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Could you ever permanently live abroad?

I have run into a ton of ex-pats in my travels and I have never had one complain about their circumstance, but that just may have been them keeping quiet about it. The vast majority love their situation.
 
Also, living abroad is very different from studying abroad. Worrying about things like opening a bank account, paying taxes, voting, taking care of health care and insurance -- these things really provide a very different perspective from spending a couple of months living with other Americans or a host family.

I can't imagine doing these things in a country where I did not speak the predominate language.
 
wakephan09 said:
Also, living abroad is very different from studying abroad. Worrying about things like opening a bank account, paying taxes, voting, taking care of health care and insurance -- these things really provide a very different perspective from spending a couple of months living with other Americans or a host family.

I can't imagine doing these things in a country where I did not speak the predominate language.
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Bad example, if you move to another first world country these things are FREE!!!
 
I lived in England for 3 years and had a good time, but was ready to return to the US.
This was in the late 80's before the internet, etc so communication was significantly slower. We also moved over with 2 little ones and then our daughter was born there right before we moved back. However, it was an experience that I'd never have the time or money to do otherwise and I encourage everyone to live abroad for a some time if they can. 2 of my kids have spent time in Europe with summer college programs and loved it.
Anywhere you go is different from the States, but it's good to see the US from the outside in and another country from the inside out
 
@ OP: No.

I was fortunate (IMO) to grow up an Army brat, living in 9 states and 2 countries and having spent significant time abroad in a couple other countries. Those experiences opened my eyes to various cultures and broadened my horizons during a formative time. However, I also appreciate stability and being close to my social networks. That involves placing roots on the East Coast, not abroad.
 
HailToTheDeacons said:
I was fortunate (IMO) to grow up an Army brat, living in 9 states and 2 countries and having spent significant time abroad in a couple other countries. Those experiences opened my eyes to various cultures and broadened my horizons during a formative time. However, I also appreciate stability and being close to my social networks. That involves placing roots on the East Coast, not abroad.
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This is very similar to my perspective. Having moved so much while growing up has made me much more focused on providing a stable home for my children.
 
ProfessorDeac said:
Here comes an unclear/hippy-dippy thought, evidence of the inflated self-importance most college students acquire while studying abroad. I was only abroad for six months, but living with a Chilean family for that time, I felt (or convinced myself that I felt) the difference between the centuries of of American and pre-American history that were buried in my subconscious and the centuries of Chilean and pre-Chilean history buried in their subconscious. I'm sure this was helped by the fact that I was majoring in history and my host-brother was also majoring in history at a Chilean university. But it wasn't just him, and it wasn't any kind of readily describable difference. It just felt like the subconscious motivations and truths that underlay Chileans' daily routines were very different from mine because they were made in a completely different context. I realized that no matter how much I learned about Chilean history and culture, I could never insert myself in that context, which was kind of depressing, as my goal had always been to experience, as much as possible, life as a Chilean. Point is, it made me realize that living abroad would always, forever, no matter what I did, make me a cultural outsider. Even if I preferred some aspects of a foreign culture over my own (as I did), and got accustomed to them (as I did), I would always be an outsider. Since then I've had no desire to live abroad for more than a year, as learning a language and culture can only take me so far.
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I feel this totally. I've spent more than a year out of country a few different times. I've never felt at home anywhere, but at the same time, I've never really felt at home in the US. Generally speaking, I get along with non Americans better than Americans. But like you said, I'll never be a native anywhere else, though in fairness, most American's think I'm a foreigner now after speaking with them for 5-10 minutes. I'm a man without a country; both in the way I think, and the way people look at me. I don't mind that though.
 
The island of Capri off the Amalfi Coast of Italy BADLY needs an English style pub for the men to kill time while their ladies spend money. Who's with me?
 
the insurance thing is a huge benefit. i signed up when i started work, and every time i've needed an appointment i can get it within a day or 2, pay €10 and never have to call and bicker about what's covered, bills i'm getting, etc. i love it so much. i almost want to hurt myself just to marvel at the system again.
 
BaseballBoomhauer said:
the insurance thing is a huge benefit. i signed up when i started work, and every time i've needed an appointment i can get it within a day or 2, pay €10 and never have to call and bicker about what's covered, bills i'm getting, etc. i love it so much. i almost want to hurt myself just to marvel at the system again.
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This sounds so terrible. I can't believe the government over there is forcing you to get health care. You don't get to choose which multi-billion dollar company you have to pay a crapload of money to only to hassle with over what they will actually pay for? I don't want to live in a country where the government invades my civil liberties and right to choose. The gov't should tell women what to do though gotta teach those sloots a lesson.
 
denverpacker said:
Just say when. My wife would do this in a heartbeat.

Can we hang a State banner?
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Since going there in 2008, I have always said that the island needed a pub of some sort for the men to hang while the women shopped, and my wife and I joke about it often. Billiards, darts, cigars, worldwide sports feeds, etc. I would never give up my citizenship or live there permanently as I own more guns than I need and not as many as I want, and hunt as much as possible but not nearly as often as I want, but it would be fun to try it. But if someone has not done it already, maybe it is not feasable? I am sure even proposing opening a business in Capri, much less anywhere else in Europe, must be daunting for a foreigner.

It is funny, my wife explored an opportunity in Neuchatel Switzerland that would have kept her there three years, and I would have gone along. While our dog would have been quaratined for 30 days, if I checked with the local LEO, I could have brought non semiauto rifles and shotguns with me (no handguns). The Swiss probably would have expelled me from butchering the French language, but how many people from Winston ever live in Switzerland?

And deverpacker, we could hang any banner we like...
 
This is something that the Future Mrs. Clutch and I are looking at, due to the nature of her work. Unfortunately, we would not be going to an England or Australia, our options are a little less conventional. We would be doing two year stints. My main concern is finding work, second concern is livability of the city and the potential to raise a family. While the idea of being a house husband and exploring the world sounds nice, I don't think I could put the full financial burden on her, those Wake loans don't pay themselves. I'd be curious to hear from anyone who has spent multiple years living abroad, especially those who followed a spouse.
 
What countries are in the mix? Is she military or federal employee, e.g. someone who would be exempt from local taxes and stuff like that?
 
DirtySouthDeacon said:
Not for ever, but for any time three years and under, for sure. My old man was just offered 18 months in Florence. He is somehow considering not going (really my mom is hesitant).
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That would be amazing. Great city, great culture, close to other awesome cities, decent weather. Pretty much the ideal living abroad scenario.
 
Fishbelt Deac said:
What countries are in the mix? Is she military or federal employee, e.g. someone who would be exempt from local taxes and stuff like that?
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Federal employee. Nothing in western Europe, couple south america, couple Eurasia, and Africa. China and Israel, which seem kind of intimidating.
 
I would live somewhere abroad with the possibility of it being permanent in a hot second. Ladies who are into that sort of thing and have a high paying job opportunity abroad and want someone cool to hang with, hit me up. I also parlo un po d'Italiano.
 
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I would totally move as long as it's not a shithole country.
 
TimmyClutch said:
This is something that the Future Mrs. Clutch and I are looking at, due to the nature of her work. Unfortunately, we would not be going to an England or Australia, our options are a little less conventional. We would be doing two year stints. My main concern is finding work, second concern is livability of the city and the potential to raise a family. While the idea of being a house husband and exploring the world sounds nice, I don't think I could put the full financial burden on her, those Wake loans don't pay themselves. I'd be curious to hear from anyone who has spent multiple years living abroad, especially those who followed a spouse.
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I quit my finance job in 2010 and moved abroad (Russia, and now Austria the past 7 years) when my wife had a very good opportunity.

From what I've seen and experienced, being the trailing spouse is very hard. You likely will struggle to find a job unless you speak the local language fluently, and unlike your spouse who will have the support system of a familiar work environment, etc - you will pretty much be on your own. This goes for both men and women, and a struggling and unhappy spouse is the easily the leading cause I've seen of people failing to settle in. Most of the time these are great opportunities for one spouse and career stalling / killing for the other ... make sure you are both very aware of that going in and talk through it the whole time. Building up some giant mess of resentment always ends badly.

In my current situation, I went to university here for 2 years taking intensive language and culture classes and ended up starting my own business. At this point, I'm the one who is far more settled and entrenched than my wife - I will get my equivalent to a permanent resident card next year, and do not plan on giving it up. I found a city and lifestyle that I truly enjoy and has enriched my life and I'm so glad we did it ... but it took time and effort and was certainly not a smooth ride at points.

Feel free to shoot me a PM if you want more information, etc.
 
vadimivich said:
I quit my finance job in 2010 and moved abroad (Russia, and now Austria the past 7 years) when my wife had a very good opportunity.

From what I've seen and experienced, being the trailing spouse is very hard. You likely will struggle to find a job unless you speak the local language fluently, and unlike your spouse who will have the support system of a familiar work environment, etc - you will pretty much be on your own. This goes for both men and women, and a struggling and unhappy spouse is the easily the leading cause I've seen of people failing to settle in. Most of the time these are great opportunities for one spouse and career stalling / killing for the other ... make sure you are both very aware of that going in and talk through it the whole time. Building up some giant mess of resentment always ends badly.

In my current situation, I went to university here for 2 years taking intensive language and culture classes and ended up starting my own business. At this point, I'm the one who is far more settled and entrenched than my wife - I will get my equivalent to a permanent resident card next year, and do not plan on giving it up. I found a city and lifestyle that I truly enjoy and has enriched my life and I'm so glad we did it ... but it took time and effort and was certainly not a smooth ride at points.

Feel free to shoot me a PM if you want more information, etc.
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This post is incredibly on point, particularly the part about being great for one spouse's career and potentially a death sentence for the other's. I saw this over and over again in Oslo and Singapore.
 
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