How did you decide to be expat?

Bob K wrote:

For me it was a matter of livestyle.  I could continue to work and maybe be healthy enough to retiure one day.  Or cash is all in, down size and move to the islands where life stye slows down and cost of living is 40% less than what I was used to....took me about a minute to decide and now 12 years later I have not regretted it one bit.

Bob K

where is the plae cost of living %40 less than? and what kind of job?

amanda.O wrote:

to have a better life

which i'm gladly i did move out from my country, be crazy enough to bring limited money and had no job nor upcoming interview back then but i do really have a better standard of living now.

i left everyone. my family, my friends, my fiance (now my ex )

but seeing that as part of my life journey, i'm really glad that i did.

It was a radical decision of you. Nice to be you glad and worthed to do it. what was your age when you decided and did it?

Have you ever felt guilty because of you left them?

procella wrote:

where is the plae cost of living %40 less than? and what kind of job?

If money is the only deciding factor, then there are plenty of places that cost 40, 50, 60, 70 or even 80% less than rich countries - check numbeo.com. However, you usually get what you pay for - the things that make life comfortable are available only where people can afford them (due to salaries being much higher, too). I prefer to live in a developed place with good quality of life, and found that in the end it pays off financially, too - at least as long as you're working. And then I can afford an occasional "budget" adventure to in a third world location as well.

Bob K wrote:

As an example we went to dinner last Friday night.  We each had a glass of wine, a bottle of water, crab cake appetizers (some of the best we have ever had), a salad, I had fish and chips and my wife had a grilled sea bass.  Our total bill including tax and tip came to the equivalent of $34.25 US.  Try eating like that in the States!

At a household income of approx. US$350/month (about 10% of the USA), such a meal would be unaffordable to the average resident of the Dominican Republic. So this is only possible because you take your first world income (or savings) and spend it there.
This is, of course, a possibility, but not for a young person who still needs to earn his living wherever he is.

Wachara wrote:

Hmmm.... . I remember teetering back and forth being pushed by the winds of exhaustion and perseverance in my motherland. Will I quit and move on or dig in and push forward? its kind of a loaded question. Society has taught us that we cant fail. We need to finish what we started. I became an expat because i needed to strive for perfection, does perfection actually exists? i cant answer that for you. its something you're going to decide for yourself. let the wind blow where it will. don't fight either force. You will end up you're supposed to be.   

Wachara

Actually i am not looking for the perfection. Politics, education and the mentality of some people are not suit for me in my country... planning for being expat in 2018 or 2019 but still some questions...

I just need to read some experiences.

stevefunk wrote:

I'm a digital pimp traveling the world on other peoples money

it's a crime in my opinion. ashamed of you...

expatopatronum wrote:

When you are attached to a religion like Islam, it is almost impossible to think of your life choices being entirely "your" decisions.

Off-topic here, but I have to say this:
Of course dogmatic hardliners of many religions tell you this, but no reasonable God would have made us smart enough to make our own decisions and then prevented us from making them.
Reality is that we are free to do whatever we want, as long as it is within the moral and social framework we live in. The fanatics just cannot deal with such freedom and therefore disallow it to themselves and others. They are wrong!

beppi wrote:

expatopatronum wrote:

When you are attached to a religion like Islam, it is almost impossible to think of your life choices being entirely "your" decisions.

Off-topic here, but I have to say this:
Of course dogmatic hardliners of many religions tell you this, but no reasonable God would have made us smart enough to make our own decisions and then prevented us from making them.
Reality is that we are free to do whatever we want, as long as it is within the moral and social framewrk we live in. The fanatics just cannot deal with such freedom and therefore disallow it to themselves and others. They are wrong!

I really thinking in the same way to reply and appreciate your reply

aryavrat wrote:

I really never thought about this because I think everything happened for a reason so no regrets also but it's really a good question,I will think on it

Everythimh happened for a reason? So why some reasons ruin people?

lukereg wrote:

I don't believe you decide to be an expat rather it chooses you.

I came to Indonesia after a year of travelling the world and with the aim of having a years experience doing something totally new and different.

Anyway, 3 weeks in and I didn't want to leave. Almost 11 years later and it's almost like I can't now as this is home, life et Al.

After all this time I still don't regret taking the chance of coming here and whilst living in Indonesia isn't always the expat uptopia people yearn for, it does for now and at least I've got the weather.

apa kabar? i'm glad you love Indonesia. i miss home though. and i miss bubur ayam for sure.

procella wrote:

amanda.O wrote:

to have a better life

which i'm gladly i did move out from my country, be crazy enough to bring limited money and had no job nor upcoming interview back then but i do really have a better standard of living now.

i left everyone. my family, my friends, my fiance (now my ex )

but seeing that as part of my life journey, i'm really glad that i did.

It was a radical decision of you. Nice to be you glad and worthed to do it. what was your age when you decided and did it?

Have you ever felt guilty because of you left them?

yeah. i was crazy. i still am. hahaha. i was 24 when i decided to move out from Indonesia.

no, i have never ever felt guilty that i left them. cause it brings pride to my mom that she can tell her friends, her families that her daughter is working abroad and live a good life by my own. i even saw it in her eyes when she visited me and saw where i live. it's priceless.

procella wrote:

My parents told me that kids are supposed to look after their parents when they need and old.

How selfish they are: Preventing their kid from seeing the world, learning other cultures and personally growing - just because they don't want to be alone!?!
If they are so old and frail that they cannot live alone any more, yes then you must arrange somebody to look after them. But it does not need to be yourself (as by then you should have your own family and give priority to them). There are good options for home care or facilities that cater to old age needs!