to make sure you choose a program of study that is approved for student visas, allows for a work visa after graduation (a degree program rather than a certificate, for example).

Also a quick mention that everyone calls Canada an English speaking country, but we're a French speaking country too, and if you speak French, there may be a more streamlined path through Québec or New Brunswick. I think maybe the Atlantic provinces might also have special programs where the intent of those is for skilled workers to stay in the province for a certain number of years.

[AJL]

Jun 1, 2022 11:00:52 GMT -5 @villainv said:

Jun 1, 2022 10:40:46 GMT -5 AJL said:

Why?

I don’t want to speak for pixy….but for me, there’s a hell of a lot of privilege in the idea that one can just pick up and move to another country (though I don’t think this necessarily applies to OP). So many Americans have no choice but to stay and endure what’s going on, and continue to fight to make the changes that need to happen, rather than just throw their hands in the air and move away. Also, it’s really not that easy (for most people) to move to another country, and most of those countries have their own problems (maybe different from ours, but they still exist).

I fully appreciate this perspective. I feel conflicted about the privilege we have to be able to pick up and leave states, let alone move to another country. But I also come from very recent immigrants. There are people who leave their countries every day to come here to the US because it is a better place for them than their home country (or they have no choice.) My mother came from Mexico because her family was persecuted. My husband's great grand parents took a chance that the Nazi regime was going to wreak all holy hell on Jews and other persecuted people and left Poland and Romania. There were certainly millions of people who didn't have that privilege or resources to leave their home country. My grandparents took a shot. They knew people, but that was it. My husband's great grand parents literally loaded up all they could stuff in a suitcase per person and had enough money to get on a ship to New York.

The United States is quickly becoming not much better for many of us here. I am very unsettled by the rise of the radical right. Historically, Jews have always been persecuted and scapegoated. Antisemitism is on the rise in the US. If the GOP gain control again in 2024 and Trump is with them, I really think my family is safest outside the US.

So yeah, I get what you're saying, but I also want to stay alive. I want my family to stay alive. You can brush off my perspective as hyperbole but I don't think it is. Trump won in 2016. He can win again in 2024. Don't think it can't happen. And if someone wants to leave the US and try to make a better life for themselves somewhere else, then I think they should.

[scout8]

Jun 1, 2022 12:50:18 GMT -5 Aloe Vera said:

Realistically, I would say 99% of people can't move to another country. Unless you are being sponsored (through a job, a family member) this won't be possible.

I have researched moving to several Latin American countries and it isn't that difficult. When people ask about moving to another country, though, they are usually talking about somewhere in Europe and I agree, it's rarely possible. 

[laurack]

Jun 1, 2022 10:07:38 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

May 31, 2022 19:56:41 GMT -5 laurack said:

I have thought about it too. I’m from Ireland so we could move there. The problem is I don’t like the climate there as much and I feel like here there are a lot more opportunities here and more activities, wonderful land travel options etc. I love our life here. But each time there is a school shooting I wonder if we should move.

I agree that moving states might help you though. Where we are there are decent gun laws (Massachusetts) and relatively low gun ownership rates. While it doesn’t mean I don’t worry about mass shootings, I do think I worry a lot less than I would if I lived in a state with little or no gun laws.

How much does the Irish climate differ from Boston?

It’s more of a temperate climate - so it’s less hot in summer (like 60s is most common) and it’s also quite wet. It rains often, a lot of drizzle and less sunshine so things don’t dry quickly. It’s very green as a result!

Milder in winter as well so little to no snow, if you want to ski you have to fly to another European country, whereas here we have numerous ski areas within a 1-3 hour drive.

[polarbearfans]

I am super stressed about the current events as well. One of the reasons my daughter is in private school is because it is smaller, more community, and less likely that a tragic event will take place in school. I don’t have the delusion that it is impossible, but I do feel better. A couple years back the school made upgrades to make the school more secure. There is always city police there all day long. They have a great counselor in house, and I feel that the school works to make sure that the students are inclusive of each other. Considering you have so much support close by, I would be hesitant to move. My state is way too lax concerning gun ownership, and I would move if I did not have shared parenting.

[dulcemariamar]

Jun 1, 2022 15:43:42 GMT -5 scout8 said:

Jun 1, 2022 12:50:18 GMT -5 Aloe Vera said:

Realistically, I would say 99% of people can't move to another country. Unless you are being sponsored (through a job, a family member) this won't be possible.

I have researched moving to several Latin American countries and it isn't that difficult. When people ask about moving to another country, though, they are usually talking about somewhere in Europe and I agree, it's rarely possible. 

I agree that Europe is more difficult but it seems that there are a lot more programs that allow people to come over for a few years to work. There is a popular Spanish program for college graduates (but you don’t have to be a recent graduate so I have met older people who have done the program ) and it allows you to live in Spain between 1-3 years and help teach English at the schools. Now, it probably isn’t a career choice for the OP but I am surprised all the time to see new programs popping up. There wasn’t stuff like this when I moved overseas 20 + years ago.

[Deleted]

Jun 1, 2022 15:29:14 GMT -5 AJL said:

Jun 1, 2022 11:00:52 GMT -5 @villainv said:

I don’t want to speak for pixy….but for me, there’s a hell of a lot of privilege in the idea that one can just pick up and move to another country (though I don’t think this necessarily applies to OP). So many Americans have no choice but to stay and endure what’s going on, and continue to fight to make the changes that need to happen, rather than just throw their hands in the air and move away. Also, it’s really not that easy (for most people) to move to another country, and most of those countries have their own problems (maybe different from ours, but they still exist).

I fully appreciate this perspective. I feel conflicted about the privilege we have to be able to pick up and leave states, let alone move to another country. But I also come from very recent immigrants. There are people who leave their countries every day to come here to the US because it is a better place for them than their home country (or they have no choice.) My mother came from Mexico because her family was persecuted. My husband's great grand parents took a chance that the Nazi regime was going to wreak all holy hell on Jews and other persecuted people and left Poland and Romania. There were certainly millions of people who didn't have that privilege or resources to leave their home country. My grandparents took a shot. They knew people, but that was it. My husband's great grand parents literally loaded up all they could stuff in a suitcase per person and had enough money to get on a ship to New York.

The United States is quickly becoming not much better for many of us here. I am very unsettled by the rise of the radical right. Historically, Jews have always been persecuted and scapegoated. Antisemitism is on the rise in the US. If the GOP gain control again in 2024 and Trump is with them, I really think my family is safest outside the US.

So yeah, I get what you're saying, but I also want to stay alive. I want my family to stay alive. You can brush off my perspective as hyperbole but I don't think it is. Trump won in 2016. He can win again in 2024. Don't think it can't happen. And if someone wants to leave the US and try to make a better life for themselves somewhere else, then I think they should.

Just to be clear, I’m not brushing off anyone’s perspective. I hear the “America sucks, I’m going to move to XXX country”often from liberal (mostly UMC white) friends and family often, and it reeks of privilege because they are not in any immediate danger. I do not believe that in any way applies to people who need to leave a country for reasons of personal safety or persecution.

[pixy0stix]

Agreed with above.

[klingklang77]

Moving abroad is not as easy as it sounds. 

I moved abroad almost 20 years ago. I studied German Lit and Language and did a study abroad year. I luckily had that partially funded by a scholarship from the German government. I met my ex-husband there and I then moved to Australia (he is Australian). I did my Master’s there in TESOL, and we then got married. I got a spouse visa and lived in Australia for about 5 years. I did not really enjoy Australia and my ex found a job in Germany and we moved there (again). He is a banking lawyer. 

Things were good until they weren’t. I was teaching English and had freelance jobs and contract jobs, but there were some labour laws I could not get around. My job wasn’t enough to sustain myself alone; my ex was the breadwinner. 

We then got a divorce. Divorce is no fun and it is no fun in a foreign language. Luckily, I was able to secure permanent residency about two years before we separated. This was a very smart move as I was able to stay in Germany. It has not been easy, though. Teaching English is a very competitive field and badly paid if you cannot get into the good parts of it. 

I do want to say that it took me a while, but I have finally secured a job as a civil servant and will be teaching English to German soldiers (Bundeswehr) and will eventually be working up to teach higher ups English. I’ll see how that goes.

My point is that you should think about other scenarios (in my case it was divorce). I am happy living here and I can’t really get a good job in the US like I have here. But, please, think about your skills and how you can support yourself on your own. 

Research the country you want to live in. The Netherlands is not the easiest place to move to. 

[Saudade]

2 years ago the response to this thread would have been very different.

I haven’t read all the responses yet.

[basilosaurus]

Jun 1, 2022 12:02:33 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

It's helpful to know the abortion laws for other countries. This document gives you the gist of most of Europe - reproductiverights.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/European-abortion-law-a-comparative-review.pdf

Basically, it looks like a mix of what we have here in the states, right down to mandatory waiting periods or counseling.

Every time I've moved to another country I look up those laws. It's on my core list of things. Women on web is my current plan. Abortion is illegal here in most cases. I hope to not have need of it, but, yes, that's part of my checklist whenever I move.

Also part of the checklist is medical care in general. What would the costs be, insurance, oop vs murca. 

OP, Georgia is one of the easiest countries to emigrate. 12 months visa upon entry. Other options if you have online work is just to go on a tourist visa in most countries and cross a border every few months. But, that doesn't allow for in country employment and may in some cases affect access to healthcare.

[dulcemariamar]

Jun 1, 2022 20:39:42 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

Jun 1, 2022 12:02:33 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

It's helpful to know the abortion laws for other countries. This document gives you the gist of most of Europe - reproductiverights.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/European-abortion-law-a-comparative-review.pdf

Basically, it looks like a mix of what we have here in the states, right down to mandatory waiting periods or counseling.

Every time I've moved to another country I look up those laws. It's on my core list of things. Women on web is my current plan. Abortion is illegal here in most cases. I hope to not have need of it, but, yes, that's part of my checklist whenever I move.

Also part of the checklist is medical care in general. What would the costs be, insurance, oop vs murca. 

OP, Georgia is one of the easiest countries to emigrate. 12 months visa upon entry. Other options if you have online work is just to go on a tourist visa in most countries and cross a border every few months. But, that doesn't allow for in country employment and may in some cases affect access to healthcare.

I wouldn’t suggest crossing borders every few months because I know at least in Spain they cracked down on this (even on Americans much to some people surprise). You can stay 90 days and then some people interpret that you can fly to Morocco for a weekend and then it starts again at 0 and it doesn’t work that way. There is only so many days of the year you can stay in the country with just a passport

[dulcemariamar]

Jun 1, 2022 17:38:59 GMT -5 klingklang77 said:

Moving abroad is not as easy as it sounds. 

I moved abroad almost 20 years ago. I studied German Lit and Language and did a study abroad year. I luckily had that partially funded by a scholarship from the German government. I met my ex-husband there and I then moved to Australia (he is Australian). I did my Master’s there in TESOL, and we then got married. I got a spouse visa and lived in Australia for about 5 years. I did not really enjoy Australia and my ex found a job in Germany and we moved there (again). He is a banking lawyer. 

Things were good until they weren’t. I was teaching English and had freelance jobs and contract jobs, but there were some labour laws I could not get around. My job wasn’t enough to sustain myself alone; my ex was the breadwinner. 

We then got a divorce. Divorce is no fun and it is no fun in a foreign language. Luckily, I was able to secure permanent residency about two years before we separated. This was a very smart move as I was able to stay in Germany. It has not been easy, though. Teaching English is a very competitive field and badly paid if you cannot get into the good parts of it. 

I do want to say that it took me a while, but I have finally secured a job as a civil servant and will be teaching English to German soldiers (Bundeswehr) and will eventually be working up to teach higher ups English. I’ll see how that goes.

My point is that you should think about other scenarios (in my case it was divorce). I am happy living here and I can’t really get a good job in the US like I have here. But, please, think about your skills and how you can support yourself on your own. 

Research the country you want to live in. The Netherlands is not the easiest place to move to. 

Very good advice especially if you will end up as a trailing spouse. Not all countries offer work visa to the spouses or it can be difficult to get one. The labor market can be very limited if you don’t speak the language fluently.

[basilosaurus]

Jun 2, 2022 0:09:54 GMT -5 dulcemariamar said:

Jun 1, 2022 20:39:42 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

Every time I've moved to another country I look up those laws. It's on my core list of things. Women on web is my current plan. Abortion is illegal here in most cases. I hope to not have need of it, but, yes, that's part of my checklist whenever I move.

Also part of the checklist is medical care in general. What would the costs be, insurance, oop vs murca. 

OP, Georgia is one of the easiest countries to emigrate. 12 months visa upon entry. Other options if you have online work is just to go on a tourist visa in most countries and cross a border every few months. But, that doesn't allow for in country employment and may in some cases affect access to healthcare.

I wouldn’t suggest crossing borders every few months because I know at least in Spain they cracked down on this (even on Americans much to some people surprise). You can stay 90 days and then some people interpret that you can fly to Morocco for a weekend and then it starts again at 0 and it doesn’t work that way. There is only so many days of the year you can stay in the country with just a passport

Oh, absolutely. Some places it's 90 days within 180 period. I was in one country where people would overstay because it was cheaper to do that than fly elsewhere, and as long as you paid your fine before departing there was no blacklist. I don't recommend this of course, but it happens.

Where I am currently it is acceptable to do visa runs. 90 days does reset the moment you exit the country. The only thing they've cracked down on is that you can only do a land crossing twice a year. There's an entire industry set up for that border crossing. Buses are timed to hours of the border opening. You literally walk across the bridge, get the stamp, pick up lunch, walk back and get on the same bus that took you there. As long as you're renting an apartment and funding their economy with your usd, euro, yen they don't giveafuck.

[whatnext]

Jun 1, 2022 9:15:43 GMT -5 wise_rita said:

Jun 1, 2022 1:13:52 GMT -5 dulcemariamar said:

I have friends move to NZ and they absolutely love it there. The only issue is that they were closed off from the world for two years because of the pandemic but they got back home 1-2 times a year

I've been biting my tongue a lot in this thread for the fetishization of the Antipodes, so thank you for bringing this up.

Also worth noting is their message of, "Just go back home" to foreigners when Covid first started and "You're not one of us enough" to allow actual citizens to return. Absolutely ghastly and I hope that fucker ScoMo rots the rest of his days because of it. That was Australia; I can't really say if NZ is the same.

When the chips are down living there could be well be a 1-way, non-consensual ticket.

NZ was very similar, the main difference was it was easier to leave (in Australia PR and citizens couldn't without permission), but getting back in required a hotel quarantine with flight package and their lockdowns were much stricter (but less of them like QLD and WA)

NZ is also very expensive with lower wages, there is a reason so many from NZ end up in Australia and its generally the low wages in NZ.

[wise_rita]

Jun 2, 2022 4:00:29 GMT -5 whatnext said:

Jun 1, 2022 9:15:43 GMT -5 wise_rita said:

I've been biting my tongue a lot in this thread for the fetishization of the Antipodes, so thank you for bringing this up.

Also worth noting is their message of, "Just go back home" to foreigners when Covid first started and "You're not one of us enough" to allow actual citizens to return. Absolutely ghastly and I hope that fucker ScoMo rots the rest of his days because of it. That was Australia; I can't really say if NZ is the same.

When the chips are down living there could be well be a 1-way, non-consensual ticket.

NZ was very similar, the main difference was it was easier to leave (in Australia PR and citizens couldn't without permission), but getting back in required a hotel quarantine with flight package and their lockdowns were much stricter (but less of them like QLD and WA)

Don't forget the entry caps by state! Which changed seemingly weekly. And slow roll out of the vaccine because, "What's the rush?" Rage forever.

[aurora]

Jun 1, 2022 19:57:01 GMT -5 Saudade said:

2 years ago the response to this thread would have been very different.

I haven’t read all the responses yet.

Isn't it OK to change our thinking as we learn more and as the world changes? Shouldn't we actually embrace change and growth?

Not to mention there are far fewer people here than there were 2 years ago with possibly different perspectives.

(This is really a general comment since I'm not sure what specific differences you are referring to.)

[Aloe Vera]

Jun 1, 2022 19:57:01 GMT -5 Saudade said:

2 years ago the response to this thread would have been very different.

I haven’t read all the responses yet.

I've seen these threads for a while and the responses were similar. Maybe not from everyone but people who actually experienced living abroad, immigration (myself included) have always had the same answers: it's hard an very, very few people can do it.

[sonrisa]

Jun 2, 2022 9:07:34 GMT -5 Aloe Vera said:

Jun 1, 2022 19:57:01 GMT -5 Saudade said:

2 years ago the response to this thread would have been very different.

I haven’t read all the responses yet.

I've seen these threads for a while and the responses were similar. Maybe not from everyone but people who actually experienced living abroad, immigration (myself included) have always had the same answers: it's hard an very, very few people can do it.

Yes. And the responses often vary by question.

This particular question was fairly loosely formed - "Being here makes me anxious. I want to get away from that by moving abroad."

You would (and do) get a different tone in responses to someone with much more concrete questions who is further into the process (my company wants me to move to X country, specifically this city / We are considering repatriating to my husband's country, I have done x, y, and z towards the process of emmigrating and have researched this and that - here is a specific question, etc.) For example, Taratu first posted with specific plan that is a common route to international living: educators who wanted to interview with international schools.

OP has a long way to go and a lot of research to do if she's serious. The answers here reflect that.