5 Questions You Need to Ask Yourself Before You Move Abroad For An SO
Living abroad is a challenging endeavor, especially when it comes to dating. As soon as you step foot outside your home country, your dating pool magically becomes an ocean with fish from all over the world.
But I'll tell you from firsthand experience that this tends to complicate things. Not to say there isn't diversity in all of the many places we come from, but there is something to be said for the people you meet abroad while traveling.
There are nearly 200 other countries full of eligible bachelors and bachelorettes you're likely to encounter, and up until now, you've probably been surrounded by dating prospects who are exactly like you.
How were you to know there are men out there who share their emotions, dress impeccably and have traveled to places you can't even pronounce? Or women who speak three languages, have degrees and provide clean water to villages in Cambodia in their spare time?
Suddenly, your dating requirements include qualities you'd never even thought of. Your eyes have been opened.
Then, without any warning at at all, it happens. You meet the person who ticks all the boxes.
Unfortunately, there's one rather significant problem. You're from country X, and they're from country Y. And there's only one way to see if this relationship will ever really work.
One of you has to bite the bullet and move.
But before you do, here are five questions you need to consider before you make the leap and move abroad for your significant other:
1. Is this person worth uprooting your life for?
They say you'll never know until you try. Well, there's trying, and then there's trying.
The latter is the kind of effort that involves uprooting your existing life in the hopes you can build an even better one with your SO.
This is no small romantic gesture, and you need to be sure they're worth it. Start by asking yourself questions like, "Do I care about this person so much that I would rather be with them in a completely unfamiliar and foreign land than without them in the comfort of my own?"
2. Does this person love and support you 100 percent?
There's a lot that comes with moving to a new country, and the last thing you want is to be left to figure it out on your own.
Is this person willing to do everything in their power to help you assimilate and be comfortable in their country? Are they helping you book your flights, make packing lists and research your visa?
3. Are you independent enough?
It's true your SO should be helping you in any way possible, but you also need to remember they aren't always going to be by your side.
Are you independent enough to figure things on your own? Do you embrace adventure and enjoy learning new cities and new cultures?
These are basic and necessary requirements for making it abroad. They will be there for most steps of the way, but you need to be comfortable filling the gaps.
4. Can you find a job?
These days, living abroad is getting easier and easier. Research the visa and work requirements for your new country. If they aren't working in your favor, consider the option of working remotely.
Could you write? Be a virtual assistant? Teach online?
There are many options for making money while abroad, and you'll need to have not only a source of income but a productive way to spend your time.
5. Would this person do the same for you?
There are many factors to determine who makes the move. Maybe your SO has a great job in their home country, or maybe you're just looking to live somewhere new.
Circumstances aside, the last and most important question you need to ask yourself is this: Would your partner make the same sacrifice for you? Has this person made it clear they would go anywhere and do anything in this world just to be with you?
You don't want to be with someone who isn't willing to match your efforts. You need someone who understands it's not where in the world you are, but whom you're with.
Once you find that person, you can be sure moving to be with them is the right decision.
No more questions asked.
