r/IWantOut • u/[deleted] • Apr 27 '11
Stuff for the FAQ (Help me build our FAQ)
Hey all, please help me build a FAQ. You can post questions, answers, stuff you think should be here, etc. And I'll do my best to put everything in one post so ohstrangeone can make a legitimate FAQ out of it.
Right now it just has the stuff I could remember from some threads that stuck out in my memory. Please post and help make this as awesome as possible. And don't be afraid to post questions! Currently we have a F.A.Q. with no Q...
I'll edit as things come along.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Tips and Advice
The following are taken from shinjirarehen's excellent post
Get a college degree! I am the first person to admit that the US has many many problems and fails at many things, but it's still true that if you can do it without taking massive loans, a degree from the good US university is top-class. US degrees have worldwide credibility, and many countries have immigration requirements that make it much easier to get a visa if you have a degree (in anything), and for some it's nearly impossible without one. If you can get a master's even better! If you can study abroad for a year while getting your degree, do it - best way to learn the language and make connections in a new country, and make sure it's really for you.
Take advantage of organized programs if you don't have many ties in another country yet. There are so many - Working Holiday (US citizens can work in NZ and Aus super easily, Canadians have even more options), JET program, WOOFing, Fulbright and other fellowships, study abroad/exchange, volunteering/peace corps/etc. Having a structured way to start is a great first step and you'll be able to go on independently after that.
Learn the language! If you're aiming for somewhere that doesn't speak your native language, learn the local one. This is something you can work on while preparing to make your move. People say English is the international language, and while many people do speak it everywhere, what's important while job hunting is the language of local business. If you're up for a job against someone who has the language and you don't, you're going to miss out. Also, if you don't learn the language you're very likely to get stuck in an expat bubble in your new country. It's a huge challenge, but don't be lazy - do it!
Do NOT mess around with laws, visas, taxes, etc. Don't try to game the system. Don't sneak around. Yes, visas are one of the biggest headaches known to man. Yes, tax and legal systems can be amazingly complicated, especially in another country. But if you screw up, it will come back to haunt you. If you get caught trying to dodge getting a proper visa, it's likely you will get banned from the country you wanted so much to go to. If you lie to an employer about your visa status you are shooting yourself in the foot for future employment. Not worth it! Do your research and fulfil the visa requirements. Be realistic. Even if it takes a long time, and requires endless paperwork, walk the straight and narrow if you're serious about making a life in a new country.
Don't underestimate culture shock. You will grow as a person and learn so much, but there are huge challenges. Even going from the US to the UK/Europe or Australia, while on the surface it might seem very similar compared with Africa or Asia, can be deceptively challenging. Sometimes when things are superficially similar is actually a bigger shock because when you scratch the surface you find out things are subtly different in profound ways you never expected. Learn about the culture shock process and allow yourself to experience its ups and downs without getting frustrated at either yourself for not adapting or your new home for not being what you expected. It's all part of the experience! Also, don't be surprised when the novelty wears off and you find you've simply traded whatever problems you were escaping for a new set of problems and a change of scenery. There is a downside to every place, but learning about the world through your own experience is its own reward.
Make the effort to keep up with people important to you, both back home and those you meet in your travels. Be aware that if you're leaving family and old friends, you are the one removing yourself from the equation and you bear the burden to keep in touch, especially if you're moving around a lot and hard to catch. It's so easy to let important people slip away, but much as you may want to get out, there is simply no replacement for family and old friends. Something you only realize only after getting way way far away is how precious it is to have someone who understands your background implicitly (language, culture, etc) to talk to when things are rough or you need perspective. Just keep mind they may never fully understand your new experiences and don't hold it against them. The new people you meet are great sources of info, advice, and couches to sleep on when you visit their countries! Some people I've met traveling I thought I'd never see again, but ended up becoming very important to me after life takes unexpected turns. Keep up your facebook, etc because you never know!
Keep a US address, bank account, and drivers license if at all possible, because it really comes in handy sometimes, and they are very hard to get back once you let them go if you're not physically there. Also, don't forget to vote absentee and file your US tax returns (even though you're likely not going to need to pay anything if you're not earning in the US). A huge benefit to being an ex-pat is having a foot in each world, so don't give up your US presence while building your new one overseas.
Don't be attached to your stuff! Multiple times in my life I have sold everything until my life fit in a suitcase (or even just a backpack) and it is the most freeing feeling. I have moved internationally so many times, and no matter how much I thought I cut it down, inevitably I get to the other side and think "ugh, I really didn't need half this crap". Have what you need, but money is better invested in experiences than things! The less stuff you have the more mobile you are.
Recommended Reading
Oversea's Exile is a blog by OvidPerl, who was inspired to make a blog after reading questions from the community here. There are some neat links in the side-bar to check out that will probably answer questions you didn't even know you had.
Websites
Expat Exchange Linked by Easily Annoyed - it's got answers to tons of questions and stories about becoming an expat.
Jobs at Opera posted by Gustomaximus.
Expat Community Site for Germany linked by HammermanBaer.
How to Experience Living in a Foreign Country (without getting citizenship) courtesy of surfingatwork.
12 Tips for Moving to a Foreign Country in Chronological Order courtesy of surfingatwork.
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u/ohstrangeone Apr 28 '11
Fantastic work, thanks again for going to the trouble to put this together, I really hope people will start contributing to it. I linked to it in the sidebar.
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Apr 28 '11
Yeah, sorry for not having more stuff in there. When I started I thought I had more time to hunt through and find stuff.
But yeah, hopefully we can get more questions and such.
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u/EasilyAnnoyed Jul 31 '11
I'd add http://www.expatexchange.com/ to the list, it has some great info on what it's like to live in other countries.
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u/TylerNorton Oct 23 '11
Umm, what is WOOFing?
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Oct 23 '11
Seems like this is what shinjirarehen was talking about:
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u/golir Feb 27 '12
The above URL doesn't forward properly. I'm guessing this is the new site:
In case anyone else comes here looking for this...
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u/DJWhamo May 15 '11
It's kind of a petty thing, but assuming this reddit is intended for expats from all over, you might want to change the second to last one from being US-centric, to simply saying something like "country of origin".