I relate so hard to assembling a bed yourself. A ten-minute job that took an hour, but alas, it was done. Also, I love that you lived in Calgary. Hard to find people on here that did.
Assembling a bed by yourself is so hard!! How am I supposed to hold on to the headboard while holding up the long ass sides while screwing in the screws?! Yes, lived in Calgary and loved it. Mainly because of the proximity to the Rockies.
katharina i love this post! i'm moving to portugal myself in september. very excited about it for all the reasons you name, and your post is a big vote of confidence that i can do it.
Thank you so much Karen! Love that you are moving to Portugal - my husband and I love it there and dream of moving there too. I am excited for your next step, you can absolutely do it!
Been there and done all that! It’s so well written! It’s interesting how ignorance is bliss in that kind of life…how the first instinct is to trust strangers just because…and how figuring out absolutely everything makes you basically fearless…building in us the mindset that everything is possible…and refining our intuition…and yes, saying yes will allow you to succeed and look back at how all the dots connect… that kind of freedom is priceless and losing on family moments ends up being worth it because at the end of the even those were our choices and the opportunities we created it still feels like that was our path to follow 🩶
Thank you so much for this! It means a lot, especially coming from someone who’s lived it too. I love how you put it: “ignorance is bliss” really is the magic (and danger!) of those early moments. That instinct to trust, to jump in, to say yes before you know what you’re saying yes to… it feels naive at first, but somehow it’s exactly what builds that deep belief that things are possible.
And yes, that feeling of looking back and seeing how the dots connect. That part always gives me chills. It’s wild how something that felt uncertain or even scary in the moment ends up being the exact turning point you needed.
I’ve thought a lot about the trade-offs too: missing family moments, choosing a path that sometimes feels far from “home.” But I love what you said about it being our path. That’s it exactly. Even if it was messy or uncertain, it still felt like the right kind of risk.
And also, you learn not to stay in a situation or place where you’re not happy because now you know you can move anywhere and change your life knowing it will be fine because you know you are capable of doing it…
But the most important is that you learn to live your life to the fullest as if any day was the last day of your life abroad so you enjoy every single day the best you can and end up doing amazing things and visiting amazing places because that could be your only opportunity to do it…I love that! 🩶
Yes, exactly this. Once you’ve made a big leap and seen that you can land on your feet, it changes everything—you stop settling for less than what lights you up. That sense of freedom and self-trust is priceless.
And wow, I felt that last part so deeply—living like each day abroad could be your last really does shift how you move through the world. You end up saying yes more, exploring more, appreciating the little moments so much more.
reading your post was like a trip down memory lane and I experienced a lot of those same feelings! From france, I lived in the U.S and Australia, along with plenty of solo europe trips and i have to say that being young and naive has also a lot to do with the willingness of figuring things out. I’m now in my early 30s and have a family and let me tell you, figuring it out in a new country when it’s not just you is so much harder haha!
Ah I love this! Thank you so much for sharing it. It really is like a time machine, isn’t it? That specific cocktail of being young, naive, and just brave (or clueless?) enough to leap without a plan. There’s such a magic to that stage of life.
And wow, I can only imagine how much more layered and complex it gets when you’re figuring things out not just for yourself, but for a whole family. That’s a whole new level of courage and resilience. Honestly, hats off to you. I’m sure the challenges are bigger, but maybe so are the rewards, too?
It’s so cool to hear from others who’ve taken similar paths. It reminds me that even though we were all in different places, there’s this weird universal feeling to the whole thing. Thanks again for reading and sharing your story—it means a lot!
Thank you Kaila! Yes, I agree with everything you said. It's the most scary and empowering feeling at the same time. And it honestly made me grow in ways I could have never imagined.
Each of your points resonated deeply with my own experience! Looking back, I realize how lucky I was to meet the right people at the right moments—those who walked alongside me for parts of my journey. The most important lesson I’ve learned? Saying YES. That single word opened the doors to everything that followed in my experience abroad. I share more about this point in this post:
Saying yes can be so difficult (depending on our personality) but it can open so many doors to new experiences and to new versions of yourself. I am so happy that I said yes to many things - even the ones that were seemingly a waste of time. Because they taught me what I don't want or what I don't enjoy.
I'm going to hold on tight to, "everything is a choice. Nothing is too hard to do." This is my first year living abroad and it's been a struggle at times, many times, but the toughest things have really just been decisions. There is power in making them.
This!! 1000x this! Everything you said is such a core part of the expat experience. I related to all of it—especially the part about having to rely on yourself when there’s no family or close friends nearby to help. I’m proud of the times I figured it out solo (like loading and driving a moving truck!), but honestly, the moments when I couldn’t do it alone were just as powerful. They taught me to trust in the kindness of others—even strangers. Living abroad has built my confidence and my faith in humanity. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Juviand! Your comment seriously meant so much to me. I totally felt that too—those moments when you have no choice but to figure things out alone (major respect for the moving truck situation!), but also the times when you can’t do it alone and have to lean on the kindness of others. That part has been so unexpectedly powerful for me too. Living abroad really does stretch and shape you in the wildest ways, huh? So glad this resonated with you—thank you for sharing a bit of your journey with me 💛
Excellent post, so many great points you've touched on. I wonder, does being a woman make a difference to solo travelling? As with the Bolivian taxi tale, there are certainly potential dangers (obviously).
I've always loved solo travel and most of my life has been moving around. I'm perfectly happy in my own company, general quite anti-social (haha) so no need for any expat community or anything. I taught English for many years so my socialising came from the classroom and colleagues, but whenever I can/could, I try to sneak off on my own somewhere.
Thank you so much for reading and for sharing your thoughts. I’ve definitely spent a lot of time reflecting on how being a woman affects the solo travel experience. I do think it changes things, both in obvious ways and in quieter, day-to-day moments. There’s often this background awareness—of where you are, who’s around you, how you’re moving through a space—that shapes how you make decisions.
That taxi story in Bolivia stuck with me for exactly that reason. Nothing happened, but it easily could have, and that what-if is something I think a lot of women carry with them. It’s not always fear, but it is a kind of hyper-awareness that doesn’t fully switch off.
At the same time, like you, I’ve found so much joy in being on my own. There’s a kind of clarity and freedom that comes with doing things solo. I love that you found connection through teaching and still carved out those quiet, solo moments whenever you could. That blend of purpose and solitude feels really grounding.
I relate so hard to assembling a bed yourself. A ten-minute job that took an hour, but alas, it was done. Also, I love that you lived in Calgary. Hard to find people on here that did.
Assembling a bed by yourself is so hard!! How am I supposed to hold on to the headboard while holding up the long ass sides while screwing in the screws?! Yes, lived in Calgary and loved it. Mainly because of the proximity to the Rockies.
We certainly don't know what we can do until we try. 🙏 Then what we find ordinary is extraordinary to others.
You are so right Paul. Thank you for leaving your comment!
katharina i love this post! i'm moving to portugal myself in september. very excited about it for all the reasons you name, and your post is a big vote of confidence that i can do it.
Thank you so much Karen! Love that you are moving to Portugal - my husband and I love it there and dream of moving there too. I am excited for your next step, you can absolutely do it!
Been there and done all that! It’s so well written! It’s interesting how ignorance is bliss in that kind of life…how the first instinct is to trust strangers just because…and how figuring out absolutely everything makes you basically fearless…building in us the mindset that everything is possible…and refining our intuition…and yes, saying yes will allow you to succeed and look back at how all the dots connect… that kind of freedom is priceless and losing on family moments ends up being worth it because at the end of the even those were our choices and the opportunities we created it still feels like that was our path to follow 🩶
Thank you so much for this! It means a lot, especially coming from someone who’s lived it too. I love how you put it: “ignorance is bliss” really is the magic (and danger!) of those early moments. That instinct to trust, to jump in, to say yes before you know what you’re saying yes to… it feels naive at first, but somehow it’s exactly what builds that deep belief that things are possible.
And yes, that feeling of looking back and seeing how the dots connect. That part always gives me chills. It’s wild how something that felt uncertain or even scary in the moment ends up being the exact turning point you needed.
I’ve thought a lot about the trade-offs too: missing family moments, choosing a path that sometimes feels far from “home.” But I love what you said about it being our path. That’s it exactly. Even if it was messy or uncertain, it still felt like the right kind of risk.
And also, you learn not to stay in a situation or place where you’re not happy because now you know you can move anywhere and change your life knowing it will be fine because you know you are capable of doing it…
But the most important is that you learn to live your life to the fullest as if any day was the last day of your life abroad so you enjoy every single day the best you can and end up doing amazing things and visiting amazing places because that could be your only opportunity to do it…I love that! 🩶
Yes, exactly this. Once you’ve made a big leap and seen that you can land on your feet, it changes everything—you stop settling for less than what lights you up. That sense of freedom and self-trust is priceless.
And wow, I felt that last part so deeply—living like each day abroad could be your last really does shift how you move through the world. You end up saying yes more, exploring more, appreciating the little moments so much more.
Yes! Enjoy! 😉🩶
reading your post was like a trip down memory lane and I experienced a lot of those same feelings! From france, I lived in the U.S and Australia, along with plenty of solo europe trips and i have to say that being young and naive has also a lot to do with the willingness of figuring things out. I’m now in my early 30s and have a family and let me tell you, figuring it out in a new country when it’s not just you is so much harder haha!
Ah I love this! Thank you so much for sharing it. It really is like a time machine, isn’t it? That specific cocktail of being young, naive, and just brave (or clueless?) enough to leap without a plan. There’s such a magic to that stage of life.
And wow, I can only imagine how much more layered and complex it gets when you’re figuring things out not just for yourself, but for a whole family. That’s a whole new level of courage and resilience. Honestly, hats off to you. I’m sure the challenges are bigger, but maybe so are the rewards, too?
It’s so cool to hear from others who’ve taken similar paths. It reminds me that even though we were all in different places, there’s this weird universal feeling to the whole thing. Thanks again for reading and sharing your story—it means a lot!
Yes, living abroad teaches you to be your own best friend, counsellor, mother, father, sister and lawyer, and much more! Great post, Katharina :)
Thank you Kaila! Yes, I agree with everything you said. It's the most scary and empowering feeling at the same time. And it honestly made me grow in ways I could have never imagined.
Each of your points resonated deeply with my own experience! Looking back, I realize how lucky I was to meet the right people at the right moments—those who walked alongside me for parts of my journey. The most important lesson I’ve learned? Saying YES. That single word opened the doors to everything that followed in my experience abroad. I share more about this point in this post:
https://open.substack.com/pub/emanuelab/p/a-life-abroad-what-i-wish-i-knew?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=3vhlfh
Saying yes can be so difficult (depending on our personality) but it can open so many doors to new experiences and to new versions of yourself. I am so happy that I said yes to many things - even the ones that were seemingly a waste of time. Because they taught me what I don't want or what I don't enjoy.
I'm going to hold on tight to, "everything is a choice. Nothing is too hard to do." This is my first year living abroad and it's been a struggle at times, many times, but the toughest things have really just been decisions. There is power in making them.
This!! 1000x this! Everything you said is such a core part of the expat experience. I related to all of it—especially the part about having to rely on yourself when there’s no family or close friends nearby to help. I’m proud of the times I figured it out solo (like loading and driving a moving truck!), but honestly, the moments when I couldn’t do it alone were just as powerful. They taught me to trust in the kindness of others—even strangers. Living abroad has built my confidence and my faith in humanity. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Juviand! Your comment seriously meant so much to me. I totally felt that too—those moments when you have no choice but to figure things out alone (major respect for the moving truck situation!), but also the times when you can’t do it alone and have to lean on the kindness of others. That part has been so unexpectedly powerful for me too. Living abroad really does stretch and shape you in the wildest ways, huh? So glad this resonated with you—thank you for sharing a bit of your journey with me 💛
Excellent post, so many great points you've touched on. I wonder, does being a woman make a difference to solo travelling? As with the Bolivian taxi tale, there are certainly potential dangers (obviously).
I've always loved solo travel and most of my life has been moving around. I'm perfectly happy in my own company, general quite anti-social (haha) so no need for any expat community or anything. I taught English for many years so my socialising came from the classroom and colleagues, but whenever I can/could, I try to sneak off on my own somewhere.
Thank you so much for reading and for sharing your thoughts. I’ve definitely spent a lot of time reflecting on how being a woman affects the solo travel experience. I do think it changes things, both in obvious ways and in quieter, day-to-day moments. There’s often this background awareness—of where you are, who’s around you, how you’re moving through a space—that shapes how you make decisions.
That taxi story in Bolivia stuck with me for exactly that reason. Nothing happened, but it easily could have, and that what-if is something I think a lot of women carry with them. It’s not always fear, but it is a kind of hyper-awareness that doesn’t fully switch off.
At the same time, like you, I’ve found so much joy in being on my own. There’s a kind of clarity and freedom that comes with doing things solo. I love that you found connection through teaching and still carved out those quiet, solo moments whenever you could. That blend of purpose and solitude feels really grounding.