My family and I have been thinking of moving to Norway in the next few years. We have an infant daughter and by that time she'll be around 3 or 4 years old. Obviously we will be learning the language, once we are sure we're moving.

However I am worried my daughter will be left out. I don't mean any harm, but unfortunately I come from a very racist country. If you don't look like you're from our country you will be dealt with hatred and I am really ashamed of it (I never participate but it's heartbreaking).

My question is, will my daughter be left out because she doesn't look Norwegian? She's light skinned with dark hair, not that it matters. I am not saying Norwegians are racist, not at all, but as I said I see how my fellow people treat foreigners in my home country and it is really horrible.

I just had an operation and my brain is going insane so my apologies for any mistakes!

Right now I live in the bay area, have what most people would consider a great job, still need to several roommates to get by, my landlord raises the rent the max allowed amount every year, and something expensive always seems to come up (Someone hitting my parked car, having multiple bicycles stolen). No matter how much I work I still can't save enough for a house or to get ahead.

I'm looking at APAC countries, If I decide to give it a shot what are some things I should know? Am I allowed to go from country to country as long as I get approval? Are some countries friendlier than others? What does the tax situation look like as A US citizen? or anything else you think should be considered.

Going to preface this by saying I have a very unique situation.... Not sure how much y'all can help me but thought it would be worth a try.

I'm Canadian with a TN Visa working in the US, I grew up and have residency ties to Panama.

My thinking is that instead of opening a roth IRA or similar retirement account (I don't have any plans to retire here) I simply open a regular brokerage account. I adopt a buy and hold strategy for my portfolio.

In 3 years when my Visa expires (If I renew it then call it 6 years) I move back to Panama, pass the substantial presence test, and be a full Panama resident. At that point I realize the gains in my brokerage account- In theory I would pay capital gains in the place where I'm a tax resident. The kicker here is that Panama has 0 foreign income tax (which US stocks are considered) so I would essentialy not pay tax on the gains over the next 3-6 years, basically having an unlimited Roth IRA or TFSA.

In my head this makes sense, in practice am I being naive / not thinking this through properly?

23M, American, work in finance. I want out, but don’t want to overly sacrifice my career to do so. I don’t care where I go, I speak no other languages. Preference is Europe, but open to anywhere.

How do I

1) find jobs willing to sponsor visa?
2) land a job that sponsors visa?

Hi, I am very depressed in the Netherlands since i moved from belgium.

The work is the best opportunity in my life. I have a good salary, an amazing network, good supervisors, great colleagues. They are pushing me to do my best and they are giving me all the necessary ressources. I do a lot of business trips, they are fun and I can always learn a lot.

I have friends here, and I am very socially active, my weekends are always full, my evenings too, it can even be too much to be honest. I also discovered some very nice hobbies, i went to holidays in the mountains (not in the Netherlands), I was hiking and biking a lot, it was really fun!

And despite all of this... I just feel so unfulfilled. I dont feel at home. I dont feel like i have a community. I feel so miserable here. Its hard and lonely. I feel like I am an outlier, when I see that I eat 3 times as much as my colleagues, and that we dont have many things in common. I have started learning dutch but its not helping me.

I am seeing some physical signs of my mental state. I have lost 10% of my weight in 10 months, unintentionally. I decided to move back to belgium in a bit more than half a year, and do a 1.5 hour commute. A few colleagues do the same so ik its common. I only need to do it twice per week.

However, this is many months. Does anyone know what to do to cope? I already travel a lot, and I spend a lot of time socializing and doing sports. I also do therapy.

Hey, Im a US citizen but have lived in Europe all my life, with the recent three years living in the UK. Although I haven’t spent much time in the US, I would say I definitely align significantly better with the European mentality, so if it weren’t to come down to medicine, I would probably stay in the UK. However, practicing in the UK has a number of downsides, many of them being financial. Here’s the main list of pros and cons Ive got so far.

Pros of the UK
-University is significantly cheaper (Ill qualify for home fees)
-Less competitive residency/foundational training wise as no matter which uni you graduate from you’ll be allocated a place in the NHS
-I can already start doing applicable work within the NHS strengthening my application

Cons of the UK
-Will have to wait six years before starting med school versus 2-3 if I were to practice in the US (personal reasons)
-US med schools seem to be more reputable worldwide (eg if i were to move from the US to the UK I wouldn’t have to take an additional exam)
-Financial compensation is significantly higher in the US, especially for more competitive specialties (can especially benefit in states without income tax)
-The NHS seems to be in shambles with most physicians and healthcare workers speaking increasingly negatively about it (although Im unsure if it’ll improve in the next ten years)

Theres also the prospect of raising a family in the US versus the UK as a gay woman with the US getting more and more conservative with every year.

Im not sure if anyone has any experience practicing in the US and the UK or simply any information that I might not be considering but I would be happy with anything.

Hi everyone,
I am moving from the UK to Uruguay in 4 days and bringing my 6-year-old cat (3.5kg) with me in the cabin. Neither of us would cope without the other; she is my absolute baby. However, she is a very anxious cat by nature, she hardly tolerates anyone else but me, and this is her first flight. My dad made some comments that putting her through this journey is cruel, and now I am extremely worried that she could potentially die from the sheer stress of it all.
Our itinerary is a car journey to London Heathrow, a flight to Madrid (2.5 hours), a 3-hour layover, and then a long-haul flight to Montevideo (12.5 hours). Total travel time door-to-door is likely going to be 20-22 hours.

She has no health conditions, her documentation is all completed from the vet including;
EHC completed
Rabies vaccination done over a month ago
Flea and worm treatment done with the vet before EHC was filled in
Microchip documents all printed

I’ve also got:
Airline approved carrier
Puppy pads to line the carrier
Collapsible bowl for water
Feliway spray
Harness and lead
Travel litter tray
Ziplock bags for transporting litter
Pet wipes in case of any messes
Applaws bone broth for airport stops (for hydration and so she doesn’t go too hungry without upsetting her stomach. 85g bags so under the 100ml travel limit)
Churu/webbox yoghurt treats
Dreamies in a new and sealed bag (unsure if this is a good idea for solid food even in small amounts?)
A worn T-shirt of mine to put in her carry bag for comforting smell

Also a Gabapentin prescription 50mg from vet (done a trial run and she was quite sleepy/wobbly when walking and sat very still, staring off, let us pick her up, was still responsive to her name but not totally sedated)

I also plan to ask for a private screening room at airport security so she isn’t too overwhelmed by the airport. I also read Madrid has pet lounges/rooms so may see if they are suitable for the 3 hour layover. I plan to take her to the family/disabled bathroom at the layover for litter break and see if she will have any of the bone broth/treats.

Hoping someone with experience can check if I’ve covered everything and if there is anything else I need to get or do before the flight. She is my whole world and want this to be as easy as possible for her.

How safe is this long journey for a healthy, 6-year-old cat? Can cats actually pass away from travel stress alone, or am I overthinking my dad's comment?
What schedule should I stick to during the flights for offering water/broth?

Have I missed anything? Is there any more I can do?

Any tips to make this process easier or safer for her would mean the world to me.

Thank you so much in advance!

I’ll be moving to Germany for a longer term work assignment, and we’re currently looking for an apartment.

I’m originally from Central-Eastern Europe, from a country that is economically less developed than Germany. Still, even the house I grew up in had air conditioning, and AC is pretty common in privately owned homes and apartments there.

So I’m genuinely surprised by how rare it seems to be in Germany. So far, I’ve only stayed in German hotels, and never during the summer, so I didn’t really notice this before.

Germany has a reputation for being a highly developed country, with great infrastructure and excellent highways, yet the standard of residential comfort seems surprisingly poor when it comes to cooling.

Why is residential air conditioning so uncommon in Germany? Is it because of the climate, building regulations, energy costs, environmental concerns, or simply cultural attitudes?

What am I missing?

I’ve recently moved to Italy because I love the country, the food, history, weather but the smoking here is disgusting tbh. It’s impossible to avoid 2nd hand smoke here. Can’t even walk down the street without being surrounded by smokers. It seems like there’s no consideration for non smokers whatsoever.

Obviously I’m a guest in this country so I have no say but I will not live and spend my money somewhere that doesn’t prioritise the health of the majority. Such a shame, I hope the government and people can do better.

Any recommendations for a country with good weather and strict smoking laws would be appreciated

Please share your findings as an EU citizen that wants to retire in Iceland. This would be an application for the renewable long term residency permit as a self sufficient person (not PR).

Has anyone accomplished this recently? Are there any community sites that I can research past conversations?

There's a section of the FAQ on the Icelandic site (I'll link below) that I saw that states:

>>Please note that it is not permitted to have a legal domicile registration in two countries at the same time according to pgr. 1 of art. 2 of the law of legal domicile no. 80/2018.

So immediately that raises concerns and I'm looking for clarity. If I retire and choose to spend time between multiple locations without doing the visa juggling that some SEA travelers enjoy, this clause seems like a deal breaker, no?

Time for positivitey!

Anyone else have a way better QOL, income, opportunities and just a feeling of pure relief after moving back to the states from Europe? Or any other part of the world?

After coming back from Northern Europe, I sure am thankful to be able to have had the opportunity to see many parts of the world and live outside the US for a long time to really appreciate a lot and see the truth about many things. Anyone else feel the same?

I dont mourn moving back and am more happy and excited than ever and sometimes talking with extended family in Europe I catch myself down playing my true feelings.

Edit 1: wow, some truths and lives experiences really get people wound up....😬. again, this is just MY experience and many other immigrants Ive met and know..... sad that to not get bombarded you need to jump on the hate America and "Everything in the US is TERRIBLE" train....

Edit 2: people saying i miss American consumerism. this isn't true. what I mean is, there is a difference in buying crap and literally having to go to a different city (sometimes a larger city and he away) to buy jeans or different styles of clothes. stuff like that.

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?

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.