Read This Before Deciding to Move Abroad

As I stepped onto the midnight bus to go from Leeds to London to then fly to Seville, I promised myself that I would never put myself through the stress of moving abroad again. Despite my love affair with living in different cultures, it is still painfully difficult to break up with a place that I’ve made my home. I did it in 2010 when I moved from California to England, and in 2015, I was doing it again by moving to Spain.

A sunset in my hometown in Orange County, California.

And that’s the catch-22—those of us who continuously embark on big life changes aren’t necessarily running away from the old; rather, we are constantly chasing the new. It’s not that I didn’t love living in sunny California or beautiful Yorkshire, but moving abroad made me realize that I can fall in love again and again by traveling to new places. There’s something so satisfying about reaching the point where you finally feel like you have the right to call somewhere your home.

Enjoying a cozy cafe in the adorable town of Otley in Yorkshire.

This endless pursuit to turn the unfamiliar into the familiar comes with heartbreak, however, as well as stress, of course. Leaving behind a place that you’ve made a comfortable and happy life in is just never going to be easy. So what makes it worth it? I guess you can say that there’s a lot to be said for knowingly and boldly embarking on new chapters in your life.

The weekly flea market in my former neighborhood in Seville, Spain.

So this is my advice: if you love to travel but moving abroad has never appealed to you, then don’t do it. But, if you’ve ever had an inkling to experience living in a different culture, then it’s now or never. This is a case where you really have to follow your instincts, because if your heart is telling you that this is the right move, then no matter how hard the transition is, you will have the courage to follow through knowing that you can commit to making it happen.

And yes, I did promise myself that I’d never do it again. But after all the stress of moving and adjusting and making new friends, I’ve realised that there’s really nothing more worthwhile. I’m already thinking about all of the possibilities for where I could go later on in my life, but for now, I’m very happy to living as in busy, bustling, beautiful London, England