Moving Abroad? Congratulations! 5 Essential Things to Consider!
Moving Abroad? Have You Considered What’s Truly Important to YOU? TL;DR
In the video that follows regarding moving abroad, I start off on my KTM moto, heading to Costco (yes, we still love Costco abroad), while I go over my thoughts on what I think people should consider before making the leap. I made the first mistake I discuss. I’m trying to help people avoid the same mistake. I cover climate, foreign language skills, geographical location, safety and willingness to stick out.
Tren Maya Project Was 3 Times Over Budget and Does Nothing for the General Population
I discuss how I feel Mexico dropped the ball on the $28.5 billion Tren Maya project, which ran 3 times over budget. The Tren Maya stations in Mérida and Valladolid aren’t even close to the city, meaning the traveler has to get off the train and get on another vehicle to get to their main destination. This is a major design flaw in my opinion. I mean, if you want to ride the train just for the experience of riding the train then I get it. Heck, I’ll probably do it someday. I mean, it’s cool for sure, but I just see vast amounts of people in poverty, terribly paved roads, and some not paved at all. I believe the $28.5 billion dollars could’ve gone a long way to really make a difference in people’s lives instead of being some novelty that will generally only appeal to tourists whether Mexican or international.
Bottom Line is Take ADO Bus if You Want to Arrive Directly to Your Destination
The efficient and direct service offered by ADO buses, which are modern, comfortable, and air-conditioned can’t be beat. The bus station in Valladolid, for example, is 6 minutes walking or two blocks from the zócalo named Parque Francisco Cantón Rosado. Once there you can see the Maya performers dance la Jarana, a beautiful ensemble celebrating la vaquería.
In the Video I Discuss the Importance of the Following
- Climate
- Willingness to Stick Out
- Safety
- Geographical Location
- Foreign Language Skills
If Moving Abroad, Don’t Blindly Just Pick “Safety” First
In the video I describe how many people make the big mistake of placing safety first as their criteria for moving abroad. In my opinion, this is a huge mistake. Don’t get me wrong, safety is important, but it must be put into perspective. If you want to live in the absolute safest country in the world, move to Iceland, but would you be happy there? You know what the temperatures are like. The reality is some of the most interesting and exciting places in the world don’t necessarily top the “safety” metrics. By only picking “safety” as your criteria you could be missing out on amazing opportunities and a lifestyle you’d cherish.
Stop Comparing Country to Country Statistics on Safety Before Moving Abroad!
There’s a HUGE difference in safety between the following cities, yet they both belong to the same country:
- Mérida, Yucatán vs. Tijuana, Baja California (Mexico)
- Florianópolis, Santa Catarina vs. Feira de Santana, Bahía (Brazil)
- Burlington, Vermont vs. Detroit, Michigan (United States)
- Strasbourg, Grand Est vs. Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (France)
- Jakarta, Daerah Khusus Ibukota vs. Ubud, Bali (Indonesia)
Climate is First Consideration When Moving Abroad
I believe climate is the first thing to consider before moving abroad, use a site like Zoom Earth and check out the climate of the area you’re interested in. Also remember to check your destination in its “worst season” to see if it’s a place you could live year-round. To me this is super important. I made the mistake of choosing a “safety first” place and I regret it. For me, it’s miserable. I realize that everyone is different and some people actually like humid, tropical climates. I don’t. This is why I’ve chosen to leave Mérida, Yucatán, despite its safety accolades, which in my opinion are overrated.
Are You Willing to Stick Out?
So many foreigners stick out like a sore thumb when they move to a foreign country, me included. It doesn’t matter if you speak the language or have years under your belt living overseas. If you look a certain way, you’ll always be the odd person out, no matter what. If you’re white skinned like me, and you don’t look like the general population, then yeah, you’ll get stared at frequently. It happens to me all the time and it’s tiring. In Latin America, white skinned people can blend into places like Argentina, Bogotá, Colombia (to some degree) Chile, Southern Brazil, and Uruguay to name a few. Of course, you’ll only blend in until you open your mouth.
Black People Will Stick Out as Well
Sticking out doesn’t only apply to white skinned people. If you’re black, you will stick out in many places. It’s not about racism, it’s just that you’re different, just like white skinned people. In Latin America, Black skinned people can blend into places like Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Northern Brazil, Cartagena, Colombia, and Haiti, while also being able to fit into places in the Caribbean like the Bahamas, Jamaica and Turks and Caicos. As mentioned above, you’ll only blend in until you speak.
Safety – Know Your Risk Tolerance Before Moving Abroad
You should have an idea of what your risk tolerance is before moving. This is something very individualistic or perhaps familiar if you have a family, especially young children. A 20 something year old looking to party, probably has a bit of a higher risk tolerance than a married couple with 3 young children to care for. Remember that most violent crimes in Latin America are gang on gang or cartel-cartel crimes. I realize that sometimes innocent bystanders to get hurt and even killed, however, it is not common at all for someone to just walk up to a foreigner and kill them for no reason. That just really doesn’t happen. Keep that in mind. Generally speaking, there’s also no “road rage” like there is in the United States.
Use Common Sense Safety Precautions
- Don’t wear bling; leave jewelry (even fake) at home; the thief doesn’t know it’s fake
- Don’t get wasted, watch your drink AT ALL TIMES, give your location ONLY to trusted friends or family
- Remember the saying “Nothing good happens after midnight”
- Try and use Uber or whatever reliable taxi service the country you’re going to has
- Wear your backpack in front of you (like a baby), especially in sketchy areas, metros and buses
- Ignore street vendors, you can always go later with friends or trusted local and buy something if you really want
- Chill on the selfies, it’s fine, but really check your surroundings, don’t be so wrapped up in your perfect image
- In cities known for theft, make your WhatsApp chats or telephone calls INSIDE a mall or store
- Use burner phones if you can that “look” like a good one, and carry a small amount of cash in case you’re robbed
- Skip the double strapped Tevas, cargo shorts, baseball cap backwards and shorts in general (coastal location, gym if you must, and beach is ok, Brazil is also “short friendly” but in most places, people wear pants). Side note: And in Brazil it’s ALWAYS Havaianas sandals. Tevas = Tourist PERIOD.
Real Talk – Would Americans Live in Mexico if it Was Far Away?
If Mexico had the same crime stats as it does today and was located in Eastern Europe somewhere, hardly any Americans would live there. That’s the truth. People lie and say how much they “love the culture”, although the vast majority don’t partake in it. Drinking tequila and eating tacos doesn’t make one culturally immersed. Staring at the Chichén Itzá pyramid or an old cathedral doesn’t either.
Think of the Country’s Geographical Location
Is living close to your home country important to you? If you’re from the United States, then you may want to rule out places like Brazil and Asia, as both are quite far away. In fact, southern Brazil, basically from Rio de Janeiro/São Paulo and further south to cities like Curitiba and Florianópolis only have a modest proximity to Uruguay and Argentina. Pretty much anywhere else you want to go is going to be a long flight, whether that’s the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia etc.… Asia is even further away from the US.
Some Expats in Mexico Lie About Their Love of Mexican Culture
Do expats in Mexico play Pok ta Pok? Do they even know what that is? Do they make Oaxacan mole from scratch with 30 ingredients? Do they snack on chapulines? Can they name 3 Mexican soccer players and 3 luchadores de lucha libre? What about music? Do they have banda, corridos and mariachi music on their MP3 player or phone? Can they name musicians besides Luis Miguel? Do they go to lucha libre matches or fútbol games in estadio Azteca? Have they taken a trajinera and navigated the waters of Xochimilco and seen La isla de las muñecas. Do they know what la jarana dance is and what it represents? See what I mean There’s a lot more to it than tacos and tequila, and that’s just scratching the surface.
Green – H3, FadeInBottomLeft Animation
I could go on and on. Honestly, I don’t play Pok ta Pok, nor have I seen lucha libre or a fútbol match, but I don’t pretend to “love the whole culture”. The rest of the things I have done and a lot more, but I’m no better than anyone else. I’m just not a pretender. I certainly like most of the culture, but I wish people were more transparent. Pretenders suck. Even lots of Mexicans don’t like or participate in all things “Mexican”. My best friend from Veracruz hates avocado. People simply lie about “loving the culture” when they really have no clue.
Importance of Learning a Foreign Language When Moving Abroad
Would you really want to live in a country where you can’t even communicate with the locals? I’d never do that. I may visit as a tourist and take it all in, but I’d never expatriate to a country where I can’t speak the local language. That’s just me. I believe Spanish is by far, the most important language to learn for most people looking to expatriate. Although not all countries are great, in fact, some flat-out suck, the fact that you speak Spanish gives you 21 countries to live in if you include the territory of Puerto Rico as a country. That’s a lot of options. Options are good. Also, there is nothing wrong with moving to an English-speaking country or even staying put and just vacationing occasionally to far off places; nothing wrong with that. Really think about it before jumping in.