mama tips

One-way ticket abroad

FIVE REASONS TO MOVE YOUR FAMILY ABROAD

Have you ever thought of picking up and just buying a one-way ticket for your family to some other remote corner of the world? Well, why not? I’m sure everyone will give you their be-warned-fear-based-well-intentioned advice of why you shouldn’t, as well as the horror stories that “could” happen. My advice to you though is: Don’t listen. Go for the adventure!

When we decided to move abroad, we were enjoying the middle-class American dream of owning our own home, having a great job and me getting to stay at home, raising our adorable two-year-old while pregnant with our second. We’d always dreamt of living abroad for a few years, and finally we realized that if we didn’t go while the kids are young and while we are still naive enough to do it, then we probably would never go. So we chose to shake our foundation and move to Costa Rica.

It seemed like a daunting task to do all of the planning, but my husband and I are big believers in choosing the life you want, and creating your reality. So we bought 4 one-way tickets and the rest just easily fell into place. Seriously it wasn’t that tricky. My husband quit his plush job and we chose to have jobs that we could do online (and you could too if you really wanted to). We jumped through the hoops of paperwork to bring our little doggy with us, found renters to rent out our home, sold most of our stuff and stored the belongings we just couldn’t separate from in my sister’s garage. My husband and Dad went down to Costa Rica 6 weeks before we moved to find us our new hometown as well as a house to rent. If you can, I strongly recommend this step so you don’t have to move there and spend a fortune on hotel lodging while you look for a long-term rental.

We landed in San Jose, bought a car the next day and drove to our new beachtown oasis. Our whole life was with us in that car: the four of us, our loving little dog, 2 carseats, one pack ‘n play, one stroller, 4 suitcases, one backpack and a diaper bag. Life became very simple. I think that is one of the greatest joys of living abroad…the simplicity in not having too much. You just have enough. And that is perfect.

Living abroad certainly is not for the faint at heart, as it produces innumerable challenges that you just can’t anticipate, but I am quite certain that these are and will be the best memories of our lives. Here’s the link to the blog we kept while living abroad.

Here are some of the top reasons to live abroad with your children:

Simplicity – they learn to live with what they have and they aren’t always wanting, wanting, wanting. And neither are you. If you live in a small town like us, there aren’t many shops aside from tourist shops, so there’s nothing for you to buy. You clothe your kids (or not since you’re on the beach) and have simple toys, and you rent furnished houses.

Outdoor living – this may not be necessarily true if you’re not moving to a tropical locale, but if you are it is so amazing to live outside with nature. The houses are open and you spend the majority of your day outside. It nourishes the soul and promotes creativity.

Curiosity – Everything is a new experience for both parents and kids alike. We all find our curiosity in exploration. That may be exploring new towns or new tide pools.

Language – Obviously learning a new language while your kids are little is immensely beneficial. They truly are little sponges and will soak up their environment. Plus isn’t it great that your children see you as life-long learners too?

International Friendships – It is very true that when you live abroad, other people you meet are likely going to be your forever-friends. You’ll meet other people, like you, who have chosen to uproot themselves for the sake of adventure and move abroad. You instantly become part of the fabric of the ex-pat community, and if you’re lucky, also the local community.

We spent two and half years abroad in our little jungle/ beachtown community and loved it dearly. It opened our borders and now allows us to dream of where our next adventure will be. Life is short- live fiercely and intentionally.