Ever since we first met, we knew travel was going to be a big part of our relationship. We both had a passion for travel and wanted to live abroad for at least the first couple years of our marriage. What we didn’t know at that time was how appealing being an expat can be. Fast-forward nearly four years later and we have yet to settle down in our home country. Here are some of the reasons why we’ve decided to live abroad – and why we just may never stop:
Quality of Living
Let’s face it. It’s expensive to live in the United States. In Taiwan, we had a three bedroom apartment in the city for a fraction of what we would have paid for the same in the States. Now we’ve upgraded to a house in Costa Rica, which was the same price per month as our apartment. Only this time we are immersed in the mountainous jungle and 15 minutes from some of the most beautiful coastline in the entire country.
Healthcare
Healthcare in the US is hardly a discussion I want to go into in depth, but we find ourselves taking better care of our health when we are abroad. We practice yoga, go hiking and explore the area around us. We also have access to local markets just about everyday of the week (something that was not available to us where we were from in the US). While this may not be true everywhere, most people are surprised to know that we have safe, clean drinking water that comes out of our tap.
We realize drinking water out of the tap is definitely a luxury not everyone can have. Luckily there are plenty of resources to help you out no matter where you live. We’re especially interested in this Alkaline Ionizer, which is said to hydrate, energize, anti oxidize and detoxify – a great option even if you can drink the tap water where you live!
Everyday Adventures
While living abroad every day seems to turn into an adventure. Just conversing with locals seems to take on a whole new element of excitement. The most mundane things such as going to a new coffee shop or exploring a new town are amplified because of the unfamiliarity of it all.
Cultural Immersion
We have always emphasized that there is no better education than travel. The lessons learned by changing your environment into something completely foreign and even at times uncomfortable creates space for personal growth that is otherwise unattainable.
We aren’t writing off the living in the US altogether, but the more we travel, the more we realize just how much more fun it is to live in a foreign country.
Are you an expat? Have you ever considered living abroad?
