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The Five Biggest Misconceptions About Living Overseas
The strangest, yet most common, things people say to me when they find out I live abroad
A lot of Americans go to Europe the summer after college for a whirlwind tour before returning home to begin their adult working lives. For me, though, I decided to move there for graduate school…and then I never looked back. I’m now a digital nomad who travels around the world, and quite frankly can’t imagine another life.
Understandably, some people have misconceptions about my lifestyle. Below are the most common questions and assumptions I hear from friends, family, and new acquaintances alike.
“That’s so glamorous!”
This is by far the most common thing people say to me when I tell them I live abroad. And I do understand why — I suppose I had a similar misconception before I moved. But let me tell you now, it is not all glamorous. There are individual moments and even days that seem glamorous and exciting, but there are also an equal number that are stressful/difficult/exhausting. That doesn’t mean that I’m not grateful, or that I’d give it up for another lifestyle (I wouldn’t!) but I still try to set the record straight when I can.