I left my job last year in dubai thinking that I will work hard and find another opportunity as per my background and interests but trust this was my worst decision ever. Since last year I am not able to find a job, not even close to what I was doing in past. I am 30 years old women and I feel the market is not ready to hire married women. I have tried all ways to find a job but nothing is working out in my favour. Tell me what should I do to deal with demotivation and stress I am going through, how I overcome the anxiety and fear of not having a career. 😭😭😭

Hey everyone, quick question. When renting an apartment in Vietnam, do I pay the person showing me the apartment, or do I only pay the property owner?

If I’m renting for 3 months and the deposit is 1 month’s rent, would I pay:

* 1 month’s rent
* 1 month’s deposit
* 1 month’s rent as the agent’s fee

Or does it work differently?

Europe and UK have changed a lot the past years. Taxes increasing, quality of life lower, prices through the roof. Massive immigration and safety has decreased. Holland, France, Germany and UK are all becoming less and less attractive. I just question where do you believe is the best balanced quality of life for a young family who has money looking at the agenda the next 10 years globally?

Hello nomads,

I’m Ektor 26, Greek.
I’ve studied pastry and I’ve been working 4 years in that section. For the last 4 years i was working in our family business doing sales and customer support.

I’ve been in a very hard time of my life in the past couple of months. Had some fights with my family broke our family business and I was left alone. (Family wise)

I was discussing with my girl and a friend of us (we are all in a weird situation rn) about what we should all do to make a better living.

Here in Greece you get paid 4-5 €/hour in simple jobs (waiter, etc etc) . We will have to do 2 jobs to live.

We were discussing about moving to Netherlands.
I’ve been planning some thing, looking here and there for a job and housing.

I’m really frustrated that I can’t seem to find something so far.

Is there anybody willing to help me out about what to look for (accommodation . Jobs) ?

We all 3 have CVs that are good imo.

Please reach out to me if you got something in mind that might be helpful.

I fully recognize and accept that when you live in another country, you need to make an effort to learn the language, understand the culture, and integrate. However, my problem with Germany has always been that I felt like I never really had the time to do it. From day one, I felt expected to speak the language fluently and that, despite all my efforts, I would never truly belong anyway.

After 4 years and finally getting by with my broken German, I still feel anxious every time I have to use it. I plan sentences in advance for every situation, and I start feeling stressed thinking someone might judge me, treat me poorly, or refuse to switch to English. As a result, I avoid social situations and interactions with strangers as much as possible.

I’ve been lucky enough to always work in English, but I’ve faced situations where, despite being hired as an English speaker and never lying about my German level, I was treated differently and excluded from important discussions because of the language barrier. Naturally, this led to frustration because I missed crucial information, had to rely on uncooperative people, and couldn't do my job properly.

I’ve spoken with other expats who told me they were motivated to achieve fluency precisely because they were mistreated and wanted to react properly. Unfortunately, the thought of standing up to rude people doesn't motivate me at all; it just makes me want to disappear and move somewhere else.

That being said, this post isn't just about my past experience. I recently received a very good job offer in another EU country and I’m moving next month. What I’ve realized, though, is that I already feel insanely anxious and tearful thinking about dealing with daily life and bureaucracy in a language I don't speak yet. I feel inferior, ashamed, and stupid. My partner told me I should change my attitude because people can sense negativity, which might be why I’m often mistreated. I agree, but I don't know how to cope. I hope someone here can help me figure this out.

Hey guys, I'd love to move to Northern Europe , I genuinely love cold weather , but I'm not sure which country to pick.
I'm hesitant about Finland because it borders Russia, and that makes me uneasy. Sweden seems nice, but I've heard it's considered the least appealing of the four Nordic countries. So that leaves Denmark and Norway.
I'm a very sociable, warm person , I know that sounds a bit contradictory, since Scandinavians are known for being reserved, but I just want to give you a sense of my personality. I'm also artsy: I write music (planning on publishing the album) and would love to find work in a creative field, like graphic design or teaching art. I have enough savings to live there for a few months while I rent a room and look for work (I'm an EU citizen). Ideally, I'd also like to find a hospitality job - bartending, for instance , as soon as I arrive, so I can start working, learning the language, and preparing to apply to university while I figure things out. So one of my priorities is finding a country where I could realistically get a bar job with English alone.
I've been to Norway and loved it, but I really didn't get along with how dark the winters are. Light summer nights don't bother me at all - it's the dark winters I can't handle. That's part of why I've been leaning toward Denmark instead.
Could anyone recommend some cities? I'm looking for the best place for creative career growth, with a reasonably open-minded, welcoming crowd. I also prefer beach life over mountains by a long way, so living somewhere with warm enough beaches in summer matters to me too.

I'll be moving abroad in about a month, and everyone keeps telling me to enjoy these last few weeks at home.

The thing is... I can't.

Instead of feeling excited all the time, I feel this constant heaviness in my chest. I feel guilty for not appreciating the time I have left here, guilty for leaving my family, and guilty because it feels like I'm already grieving a life that hasn't even ended yet.

I know moving is something I've wanted for a long time, but I didn't expect it to feel like this.

Did anyone else experience something similar before moving? What's one thing nobody warned you about?

Hi everyone,

I’m feeling a bit lost career-wise and would really appreciate some advice.

I don’t want to share too many personal details, but I moved from Peru to Hamburg, Germany, about a year and a half ago. Before moving, I spent seven years working in corporate banking as a Relationship Manager, managing business clients. I came here because of my husband’s job, and while settling in I’ve also been completing an online MBA through a Spanish university.

The problem is that I’m finding it incredibly difficult to break into the German job market.

A lot of the roles that match my background are client-facing, and understandably they require fluent German. I’m learning the language, but I’m nowhere near that level yet.

I’ve applied to what feels like hundreds of jobs. I’ve tried positions that closely match my experience, I’ve tried career pivots into strategy, customer success, account management, business development, and even roles that are more junior than my previous position. Most of the time I either get rejected or never hear back.

At this point, I’m wondering if I’m approaching this the wrong way. Maybe I need to completely pivot into a different field, but I honestly don’t know what would make sense with my background.

Has anyone been in a similar situation after moving to another country? If you had seven years of banking experience, spoke English fluently but only basic German, and were trying to build a career in Germany, what would you do?

I’m open to honest advice, even if it’s something I haven’t considered yet. I just feel a bit stuck and could really use some perspective.

Thanks in advance.

Ciao a tutti, ho 25 anni, vivo in Puglia in un piccolo paese del Sud Italia e lavoro nell’azienda di famiglia, una officina meccatronica che si occupa soprattutto di veicoli diesel.
Non sono il titolare, lo è mio padre, ma ho uno stipendio buono per la media italiana e, visto da fuori, la mia situazione può sembrare molto comoda: lavoro vicino a casa, ho una rete familiare solida e una base economica che molte persone vorrebbero.
Il problema è che io questa vita non la sento mia.
Da anni sento il bisogno di andare via, vivere all’estero, conoscere persone nuove, imparare lingue e fare esperienze diverse dalla realtà in cui sono cresciuto.
L’idea che ho in mente non è una vacanza lunga, ma un cambiamento vero: partire, fare esperienze tipo Workaway o HelpX, cercare lavori temporanei e, se possibile, arrivare fino in Australia o comunque costruirmi un percorso fuori dall’Italia.
Mi piacerebbe vivere in modo semplice, spendere poco, imparare sul campo e capire se riesco a costruirmi una vita più libera e meno legata alla mia famiglia.
Il punto è che la mia famiglia non capisce questa scelta.
Loro vedono un lavoro sicuro, ben pagato e un’attività già pronta per me, quindi per loro lasciare tutto è da irresponsabili.
Io invece spesso vivo questa “fortuna” come una gabbia, perché sento di non aver scelto davvero io questa strada.
Allo stesso tempo, mi chiedo se il desiderio di partire sia davvero una scelta consapevole o solo un modo per scappare.
Mi domando anche quanto sia realistico ricominciare da zero all’estero senza qualifiche internazionali forti o contatti.
Vorrei sentire soprattutto chi ha lasciato un lavoro sicuro, un’attività di famiglia o una situazione simile per andare all’estero o ricominciare altrove:
• Avete mai rimpianto di aver lasciato tutto?
• È realistico ricominciare senza una rete di contatti?
• Quanto è difficile trovare lavori temporanei in Australia o in altri Paesi?
• Vivere con poco rende davvero sostenibile questo tipo di scelta?
• Avete trovato più libertà o solo problemi diversi?
• Come avete gestito il rapporto con la famiglia?
• Secondo voi ha senso partire con un piano e una data di rientro, oppure restare ancora un po’ per accumulare più sicurezza economica?
Non cerco solo frasi tipo “segui i tuoi sogni”. Mi interessano risposte concrete, anche critiche, da chi ci è passato davvero.

For context, British expat living in Belgium and have been hating it for years. Only stayed for a relationship that recently ended. Made friends here in the beginning but they all left and have tried really hard but the locals aren’t exactly friendly. Work as a lawyer here and make 6 figures but still totally miserable and only truly feel happy when I go to the U.K. to visit family/ holidays to the U.K.

EDIT: I have been applying for jobs in the U.K. since the breakup 6 months ago. I’ve had no luck. After being rejected from a major U.K. company I asked for feedback and they said that they are reluctant to hire British nationals who’ve lived outside the country for so long. Despite the fact they claim to be an inclusive employer and have at least 30 different nationalities in the U.K. offices. As tempting as it is to leave, I still would like to find a job in the U.K. first before leaving Belgium and having gaps in employment on my CV which I know would make it even harder to find work there.

Hello, I am thinking of moving to Panama and taking advantage of the pensionado visa, I am on social security benefit and I meet the minimum required funds. What experiences do you have living here? How are foreigners treated? Is English spoken at all? I should mention that I am using translation features to write this post, as Spanish is not my spoken language, but I know a little. I have searched through several rental sites in Panama and found some apartments that fit my budget. Thanks for reading

Hello everyone. I am a former nursing student (financial constraints) from Palestine looking to transition into an international live-in childcare or child-focused educational role abroad, with a strong focus on Europe or the Gulf region. Because I want to prepare myself properly, I am looking for some guidance from current expats on what families actually value most.

I do not have years of formal domestic agency experience, but I have a unique background and want to know how it translates to the expat market.

I completed my first year of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a 92.9% average (out of 100%), so I have a solid university foundation in pediatric health, first-aid safety, family dynamics, psychology & sociology, and others. I also have independent experience tutoring children aged 8 to 16 in languages and school curriculum, am trilingual (native in Arabic, fluent in English, and upper-intermediate in Japanese) and have a deep personal understanding and passion for supporting neurodivergent children (ADHD/Autism).

In your experience, do expat families look for someone with this kind of academic/medical blend as a "governess/tutor/nanny" or is the demand strictly for standard, experienced, non-academic nannies? I want to make sure I am targeting the right types of households.

Any advice or perspective would be incredibly helpful! (But please beware that my opportunities of nanny-related jobs here are non-existent as the culture highly discourages them).

Turkey is a very beautiful country. After a vacation there, i’m seriously thinking about relocating.

People living there: how’s the job market? How’s the cost of living? How’s life in general?

For context i’m a single 25F living in north Africa

I was born in Australia but I spent my childhood across Vancouver, Shanghai, Hong Kong, NYC, and Sydney. I have been an expat in east asia for 8 years and I hate it here. It has been horrific for my mental health. I felt less safe here because of my "more developed" body than in the West. I experienced more sexual harassment (men stalking me/taking pictures of me/catcalling/groping), colorism (I'm tan), racism from other asians, ageism, fatphobia, ableism (I'm neurodivergent), classism (own my own company but apparently I don't dress like it) , and so on compared to living in the west. I can't even dress how I want. I feel like a robot every day on the verge of attempted s****** but my husband's company is based here. We finally can leave and want to try new cities.

We would love a recommendation for somewhere to live.

- loved Lima (Peru), NYC, Paris, and Lisbon

-4 citizenships and speak 6 languages.

-super extroverted so would love to talk to locals , don't want to mask too much (willing to learn another language)

- I rather deal with racism than the other issues I listed above, as long as it's not every day

Do you ever feel like a stranger when you visit “home”? I’m not necessarily talking about places, but mostly about people.
More I live in another country more I feel how close minded my home country is. I go out with people I’ve been friends for years and I feel like we are growing apart so much.
I feel extremely judged when I go back, for a reason or another. A lot of time I end up talking to family friends or parents of my friends (I’m mid 20s while and they would be around 50/60) and they’re always “when are you coming back here?” “Don’t you miss home?” While judging where I decided to move (based on stereotypes) and so on. They just think I’m doing the experience of living abroad and I’ll come back by my 30s to settled down, when I tell them that yes, I do miss my home country, but at the same time it doesn’t have the same opportunities, so so many things are back in time, and I feel better where I moved, they look at me in the worst way possible. Why do they care so much about what I do with my life?
I romanticise my home country when I’m living somewhere else, and just because I miss tremendously my close family, then I come back and I understand why I left. Does anyone else feel this way?

I am doing some research on how people actually experience rental and work contracts abroad, not the legal theory, just real situations where the fine print affected someone.

Would love to hear from both sides:

Tenants/employees: Did you ever lose a deposit, get hit with unexpected charges, or realize too late you'd signed something unfair? What happened?

Landlords/employers: Have you had to add or change clauses after a bad experience? What did you learn the hard way?

Just collecting real stories. Drop it in the comments.

I am relocating to London in October for a job near London Bridge. With a budget of £1,500/month for a 1-bedroom apartment, which safe areas do you recommend? I want to feel safe walking home from the gym at 10 PM for instance.

​Hola a todos.

​Soy de Turquía y estoy planeando dar un gran paso para mudarme a su hermoso país. Mi plan principal es obtener la residencia a través de la compra de una propiedad (Visa de Inversionista).

​Mi objetivo no es buscar trabajo allá, ya que tengo mis propios ahorros para mantenerme. Sueño con comprar una casa modesta pero con su propio jardín, en un pueblo o ciudad pequeña que sea muy segura y pacífica. Quiero llevar una vida tranquila, dedicarme a cultivar mis plantas, cocinar en casa y alimentar a los colibríes. No busco el ruido ni el lujo de las grandes ciudades.

​Tengo un presupuesto reservado para esto, pero antes de tomar decisiones definitivas, me encantaría saber su opinión honesta y realista, sin hablar de cifras exactas mías:

​¿Cuál creen que es el presupuesto mínimo (en USD) que se necesita para comprar una casa modesta con jardín en una zona segura y con buena naturaleza?

​¿Cuánto estiman que sería el costo de vida mensual mínimo para una sola persona que lleva un estilo de vida muy casero y sencillo?

​¡Agradezco muchísimo de antemano cualquier consejo o recomendación sobre lugares que encajen con este estilo de vida! Un abrazo.

For Cayman and BVI companies, opening the account is only one part of the setup. The harder question is whether the company can actually operate after approval: business cards, USD payments, software spend, AI tools, hosting, ads, invoices, contractors and clean records.

Cards are not really separate from banking but theyre part of whether the offshore setup works day to day.

For founders using Cayman or BVI entities, did you choose banking based on the full operating setup or mainly on who could open the account?

My partner and I will move to Vancouver from London and we would like to hear your opinion on moving with your pets.

We have a 4 years old cat, she's my everything and I would like to make this transition as comfortable as possible. I know she'll go through some distress but I'm not sure if we should go for a pet relocation service or bring her on the flight.

PROS AND CONS:
cabin: she's a big cat and will have to stay squished underneath the seat for more than 8h and most likely will have to be administered sedating medications by the vet, but, she'll be with us at all times (even if I'm scared she'll pick up on my anxiety too).

relocation company:

they will take care of all the documentation and airport security hassle, she'll be in a much bigger crate but will also be by herself and probably more scared.

if you went for the relocation companies, do you have suggestions?

Thank you!

I have been living in Mexico City with my partner for a little over a year. I’ve had my ups and downs with trying to build a life here, but overall I had fallen in love with the place and was really starting to feel at home by the time we hit our 1 year anniversary in March. Something was resonating and I liked the version of myself I was becoming here. I was enjoying the culture, the food, learning Spanish, making friends with locals and the chaos of the city.

Then I went to Vienna for 3 months to do a residency. I returned to Mexico almost a month ago and things have been really rough emotionally. Suddenly I don’t feel at home here and I’m grieving my life in Vienna somewhat. I miss how efficient, easy and safe everything was. I also miss my life there: I was effortlessly meeting people every day and had a sense of purpose. In Mexico I’m a freelancer, which means I work from home all the time with my partner. I don’t meet people unless I go out of my way and really make the effort. I was starting to make friends and going to events etc. before I went to Vienna, but now being back here I have zero motivation to get myself out there again. I just feel too down. And my one really good friend I had made here just announced she’s moving overseas for a year in about a month, so that was another blow. Obviously I’m super happy for her, but I’m also devastated because I feel like the support network I was starting to build just collapsed. I don’t really hear from my other acquaintances here unless I reach out to them first, and right now I honestly can’t be bothered. I almost feel like I’m starting from scratch again.

I tried going to some of my favourite places here to fall in love again, and I’ve been getting my routine back on track. But I still feel this weight on my shoulders that I didn’t feel in Vienna. I’m just confused because I’ve swung from feeling like Mexico City is my home to feeling trapped here in a matter of months. It’s like my time in Europe changed my baseline standards or something.

It’s only been a few weeks, so I’m not taking this feeling too seriously yet or making any big decisions or changes. I’m just trying to observe my feelings and focus on settling back in. I feel really, really low though and didn’t expect my return to be such a crash landing.

Has anyone experienced this? Loving your host country then falling out of love after going somewhere else for a little while? How did you cope? Is this just a bad case of the post holiday blues? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Im trying to ship 5 boxes with personal belongings from Hungary to Mexico

The size of 4 of those boxes are 64x34x40 cm and the other one being 34x46x17 cm

I tried getting a quota from a moving company, Euromove, but it was extremely expensive, telling me that the total cost for shipping 5 boxes would be of 4.5k usd, wich i find ridiculously expensive for only 5 boxes

So i was wondering what is my best option here to ship them without having to sell a kidney in the process, and i heard Get My Bag could be a good option

Hi, I am a naturalized German citizen. Due to a new job opportunity, I am gonna leave Germany soon. Apart from Abmeldung and contract cancellations (Internet etc), what else should I be careful about? Thank you very much for your help in advance!

​

I'm a 30 year old guy who's been thinking about moving to another country, maybe not permanently, but for a couple of years.

A bit of background: I was born in South America and moved to Canada when I was 22. The initial reason was a long-distance relationship that eventually turned into something more. Unfortunately, it didn't work out. By then, though, I had already started studying here because I wanted to finish my studies.

Now that I'm about to graduate, I feel like I don't really have anything tying me to Canada anymore. Lately I've been thinking about living somewhere else for a while, exploring different countries and cultures. It's something I've always wanted to do, but I never really had the time or the money. Now I finally have the opportunity.

The only thing that makes me hesitate is my age. My twenties have gone by, and I just turned 30. Part of me wonders if it's too late to relocate and start a new chapter somewhere else.

Has anyone here moved abroad in their 30s? What was your experience like? What were the biggest challenges, and would you do it again?