invisible

Best outcome - find a job. If passion, something which is fulfilling and you enjoy to do. It might not necessarily be a paid job - charity, home craft making would work too. But bored spose sitting home for number of years is a recipe for divorce. I have seen this a lot.

Well, for some women having a baby is an option too. Our neighbours had three kids in three years.

no-backpacker

Haha, we thought about the kid-thing when we moved to Liverpool, but now? No way, I am finished with kids! :-D

And yes, I have been thinking of doing charity work. I have also been thinking of taking some classes to learn Chinese, maybe...

I am not sure if I will get the permission to work in China, how strict they are?

Xxx.

SeriouslyLost

Not very. Getting an exception to teach English is trivially easy so long as you have a degree.

GregWTravels

Canadian who moved to UK 5 years ago. No plans to go back, though not definitely going to stay here forever. I feel like a more likely outcome would be moving to a third place.

I really think this has been the best thing about moving abroad. It has been an excellent opportunity to set up a new life how I wanted it to. Back in Canada, I felt sometimes like I was restricted by the history of my life there and the decisions I had made years ago. Here, I don't have that, so most decisions are based solely on the moment. I've made some mistakes, but they've been my mistakes, and not tied to decisions I made years ago.

I wrote about this, and the concept of existential migration in a blog, for those that might be interested.

docmoney

Definitely learning a lot here. Some fantastic comments. Especially about learning more about who one is and starting anew.

travelislife

I am what is often described as a 3rd culture kid, ie. my parents have lived in many different countries and travelled lots with no defined home, in terms of country. I have been very lucky to experience this with them. I would advise anyone who is debating whether or not to move abroad being held back by children, just do it!! It will be the best thing that has ever happened in their lives. International schools are some of the greatest schooling you can get. I now work full time in Melbourne and find myself getting itchy feet when confined to the office for any extended period of time. Don't get stuck in the norm, break away from it and you will be amazed at what it brings you.

DesertNomad

I didn't. My wife and I own a software business that can be run from anywhere. We brought a home in Prague that allowed us to gain a residency visa.

DesertNomad

It was a country in 2002.. the war was in the 90s. We decided to leave the US and we'd been to Georgia on holiday. Seemed like an interesting place and was inexpensive. It was safe enough... except maybe when Shevardnadze's motorcade would speed down Rustavelli.

We spent 6 months there and while the winter was hard because of limited electricity, it was a fantastic experience.

JohnnyColombia

London, UK to Bogotá, Colombia here

Came originally just over 5 years ago to do a project, spotted a business opportunity and moved here to pursue it just as the UK lumpy economical crisis was taking a hold.

HATED the place for the first 3 years then woke up about 2 years ago and thought "Yup, I kinda like it now." I got involved in a second business about 2 years ago and hopefully get my permanent residency in about 4 months.

I think I'd like to go back to the UK when I am elderly and infirm. Not because of the free health care. I'd just rather die in English than Spanish.

tentseller

I am in a similar situation now that my consultancy business does not need a physical location thanks to technology. I am contemplating many alternatives to "the Great White North" while carrying on a nomadic life at home base on climate. There are so many choices when my only must have is dependable, fast internet connection.

My family were Chinese traders in HK and southern China starting the 19th century. We use to do money remittance and bones repatriation where the Chinese oversea worker would pass away in America, they would be buried and the bones exhumed 5 yrs later and shipped back to be buried at ancestry plot/home/village.

I had a friend who's ailing father flew back to China and settled in their home village. Uncle LK's joke was: "it was cheaper for me to fly first class DFW HKG than ship a casket!"

"A British subject I was born, A British subject I will Die" - Sir John A MacDonald, 1st prime minister of Canada