Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Live and Invest Overseas.
Some years ago, back home in Baltimore for the holidays, I caught up with an old friend. Bill had a dilemma at the time.
“This gets complicated, this live-overseas lifestyle,” he told me. “We’ve been living abroad for the better part of two decades. Now the children are all grown, and they’re choosing to settle Stateside.
“As I get older, I realize that what matters most to me is being near them. So we’re working now to organize a life that allows that.
“Another funny thing I’ve realized lately, I enjoy being back here in Maryland. Of all the places in all the world where I could be, I’m comfortable here.”
I share this anecdote today because it reminds me of important lessons.
You can’t predict how things will go
First … you can never predict how your overseas adventure will play out.
When I left Baltimore behind 26 years ago, bound for Waterford, Ireland, I had no idea where that single step might lead. No idea that seven years later I would swap Waterford for Paris … and then Paris for Panama City.
Had I tried to plan for the long term, I may never have left home in the first place. Looking too far into the future can be overwhelming.
There’s a certain leap of faith involved in taking that first step … and then being willing to let it take you where it takes you.
It’s a different path for each of us
Unlike Bill, it looks like I won’t be basing my life around Baltimore … or anyplace in the United States … any time soon. As things are turning out, both my kids have fully embraced the adventure of a life overseas.
Kat relocated from Panama City to Paris a few years back. She and Harry are now raising their two daughters in the City of Light, and I count myself lucky to be able to base myself here to spend the summer months with the family.
Meantime, Jack finished up his studies in Shanghai and is now dividing his time between the U.S., Latin America, and Europe.
You really don’t know how things will play out.
Make a move while you can
Luckily, for someone like me — who gets restless being in the same spot too long — my global adventure shows no signs of slowing down.
But five or 10 years from now, who knows how things might change?
Which brings me to my second important point for today … Get out there while and when you can.
If you’re serious about moving overseas, now is the time to take action … before circumstances conspire against you.
You never know when home may call
For Bill and other friends and colleagues who have lived overseas over the years, personal circumstances have called them back to the U.S.
Sometimes it’s children and grandchildren … sometimes aging parents … sometimes personal health reasons … sometimes just the lure of home comforts.
And it’s entirely natural to want to go home. As I’ve said, it could happen to me at some point in the future.
But, I guarantee you, by spending some years — even one year — overseas, your life will be richer for the experience. You’ll not only get to appreciate a new culture … but you’ll appreciate more things about your own home, too.
That has certainly been the case with me and Baltimore.
Your own overseas adventure
More than two decades ago, I couldn’t wait to get out of B-more. I’d dreamed of living in Europe since I was a young girl.
Today, I find myself admiring Baltimore’s quirks. This city is one of the most historic in the country. It boasts some of the best architecture you’ll find anywhere in the U.S., plus a lively harbor and a great baseball stadium.
I look forward now to any chance to spend a little time back home, soaking up the familiar.
And then, I look forward to returning to Paris … or Panama … or wherever in the world I next choose to explore.
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