Everyone has their own motivations to consider a big move. Here are some common (and not so common) ones.
1. Because you want a different lifestyle than what you have now. Perhaps you're tired of planning your evenings around what is on television.
2. Learning a new language is fun, and it is a valuable skill in today's marketplace.
3. So that your kid can learn a second (or third or fourth) language as well. I can see the children of immigrants to the US quickly passing up US born kids once they graduate with dual language skills.
4. To experience a different culture.
5. To develop a new perspective on the world and its people.
6. To live on the cheap. When I lived in Guanajuato, Mexico; I paid $100 USD for an apartment that had more balconies and a much better view than anyplace I've lived in the States.
7. To be free from an unpleasant work situation or maximize freelance earnings. Let's face it, if you're an freelance coder making $1000 a month and do your work online, why live like a pauper?
8. Because you can. I have a Master's degree in education with an emphasis on teaching English as a Second Language. This pretty much guarantees a halfway decent job anywhere around the globe.
9. To escape undesirable parts of US culture. Perhaps you would like to live in a country that reminds you of the "good old days" when people socialized in the town square in the evenings instead of holing up with the television in an anonymous apartment.
10. To escape legal prosecution. Of course that wouldn't apply to anyone reading this blog, would it?
11. To give your child the experience of a lifetime. Some of the most well-rounded kids I've met are world citizens. My son was friends with a 10 year-old girl who spoke four languages fluently and had the knack of making friends easily as well as carrying on an intelligent conversation with adults.
12. Saying goodbye to the public school system in the US. Most of our public schools are in crisis. I have worked in several, and it is a nationwide problem. I do not look forward to my younger son going to middle school. My older son opted out of the system somewhat by obtaining a GED and beginning college a year early.
13. Homeschooling your kid. For some, moving to another country can provide the means to homeschool since two incomes are usually no longer necessary.
14. Providing your child with an education at an international school. These schools are attended largely by the children of diplomats and other people who have business in another country. For some reason, gang activity in these schools is quite low. Hmmm.
15. Starting a business with a low start-up cost. People also usually get tax breaks when they start businesses abroad. New businesses in developing countries can turn out to be pretty lucrative for those who are good at predicting trends.
16. To retire and live like a king. You may not be living like a king (or queen), but in the right country, you could easily be in the top 5 percent income bracket.
17. To volunteer. Habitat for Humanity engages in many overseas projects, as do many other nonprofits.
18. To do mission work. There is a wonderful mission in Africa that involves creating wells for people with no access to potable water.
19. To make friends. When I lived in Mexico, I went to far more gatherings and parties than I do here. I found the people to be very open to meeting new people. For example, once I sat next to a woman on a bus who I had spoken with in the mercado two weeks prior and she invited me over for coffee. That just doesn't seem to happen much in the US.
20. To share what you know. I enjoy teaching and entertaining, and one of the things I did in Guanajuato was host a Thanksgiving dinner for 40 people. I imported some of the ingredients, and had to take the bus to San Miguel de Allende to buy the turkeys, but it was fun. There were 10 bottles of tequila left over afterwards too!
21. To have fun. Whenever I went to a children's party in Mexico, the adults played games too. There's nothing like tequila with your cake to liven up a party!
22. To experience new things. Of course this goes along with fun. I had never had a barbeque on top of a mountain before living in Mexico.
23. To slow down. In some countries, it takes forever to get things done. Once you become used to people being late to appointments and telling you a project will be ready a week before it actually is, it is quite nice. I found that my stress level went down quite a bit when I mentally switched from running around mode to relax mode.
24. To have a cleaner house. In a place where housing is inexpensive, it is common for people to have a housekeeper. The cost is generally $150 to $200 USD per month. Depending on the level of luxury you want to take your lifestyle to, you can also provide employment to a cook and a gardener at around the same rates.
25. To eat better. In many parts of the world, people's diet consists of produce and meat that is grown and raised locally. Not coincidentally, it tastes much better.
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