- Leah Young moved from Texas to Spain in 2015 to become a teaching assistant.
- What was meant to be a one-year stay has turned into a permanent life in Europe.
- Young, who now lives in France, said living abroad has come with its ups and downs.
Leah Young always dreamed of moving to Europe, but when the opportunity finally came, taking the leap was terrifying.
"I had never lived abroad, and I didn't know anyone else who had," Young, 34, told Business Insider. "I remember thinking, 'How practical is this, really?'"
It was 2015, and she was moving to Spain, a country worlds away from Texas, to work as a teaching assistant. It didn't matter that she had never been there or worked as a teacher before or that the $700 a month she would earn might not cover all her living expenses. For her, it was a chance to finally live abroad.
What was meant to be only a year away from home turned into another year, then another, and more. During that time, she lived in Spain and traveled through Germany, Argentina, and Brazil. Last year, she moved to Lyon, France, a place she says finally "feels like home."
Young says she has become an expert at starting over after going through all its ups and downs. Here are five of the biggest pros and cons of living abroad, according to Young.
Courtesy of Leah Young
Growing up in Texas, Young's worldview was shaped by the people and places around her. But after 11 years of living abroad, she has a completely different understanding of how the world works and how people live in it.
"I didn't even realize how small my world was before," she said. "We often see our own culture and hear our own language, and we have limited access to different ideas and perspectives."
Being surrounded by new people has challenged the way Young thinks about planning her life, from earning money, building her career, and planning for retirement.
"That has been so valuable because you can't really get that just from reading or watching TV or movies," she said. "I think it makes you a more well-rounded person."
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Adapting to a new culture can take time — and a lot of trial and error.
"When you move outside your own country, you're entering a place with a different culture, language, and social norms," Young said. "Even if you study up a little bit, you'll run into things that are embarrassing, awkward, or really difficult."
Manners can be especially hard to understand. "It's the little things that can be the most confusing, like who serves themselves first at the table, who opens the door for someone, or all those small social rules," she added.
Over time, those small uncertainties can become frustrating. "They add up day to day, and all of a sudden, you're having to think about whether every little decision or action is appropriate," she said. "Sometimes you get pushback for that, and it can be really humbling and uncomfortable."
Courtesy of Leah Young
One of the biggest questions Young had to answer when she moved abroad was what she wanted for her life. Having the freedom to choose a path different from the one she was born into has meant everything to her.
"When you grow up in one place, there kind of tends to be a mold or a standard for how things go, like where you're going to live, the kind of transportation you take, the kind of marriage you might have, what career you'll have," she said. "But when you move abroad, everything changes."
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Young moved abroad without knowing anyone. Each time she has relocated to a new country or city, she has had to figure out where to live, find work, and make friends all on her own. For her, the experience has been both a "blessing and a curse."
"You're completely starting from zero, and so you have to have this feeling of, 'I'm going to get strong and do this myself,'" she said. "It's really stressful at the beginning, but the more things that you take on yourself, the stronger you become. It really gives you this intense feeling of self-reliance."
While the experience has made her feel more competent and "tough," she still wishes she had someone she could rely on.
"If I need to carry a really heavy package, I don't have anybody to call and help me, or if I'm having trouble with my electric bill, I'm going to have to be the one who calls, even if it's in a foreign language," she said. "You realize that you're really on your own."
Courtesy of Leah Young
Young's family and many of her closest friends still live in Texas, more than 5,000 miles away and in a different time zone.
"It hits really hard, especially during that first week away," she said. "Almost as soon as you arrive, when you get to your hotel or Airbnb, you realize, 'Oh my gosh, I am completely isolated here.' It's pretty freaky."
For Young, spontaneous hangouts or nights out with loved ones have been replaced by phone calls, video chats, and messages. While she still visits them in the US when she can, the trips never seem long enough.
"That is something you can't really change," she said. "In an ideal world, they would be coming with me, but they can't. You can only see them so many times a year."
The distance is particularly hard during the holidays and challenging periods in life. It's made Young even more appreciative of the time they do have together.
"For me, it has been kind of a blessing in disguise," she said. "I started having much more frequent phone calls with my best friend. With my mom, we call almost every single day, and I don't know if that would be happening if we lived in the same place."