How To Adapt To A Expat Lifestyle - The Long-Term Travel Alternative

How to adapt to a expat lifestyle - the long-term travel alternative

By Michelle Lin

Michelle Lin explores the challenges, opportunities and rewards of longer term travel opportunities. Including some of the most popular ways to make your long term travel and expat dreams a reality.

Michelle WFH from her current base in Hawaii

How I got hooked on the expat lifestyle.

I “accidently” stumbled upon the idea of long term travel when I discovered the “Holiday Working Visa” program one year into university, and pretty much blindly threw myself into it.

It was the first time I’d ever done a long-term solo backpacking trip, so I decided on Australia because I figured that of all the difficulties I might face, language won’t be one of them! (the amazing weather and beaches didn’t sound too bad either). In fact, there were hardly any difficulties, and I loved the experience so much that I found myself dreaming about my next long term trip…

As luck would have it, I was offered a job teaching English in Germany when I graduated from my bachelor’s degree - and I’ve been living the expatriate life ever since! While I took these opportunities for granted at the time, over the years, I’ve realized that I’ve been very lucky to experience these countries on a longer and deeper level.

The benefits of longer term travel.

When I went on my backpacking trip to Australia it was 2010: Instagram wasn’t really a thing and terms like “overtourism” were barely used. Some travelers I had met didn’t even have smartphones! However over the years, I’ve begun to really notice how big and overbearing the crowds of tourists are in popular cities that I’ve lived in such as Munich, Amsterdam and New York.

Instagram is undoubtedly a great resource for travelling, but it can also funnel people towards the same small group of tourism hotspots - almost like a tour group, passing from one destination to the next on mass.

It’s made me really start to think about the negative impacts of tourism, of those long lines that form at popular attractions, filled with people all seeking to capture the perfect shot. Not that there’s anything wrong with short trips or visiting popular attractions - I myself am guilty of standing in plenty of long lines! However I feel that often, the idea of “ticking off” the top sites to share them on Instagram has overtaken the desire to embrace spontaneity, or connect with a place on a deeper level.

On the other hand, the experiences you get from living in one place for a longer period of time really allow you to get to know a new city or country more intimately. It allows you to familiarize yourself with the local culture, discover hidden gems that tourists wouldn’t even be aware of, to make friends with locals (and perhaps even snag a cute local while you’re at it…!), to learn the language, to cook local cuisine and so much more.

These are just some of the ways that living in a new country can be a truly life-changing experience - and one which I hope everyone will get to enjoy at least once. In my experience, the biggest hurdle in becoming an expat is really just overcoming any initial fears of leaving behind what’s comfortable, and throwing yourself into the unknown!

For those who are looking to venture out for a longer adventure, here are some easy ways to turn your expat dreams into a reality.

5 of the most popular ways to live and work abroad.

1. Study Abroad

Depending on where you live, studying abroad is not only incredibly fun, but it could also be one of the best financial decisions that you’ll ever make. For Americans in particular, where college tuition can cost upwards of 30-40,000 USD per year, there is a vast choice of countries who can offer top-class education for significantly lower fees.

Europe is an obvious destination for those looking to study abroad, thanks to largely excellent college and university networks. However, many people think of Europe as an expensive place to live.

The truth is that it’s actually very affordable and, best of all, many European countries charge little or no tuition fees for degree programs, regardless of whether you are an EU citizen or not. My Master’s degree in Germany cost just 500 Euros a semester, which included a train pass! Sometimes in life, when things are free, it’s too good to be true... but a German education isn’t one of them.

There are several useful websites to research degree programs in Germany but the one I found the most useful was https://daad.de.

2. Volunteer or Intern Abroad

Doing an entire degree abroad can feel like a pretty big commitment. For those looking for a shorter stint of living abroad, I highly recommend finding a volunteer or internship opportunity in the country you’re interested in living in.

I was lucky enough to score a design internship offer at Nike’s European Headquarters in Hilversum, Netherlands. I had an amazing 6 months designing for one of my favourite brands, while learning about Dutch culture and exploring the country on the weekends!

When I was looking into internships in Europe, I had a lot of luck with https://heysuccess.com - an internship portal where a wide range of companies (from start-ups, to NGOs and even large corporations) post opportunities from all around the world.

Michelle secured an internship at Nike in the Netherlands (and took a picture at their camp there to prove it!)

3. Find work through a Holiday Working Visa

If you’re under the age of 30 (or 35 for some countries), a Holiday Working Visa is a great way to work and live in another country. They’re incredibly easy to apply for, although the process differs slightly depending on what country you’re from, and which country you plan on going to.

The process often involves an application fee and being able to show proof of a minimum amount of savings in your bank account (in case you run into issues finding a job and need a way to support yourself).

As a Canadian, I’ve applied for two different Holiday Working Visas; one to Australia which simply involved an online application that was approved on the same day, and one to the Netherlands. The Dutch one was trickier because it wasn’t as popular as the Australian one, and required an actual in-person appointment to a Dutch immigration office. However it was still an easy process and I was also able to get the visa on the same day.

I recommend checking your own country’s government website to find out the exact process for applying to schemes in other countries from where you live.

Michelle making a new friend while on her working holiday visa in Australia

4. Work Remotely

I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of working remotely. However before the COVID pandemic, it felt like only people in certain professions were able to successfully work remotely. In 2021, the COVID19 pandemic has really changed the working landscape, with many companies now allowing their employees to work remotely - at least temporarily.

While some of my friends work for companies with much stricter remote working policies, I have been fortunate that my company has been pretty flexible. I have been able to spend the past few months safely living and working from LA, until recently moving to Hawaii where I am currently based.

Although I found working from home to be challenging at first, I’ve become quite comfortable with it over time, and I actually love it now! Although it’s unclear if my company will stay remote (in some capacity) after the pandemic, many have already announced permanent remote working options for their employees. With any luck, this will open up a lot of doors for those wishing to work and travel freely!

5. Teach English

Teaching English abroad is seen as the “traditional” expat route. If you’re a native English speaker, teaching English abroad is a great way to see the world! I had the opportunity to teach English in Germany, but I know people who have worked as English teachers all over the world — from France, to China, South Korea and Thailand.

The process to become an English teacher is quite different depending on where you’re from and what country you plan on teaching in. Most employers or teaching schemes usually require that you have a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree and a TEFL (Teaching English in a Foreign Language) qualification. However this is not necessarily the case - you may be able to land a teaching job with just a little teaching experience.

I was able to get my teaching job through my Canadian University. I had been taking German as an elective module, where we were told about a teaching program that we could apply to. Since it was arranged through the university, I didn’t have to get a TEFL certification. Instead I undertook a short application process consisting of writing an essay in German, alongside submitting my resume. A few months later, I was notified that I got the job, and they assigned me to a German city entirely at random!

Michelle settling in to remote working in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Over to you.

We hope that this article has inspired you to investigate longer-term travel opportunities that may be open to you - now or in the future! While the examples above include some of the most popular ways to kick-start your expat life, there are countless ways to live and work abroad, no matter where you’re from or what working experience you have.

More about Michelle:

| www.instagram.com/michelleineurope |