So You Want to Move Abroad

I was lucky enough to take my first international trip just before entering middle school. We went to England with our church and I was immediately taken by the quaint streets of the small towns and the bustle of life surrounded by history in London. Through several other trips, my love of traveling abroad grew from a passion to a desire to move abroad. In college, I decided to study abroad in Dublin. While I had a rocky start, by the time the semester was over I was devastated to be heading home. As I finished out my degree in the States, I knew I wanted to find a way to live abroad again. I researched ways to move abroad as an American after graduating, but my top choice was too costly as someone with little savings and a pile of student loan debt.

That desire never went away though, and while I spent much time researching different ways to make a move, I was given the chance of moving to Germany after no consideration or research. My partner was offered a position abroad with his company, and without hesitation, I knew it was something I would love to do with him. It also helped that my grandmother happened to grow up twenty minutes away from where we were moving, making it even more special. The path that followed had a lot of ups and downs, but ultimately ended with me finding work with his company as well in Germany.

As I’ve done a lot of research through the years and made the transition to life abroad now myself, I felt it was time to finally write a guide to share with others ideas on how to move abroad. I am by no means an expert on the subject, but I wanted to share opportunities I’ve looked into over the years, things I know that other people have done, and share the highs and lows of my own move. It’s also important to note that these are done from the perspective of how to move abroad as an American citizen and that things are always changing, especially with the current situation. Hopefully, some of these ideas and tips will help guide you on your own journey.

Ideas for How to Live Abroad

Teach English

This is probably the most popular way to experience life abroad, and I’ve had several friends go this route and have great experiences. It’s harder to do in popular European countries, as most have English as a part of the school curriculum, and private classes are less common. Choosing spots like eastern Europe, or almost anywhere in Asia, will likely amass many more opportunities. I was recommended to look at i to i, which can help with the certification needed to teach and finding a job.

Australia’s Working Holiday

Australia (and a few other countries) offers a unique working holiday visa, which can last 6 months to a year, perhaps even longer given the job you find while there. This is a program I looked pretty extensively into after graduation - unfortunately, I didn’t have sufficient savings as required for the program. I also know a few people who have gone this route and loved it. As mentioned it does require a good amount of savings and can also be tough to find a job once there, but is a relatively easy route to make a move for a limited time.

Education

One of the easiest ways to make the leap abroad is by heading back to school. This can be costly in many places, but others offer extremely cheap or even free tuition, like Germany. Make sure they offer the degree in English, as that is often the catch - many schools in Germany required a working knowledge of the language. That being said, Germany also offers a visa to move and learn the German language. Be warned that it is a very difficult one to learn!

Volunteering

Mission trips, WWOOFing, Workaway, and ecotourism allow you to travel and give back, often with perks like meals and free accommodation. Many offer ranges of a few days to a few months. As an American, you can stay in Europe for 90 days cumulatively every six months (last I checked), so you could hop around as needed. One of my friends spent a month in Italy working in the countryside with yoga retreats - it sounded pretty amazing in exchange for a little help in the kitchen. Other programs like the Peace Corps, Doctors without Borders, and more can offer similar experiences.

Freelancing

Germany has a special freelance visa that I looked quite extensively into. It requires a lot of work and planning but can be an easy way to work for yourself (allowing more time for travel) and live in Germany. One of my favorite bloggers, Helene in Between, did this and offers a comprehensive guide on the process. If you freelance, you can also hop around the world while you work and try living in many different places. I know someone who did this through Remote Year, which helps with accommodation and activities.

Find a Job Abroad

This one can be extremely tough - I searched for opportunities like this for years. Your best bet is to work for a company with international offices and see if there is a chance to transfer after a few years. You can of course always search for opportunities on LinkedIn in your desired city, but it is often hard to find companies that will offer sponsorship for a work visa for a new hire.

Government Work

With embassies around the world, working for a US government agency or office is a good way to find jobs abroad. Of course, the military is another great way to get the chance to move abroad - I happen to listen to the local army base radio station daily here to get my morning news in English.

Au Pair/Nanny

If you like caring for children, this is an excellent way to move abroad. It’s also a great way to fully immerse yourself in the culture, as you most likely live with the family you work for.

As mentioned, these ideas just come from my own personal research, and if you choose to look into one of these ideas more in-depth, I highly recommend doing additional research and reaching out to someone who has gone through it and can offer advice. It’s not an easy process and there’s a lot of paperwork, but the experience is truly unforgettable, and if you have the chance, I can’t recommend it enough. You’ll often find that the hardest part comes once you make the move, as you can find more on my personal journey here.

One Year Abroad in Germany

On January 8, 2020, my partner and I boarded a plane with a one way ticket to Germany. We were off to start a new adventure living and working abroad. I knew it would have its challenges, but I was so excited to do something that had long been on my bucket list. I could have never predicted what would lie ahead in the months that followed, some of the best and worst days of my life.

Upon arriving, I had some issues with my paperwork, which left me in a long stay hotel, alone, every day for almost a month. A great time to explore my new home, right? While I set out on many adventures, Germany is cold and very rainy in the winter, meaning most of my time outside involved walking a few blocks and then popping into a coffee shop. The silver lining was finding the best chocolate croissant of my life, so it wasn’t all bad.

Finally, in February, I was able to go in and start working. That came with a whole new set of speed bumps and what turned out to be an extremely tough and long transition to get trained and up to speed. After just a few weeks, I had to take time off to head back for a wedding in the States that I was a bridesmaid in. It felt weird to already go back when we had just moved into our new place and were barely settled into our new country, but off we went. By then a little virus had started impacting China, so all travelers were asked if they had recently been to China - if not, right onto the plane. We spent a whirlwind four days back home that were more of a blur of wedding celebrations and jet lag, then turned around and went back to our new home.

Just as I was about to board the plane back to Germany, I started feeling extremely nauseous. I got sick and was asked if I wanted to board the plane, but figured it was just due to all the stress and drinking from the weekend. It turned out to be the longest and worst flight of my life, spending the majority of the flight sitting on a plane bathroom floor. If I thought that was disgusting then, my future self wouldn’t even want to touch anything in there without sanitizing…

So back we went to work and settling in, starting to join groups to meet new friends, getting our new place setup. Just a few weeks later, COVID starting sweeping through Europe, and we were told to begin working from home. Restaurants closed, cities shut down. The Europe I had moved to come and see did not exist.

Weeks passed inside, the weather got warmer. And then, slowly, things started to change. Work improved, despite having a new team ironically based mostly in Boston, spring emerged and showed me an amazing side to Nuremberg, and things began to open back up. By the end of May, tourism was allowed within Germany again, and I booked a night away for the first possible date.

Summer brought so many amazing things - new friends, many travels, and the beauty that is summer in Europe. The days are long, the weather is warm, and the drinks are allowed anywhere you can take them. We discovered every inch of Germany - Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, the Black Forest, the wine regions, and, my favorite, the Alps. We even ventured on a few long weekend trips to France and Austria, spending amazing long weekends on trips that are most people’s dream vacation. Due to some issues with my visa, we didn’t get to go as far as I would have hoped, but it was still an amazing time. I figured in the fall things would sort out and we would be able to see even more.

Fall arrived and I finally started to feel at home in Germany. I had friends to go out with, travels to be had, and a new job that I really liked. We decided to take a week off in October once I finally had my visa sorted out and wanted to plan something really special. We booked flights and a hotel for Malta and were excited for some time in the sun as the temperature began to drop in Germany. As we were preparing for our trip, we watched the numbers start to rise again in Europe. Lockdowns began again. We cancelled our flights as Malta was declared a risk area. As everyone has done this year, we did a pivot - and booked a secluded AirBnb on Lake Garda in Italy instead. While not the trip we had planned, it turned out to be the one I needed.

Upon returning to Germany and testing negative for COVID, I returned to the office. A few days later I got a call from a colleague who I had eaten lunch with - she had COVID. Despite being very closely exposed, I luckily tested negative a few days later, however was put into quarantine for two weeks despite the negative test, as required by German law. After this, I decided working from home through the end of the year would be best, as I had a flight back to the US and did not want to risk another exposure and quarantine.

The month of November was spent in mostly isolation given these circumstances. As we prepared to head home to the US for a month, I got extremely nervous about the logistics of it. I knew it was a risk, but also knew my mental health needed to at least see a few familiar faces and be in my home country again after close to a year away.

On December 1st Nuremberg got its first snowstorm of the year - the same day we had to drive two hours to Frankfurt for our flight. An early morning flight and snow made for a tricky combo, with us arriving just in time to check the bags but literally running to catch the plane. The plane had maybe 40 people on it and I was impressed by the distancing, sanitation and mask wearing. My concerns eased. We spent the first two weeks with my partner’s family in Houston.

From there I flew to Boston to spend two weeks at home in New Hampshire with my family. The flight felt much more crowded and less regulated than the international flight had been. Finding quick and free testing with no US insurance in NH also proved to be difficult. Luckily I was able to find a test and come out with a negative result again, and able to see family and a few friends at a distance. The time flew by extremely fast and made me very happy with my decision to go home. I knew I needed it, but didn’t know how much it would help until it was over.

After close to a month at home, we were ready to get back, even though we were returning to a country in lockdown. The flight home was close to empty and seamless. We went immediately for a test, then headed into a five-day quarantine. Pending a negative result, we would be allowed back out into the world again - although the only places open were bakeries, grocery stores, and pharmacies. As soon as we got that negative result email, I immediately went to a bakery and get a long missed schokobrotchen (chocolate croissant), and enjoyed a small slice of freedom.

On the topic of freedom, I would be remiss if I did not mention the multitude of major events I missed in the US and watched from afar. From BLM, to the election, to the great divide of the country and the handling of the virus, it has been an unprecedented year, to say the least. Watching it unfold from abroad has been both saddening and eye-opening. I’ve felt embarrassed to be American so many times this year - there was already a judgment of us, but this year has not helped. I’ve had to describe the the electoral college, voting process, and “explain” to others why things are the way they are. My only slight glimmer of hope is the real change I also see happening. By raising voices, things are changing. It won’t happen overnight and there will be many speedbumps along the way, but I hope that by the time I decide to return back to the US, the country will have made significant steps towards making the world a better place. And, of course, watching it all unfold while living in a country that has had its own share of political unrest and now has become a thriving new country also gives me hope that change is really possible.

And that concludes our year abroad. Not at all what we expected, but filled with some pretty great moments none the less. Before we moved I was on the go every second of every day, and slowing down has been tough, but also a great way to show me to appreciate the small things in life. I fear I would have traveled every weekend and spent no time getting to know the wonderful country that is Germany if we had not been forced to stay home. I hope this year will allow for more travel and visitors and look forward to sunny summer days ahead at the very least. You can continue to follow all of my adventures on Instagram, and of course here on the blog. Stay tuned for more content on what it’s like to live abroad in Germany and tips for moving abroad as an American, coming very soon.