I am considering leaving the UK in pursuit of work. Photography opportunities are pretty limited in my small town and Scotland itself isn't a lot better. Germany tops my list at the moment.
My rather vague plan atm is to go over myself for a few months (maybe 6) and see if I can make it work before bringing my girlfriend over afterwards if things are going well. She has various health issues and I'm not quite sure how that works in foreign countries so would need to do a bit more research there regarding healthcare.
I also kinda want to get this moving before Brexit fucks us all over.
Who's done it? Who's thinking about it? Who's whatever about it?
Nearly moved to southern France a few years back. Had a flat lined up and everything. Chickened out at last minute due to work fears. One of my great regrets as my missus' health has deteriorated too much for us to move abroad now.
When I was younger I did the whole traveling thing, and when I look back it was amazing. I've spent years being stuck here but genuinely believe that the next year or so will give be the opportunity to do so again
So go, give it three months, if you're getting along after that long you'll be grand
"I spent years thinking Yorke was legit Downs-ish disabled and could only achieve lucidity through song" - Mr B
Ah you need more than three months. Settling into a new place takes time. If you're planning on a long term move then give yourself a year at the very least. Choose somewhere with reasonably decent weather - a recognisable summer is a minimum.
All I was thinking was, if you don't like it after three months, can't talk to locals etc, then probably sack it off, especially if you've a wife at home that accelerates our timescales a touch
"I spent years thinking Yorke was legit Downs-ish disabled and could only achieve lucidity through song" - Mr B
Mm, three months is an extended holiday, you need a bit more time to feel what it's like to live somewhere. And to learn the language enough to fit in a bit. IMHO ETC ETC
I lucked out due to my parents' desire to do this when I was a teen and got to do my high school in the states. Genuinely was the making of me - I'd been coasting in scotland and it was a proper challenge for me, and made me engage in subjects I'd dismissed. So I'd say go for it.
We're very close to actually moving to California. Visa has been accepted, now we're only waiting for the last papers to arrive so we can book a interview at the embassy and get the papers into the passport. Excited, but slightly scared as well, I'm not allowed to work there unless I get my own visa.
Better weather, an ocean and some good hills for mountainbiking, plus a huge backlog of games in case it rains should entertain me the next years.
One of my very few regrets is not leaving when it would have been relatively easy to do so. I have quite a few friends who have emigrated to one country or another (that whole "doctors quitting the UK" thing is true) and not one of them has regretted it - even the one that came back felt they were better for having gone...
I've been to nearly 30 countries in the last 10 years and wouldn't migrate away from here. I might feel disenfranchised politically, undervalued career-wise and dislike the shifting to the right but there's an awful lot of opportunity, positivity and luxury that is often taken for granted. Wouldn't have minded a stint in the US when I was a journo, but there's even more nepotism over there than here; as for teaching over there, their wages are about 60% of what we get.
One advantage of moving abroad is that your foreigness immediately makes you a more interesting and exotic person to the people around you. You can reinvent yourself very easily if you want.