Moving abroad: A leap of faith into the unknown

Everywhere I look, people are moving abroad. I’ve literally just watched a video that started with “This is your sign to move abroad.” Well… funny enough, as a family, we’re sort of already deep in that process; in fact about halfway through it. But…

…We haven’t made a firm decision yet. A big reason for that is the direction our potential new ‘home country’ is taking under its newly elected leadership and administration. It hasn’t necessarily made the process harder for us: our visa path is set, clear and structured and we’ve been fortunate enough (if that’s even the right word) to have been given the opportunity. Some would even say on a silver platter. But the way said country is shifting politically and socially is making us question whether it is really the right move for us.

We’ve been going back and forth on this for months and we now have just under a year to decide whether to go ahead with it or not. The reason I feel somewhat comfortable writing about it even though it hasn’t happened yet is because this is a very real and common dilemma many UK-based families are facing today. It is nothing out of the ordinary.

Although we’ve chosen to keep some of the details to ourselves and we definitely don’t want to have any more conversations about it with people who will try to sway us either way (we’ve already received plenty of valuable advice, including from people who reside there) the reality is that we’re not the only family considering a move abroad. So I feel like we can be real about how heavily such a decision can weigh on one’s mind, irrespective of the destination country. And frankly, whether I write about it or not changes very little – we’re still having to weigh the pros and cons and we’re still having to make the decision at the end of it.

Here’s the thing: we love the UK. It is home. But at the same time we know we could be doing so much better elsewhere, professionally and financially. Life in London is comfortable, familiar and in many ways, great. But there’s this constant pull toward something new… I can’t explain it, other than the need for a fresh start and better opportunities.

We’ve explored several regions within this country, looked at the job market, housing, schools and everything else. We even have our minds pretty set on one specific area and the plan, if we chose to go through with it, would be to spend a few weeks there first before moving. But let me be real, just the thought of it is daunting. The excitement of a new beginning is there but the practicalities and all the decisions to be made in between, whether big or small, are so overwhelming.

Things like healthcare, safety, career benefits etc. are the big factors making us hesitate. And rightly so – we have a good life here, so why throw it all away? Then again, the idea of stepping into a completely new chapter in a place full of new possibilities is hard to ignore.

Maybe that is what this decision comes down to. Comfort versus possibility. Staying means security, but leaving could mean growth in ways we cannot even imagine yet. And as scary as it is, maybe that is the whole point.