Dear Traveler,

Researching for your new life abroad requires a few detective skills. However, the internet has made it possible to gather information quite efficiently, and with both facts and anecdotes from people who have made the “expat leap” before you.

Your first research task is both the easiest and the hardest. The easiest because you don’t have to have any research materials, but the hardest because you must come up with the answers yourself. To begin your research, you need to ask yourself what kind of expat life you want.

• Do you want to be an expat a few months out of a year?
• What are your motives for moving abroad?
• Do you want to be an expat for the foreseeable future, like retiring abroad?
• Do you know where you want to be? What is drawing you to that location?
• What do you want to be able to do as an expat that you can’t do now?

Once you have those answers, you can begin to research more concisely. For example, many people begin by looking at places with a lower cost of living or better healthcare and living conditions than where they are now. Some people want to take on the challenge of learning a new language and culture. Still others want to be located where they can travel to the countries they have only dreamed of visiting.

There’s no set pattern for anyone’s research process. I have found that watching other expats’ travel videos on YouTube has been both inspiring and intriguing. Video creators have explored culture, financial experiences, healthcare, and so much more.

I have also spent quite a bit of time reading about an area and a culture. There are so many useful websites that can help you calculate cost of living (like Expatistan and Numbeo). There are websites that detail healthcare options in countries. And then there are more general resources, like what you can find in books and other publications.

That’s why I created the Clever Expat Bookshelf.

Regardless of how you conduct your research, remember to continue to focus on your goals and dreams. There may be many options to discover your next home somewhere else in the world.

Keep exploring!
The Clever Expat