Why There Isn’t a ‘One Shoe Fits All’ Approach to Moving Abroad

I've moved a lot and while each move is different, one thing that I've found is no matter the move - whether it's just a few blocks away or moving to an entirely new country - it's always a lot of work and so many things to think about. Strangely, I actually found the biggest moves, such as moving across-country or moving abroad, the easiest in terms of packing as I just take the bare essentials and leave what I don't really need behind, whether that's leaving furniture in my old place for the new tenants (if the landlord agrees!) or donating whatever I can.

I've moved abroad three times now - from England to Australia, from Australia to Brazil and more recently from Brazil to Ireland. Even though I'm not planning on moving any time soon, Rick and I were talking about our future recently and although we haven't decided where exactly, I'm pretty sure another international move will be on the cards in a couple of years or so, which is always so exciting. One thing I'm sure about is that the next move will be just as unique as the other three were and even though each one was so different, they all somehow worked out for me. Here are my experiences of how I moved abroad and why I believe there are no step-by-step rules to making it go smoothly. It really is such a personal experience.

Moving from England to Australia

I remember my 22nd birthday was both a celebration with all my friends and a leaving party to say goodbye before I moved to Sydney. That birthday was so fun - it was a sports day with traditional games like egg and spoon, fancy dress, a pinata, plenty of drinks and the most wonderful company.

A week later, I was in my apartment in Bristol nattering away with a few close friends when I suddenly realised that I had to leave to go to the airport. I threw a few things in my huge backpacking rucksack, jumped into my friend's car and went to London to get my flight to Bangkok. The excitement of spending a month in Thailand before heading out to Australia seemed to completely consume me as I can't remember once thinking about going to Sydney.

It was only four weeks later when I was halfway through the flight between Bangkok and Syndey did it sink in that I was actually moving to Australia and had no idea what I was going to do when I arrived. I borrowed a Lonely Planet guide book from the passenger to my right and started to flick through to get some sort of idea of what Sydney would be like. I spotted a hostel that caught my eye – the Wake Up Hostel – and decided I would go there first. I handed the guide book back, ordered a cup of wine and settled down to enjoy the excitement of the unexpected.

I certainly was in no financial position to be so carefree. I had less than 800 dollars in the bank, no work lined up and no one to turn to in Australia should things go wrong. I don’t remember ever feeling worried about it – everything was just one big adventure and a story to tell. I guess that’s the beauty of the innocence and spirit of youth.

And what happened when I lived in Sydney? I had the most unforgettable time, made incredible friends, had countless adventures and everything turned out absolutely fine. So, that's one way to move country. Even though everything worked out and it was the biggest adventure and life-changing moment of my life, I probably wouldn't move like that again. That level of spontaneity was definitely strongly connected with my early twenties!

Moving from Australia to Brazil

When I moved to Brazil a year later, my approach to immigrating hadn’t changed much. I arrived at São Paulo’s Guarulhos airport dazed and unsure what to expect with just one backpack crammed full of clothes and a couple of books. This time though I arrived armed with a TEFL certificate to help me get some financial stability while my writing career slowly developed. I had also arrived with a plan to study Portuguese, which I did every day.

I remember the first few weeks spending hours trying to understand Portuguese grammar and struggling to believe that I would ever be able to hear the difference between the different verb tenses when spoken. It was such a challenging yet exciting time getting to learn a new language and an entirely new culture.

I found moving to Brazil more difficult than moving to Australia, namely because of the cultural differences, the language, and the visa. However, it was undoubtedly the best thing I ever did and the eight years I ended up living in Brazil completely changed my life. It was the place I truly matured, where I learnt so, so much and where I got to know the most incredible and inspiring people I've had the fortune to meet.

Moving from Brazil to Ireland

Fast forward to 2019 and I have a whole new approach to moving. I’m organised. I have lists. This move was different from all the others as this time I wasn't moving alone - I was moving with Rick. So this wasn't my move, but our move. I think this actually helped me be more focused and plan better each step, as I felt I had more responsibility to put more effort in to truly make this move work.

To begin, before I even moved, I was already searching for jobs and places to live. This gave me an idea of how much rent would be, what kind of work is available, what skills I could study to fill any gaps in my CV and what sort of salary I could expect. I made a list of all the letting agents to contact when I arrived and had a huge list of everything else that I would need to do from sorting out WiFi and a SIM card to finding a doctor and opening a bank account.

My organisation had both pros and cons. While it meant that within one month I had found an apartment, found a job and sorted out pretty much all of the bureaucratic essentials, it actually left me feeling so busy and overwhelmed at times.

While each move has been different, I think keeping patient and letting things roll in their own time is a vital part of any move. Moving can be stressful and it's important for your mental health to take a step back occasionally to relax and recognise what a huge thing your doing. It's not easy moving abroad and changing your life, so if you're in the stage of doing so, give yourself a pat on the back and recognise this as the major personal and professional achievement that it is.