I haven’t been a resident in the United States for a couple of years now and I don’t plan on moving back. For the last two years, I have made my expat life in Mexico, but the time has come to start a brand new chapter by moving to Indonesia. 

As most of you know by now, we have created Azul Unlimited in order to start a new wave of dive industry standards and environmental awareness. This is how we are continuing our journies as expats in the coming years.

Are you intrigued by this lifestyle?

Expat life

Things to consider before jumping into this kind of expat life:

  • Are you comfortable with living within cultures that may be unfamiliar to you?

One thing you learn as you travel the world is how little you actually know and understand about other cultures. It doesn’t matter how much you read about places. The real learning and acceptance happen when you make friends with the differences that appear to separate us as human beings.

It is important to dive into the culture and start to understand the differing perspectives that are all over the world, regardless of whether you plan to live there.

However, when you are considering the expat life, you have to be brutally honest with yourself. You need to ask the tough questions about where you’re thinking about moving. Is your chosen destination a place in which you can thrive?

  • Will you be able to adjust to not having all of your ‘home’ comforts?

There are things that we love about our home. We are attached to certain comforts in this human life. Living abroad can mean that you won’t have those comforts again. Or, at the very least, they will be different to what you are accustomed. 

Will this be a deal breaker for you? It depends. I know for me, I get homesick for fresh green salads. When we were living in a tiny fisherman village in Mexico, it was the most homesick I had ever been. We were not able to keep a healthy diet (especially being a vegetarian) and I felt like crap. I knew that living in a place like that wasn’t sustainable for me. Therefore, moving forward, fresh food is a necessity for any place I consider living.

That’s the kind of honest conversation you have to have with yourself in order to really consider the expat life. There will inevitably be changes. Will these changes just be a challenge for you to grow or will they make you suffer until you go running back home?

Expat life

  • Are you willing to do the hard work to create a job that will give you a sustainable life abroad?

Living as an expatriate can be incredibly rewarding. It can also be very difficult if you haven’t seriously considered how you are going to keep up with your bills. It may seem tempting to just pack up and move. Your savings can go a long way in some of the countries where the cost of living is super low. Loads of people decide to do it this way at first. However, if you really want to make this expat life work for you, you need to work out a way to actually live in the country of your choice.

For me personally, I like the combo package. I have worked hard to gain skills which I can use to make money online, but I also have skills as a scuba and yoga instructor. The reason I prefer this game plan is because there’s not much point to living in another country if you’re not going to interact with the locals. Working side by side with them is a great way to get integrated into the community. On the other hand, having some sort of online business means that you don’t have to rely on physically being present in order to get some sort of passive income.

Creating this kind of diverse portfolio for making a living is not easy. It takes determination and time to build up the skills to be successful. However, if you want to make the expat life work for you, this is a necessity.

So tell me, are you considering this expat life? Where do you want to go? What do you want to do there? Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below!

Sarah Miller

IDC Staff #320212

Azul Unlimited

We teach responsible scuba divers and ocean protectors. The brand is run by PADI IDC Staff Instructor Sarah Valdez who teaches scuba diving in person and on YouTube. Now she travels around the states and Mexico in her van scuba diving in new and different places. Follow her adventures on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok or join the Azul scuba community on Patreon.

Azul Unlimited is partnered with Azul Komodo, a top PADI IDC Center in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia offering daily dive trips to the Komodo National Park. Contact their team directly for an unforgettable experience diving in one of the top dive destinations in the world!