Recently, I was talking with a friend who would very much like to move abroad to either work or volunteer her time. Of course, my immediate response was “Do it!” but the conversation quickly turned from where to start looking for opportunities into a list of reasons why she couldn’t really move abroad. It seems that many people get stuck at this point, and are fearful of “taking the plunge.” When people give me a list of excuses of why they can’t move, here’s how I respond:
“I don’t know the language.” While it can be intimidating not knowing the language, this is something that can be overcome. An easy thing to do is take a class when you first arrive. This helped me immensely. Also, you would be surprised just how much you can communicate with very few words. A positive attitude, a smile and a willingness to try the language will go very far with locals.
“I don’t know where to find opportunities.” This can be tricky, but I would hope that if you are reading this blog you know about the incredible resources Idealist.org and sister site, Idealistas.org, offer. That’s a great place to start. Another good place to look is universities. I found some really interesting organizations associated with my alma mater, and all it took was a few emails to get in touch with someone.
“I’m too old. My time has passed.” I’m a firm believer that it is never too late to follow your passions. Just yesterday, I met a man who just moved to Cuenca to start a new life as a business English teacher. He’s of retiring age, has never taught before and is far away from his wife and family in Minnesota. However, he has always wanted to move abroad so he went for it, knowing the other pieces would fall into place eventually. His wife will likely move down here and with the increasing interconnectedness of the world, it’s hard not to keep in touch with your family wherever they may be. If he can do it, you can do it.
Moving abroad can be scary, especially with so many unknowns. But if moving abroad and making a difference is something you’ve always dreamed of, you owe it to yourself to explore the possibilities.
Lauren took the plunge and moved to Ecuador in October 2009. Learn more about Ecuador through her personal blog.
Latest posts by laurenfoukes
- Saying Goodbye to Ecuador - March 29th, 2010
- At Some Point I Became Lorena - March 15th, 2010
- Aftermath of Chilean Earthquakes - March 7th, 2010
- Lo bueno, lo malo y lo feo - February 20th, 2010
- My Country, 'Tis of Thee - February 8th, 2010
- Forget Language Teachers...I've Got Kids - January 31st, 2010
- Staying Flexible - January 25th, 2010
- Pollution Matters - January 22nd, 2010
- "...But Is It Safe?" - January 11th, 2010
- Saludos de Ecuador! - January 4th, 2010
