Many of us live abroad at some point in our lives. Whether out of choice, to experience life in a new country or because we think it would benefit our families or because we’ve had to relocate for work. Either way, it can be a wonderful experience. Living abroad isn’t the same as going on vacation to another country or traveling around the world. It’s a chance to settle. To really get to know another country and the people that live in it.

When we travel or go on vacations, we see the sights through tourist’s eyes. We’re excited, we’re happy to be away from work, and we enjoy every step. What we do as a tourist is very different from what we do in our normal day to day life. Who we are is also different. Tourist, you is happier, more relaxed and more adventurous than home you. When you live somewhere, it becomes routine. It’s part of your life, and you are a part of it. Moving house is always hard, but moving abroad can have a great many benefits. Here’s a look at some.

It’s Good for Your CV

Work is one of the primary reasons people move abroad. Either transferring within the same company or moving to a different country to seek more opportunities within your field. Whether you’ve moved for one of these reasons or something else entirely, the fact that you have moved looks great on your CV and could lead to professional opportunities both now and in the future.

Moving to a new country shows some fantastic key skills. It takes organization, focus, bravery, and determination. All of these skills are useful in near enough any industry. They highlight the qualities of your character.

Then, how people work is different in other countries. Medicine isn’t the same in America as it is in other countries around the world. Nor is Law, engineering, science, etc. Research is different, workplace laws are different, and practice is different. Learning about your field in another country and gaining some experience working in it, will expand your knowledge and give you useful skills for the future. If you plan to stay in your new country for the rest of your working career, your knowledge of your field back home could have equal advantages.

You’ll Find all of the Hidden Gems

As tourists, we visit tourist attractions and sights. We eat in popular restaurants, and we visit busier parts of the city. We don’t ever have time to explore much further than this. We see what the city wants the world to see, not the hidden, private side that the locals enjoy.

When you live somewhere for an extended period, you’ll be welcomed in. This is the key difference between visiting somewhere and living there. You’ll find all of the hidden gems that the locals love. You’ll explore the surrounding areas and find all of their hidden gems too. You’ll also get the chance to visit other parts of the country on vacations.

You’ll Meet New People with Different World Views

People in different countries around the world lead completely different lives. They have different cultures and practices, and they look at world events with different eyes. They view the world differently, and they look upon their lives differently. Their priorities may be different. When you live somewhere, you don’t just meet tourists and people that work in tourism. You meet real people, living their lives, enjoying their homes.

Getting to know these people and getting to experience their life can give you a new perspective on your own. Suddenly those small problems or worries about the news that we are bombarded with at home, might not seem quite such a big deal. You’ll learn how to put your concerns into focus and how to concentrate on the things that are important.

Living in a Cluster house can give you a great chance to meet new people and make new friends. You’ll be right in the middle of a community away from the hustle and bustle of city life. In this kind of atmosphere, you can meet people from all walks of life and quickly build lasting friendships that help you to grow.

You’ll Be More Sensitive to Different Cultures

Co-existence and acceptance are crucial to a happy society in today’s world. People move around all the time. America if some to people from all over the world. This is great. They bring with them new knowledge and new ideas. New culture and new ways of doing things. They also bring new recipes and foods, and new forms of entertainment. These things can all come together to enrich a society, making it more than it once was.

But, we’re not always very good at it. We often have a habit of expecting these people from beautiful cultures to change their ways to fit into ours. Living in a different country, spending time as the outsider that is welcomed in, getting up close to the details of a new culture can help you to become more sensitive. You’ll start to appreciate the subtle differences in culture as well as the more obvious ones. You’ll enjoy learning about differing ways of life and celebrating different holidays, and you’ll want to do more of it.

You’ll Learn to Adapt

Most of us have at least some level of fear of the unknown. We like our routines, and we like to be comfortable. When you go on vacation, it’s a short break from your routine, but you probably still study tripadvisor or a guidebook before you go. When you live somewhere, it’s totally unknown. You won’t know your way around, you won’t know anyone, and you won’t know how life works.

You’ll have to make friends, learn about the city and develop a new routine. You’ll learn to adapt. Then, in the future, you’ll be able to use this experience to adapt in other new situations.

You’ll Become a Language Master

Some people find learning languages easy. They have an ear for them and can quickly pick up the complexities just from being around people speaking. For others, it’s incredibly difficult. If you fall into this bracket, you probably just focus on learning a few polite niceties and the essentials that you’ll need when you go away. Assuming that you’ll get by and people will speak English.

Well, people working in hotels and restaurants might speak English. But, when you are living and working in another country, you need to speak at least some of the language. But, it’s also much easier to pick up when you are surrounded by it every day. You’ll pick things up quickly, and your language skills will grow.

You’ll also find that this makes learning other languages easier. You’ll give the language center of your brain a workout, waking it up and stretching its limits. You might not have done this for years.

You’ll Learn More About Your Home Country

One of the more surprising benefits of living abroad is learning more about your home country. You’ll hear what other people think of your country. You’ll see opinions on the news and experience reporting from a different angle.

You’ll Realize that the Grass Isn’t Always Greener

Perhaps not in the sense that you miss home and want to go back. But in the sense that you’ll see people in other places, even places that you love and consider perfect, wanting more. Wanting to get out and see more of the world, being unhappy with their economy or politics, hating the weather. We all have these things in common.