10 Expat Mistakes to Avoid

Kristin:    00:00:00    Kristin here coming to you live from Las Vegas, Nevada, and I arrived yesterday in first class, which I flew free thanks to points and miles. And as I was sitting there in the comfortable first class seat on my direct flight from Miami to LAX, I was thinking about the tens of thousands of dollars in travel perks and benefits that I've received over the years from points and Miles, sometimes more than $10,000 in a year. And so I wanted to bring it to your attention this week that the most popular travel credit card just increased its welcome offer to its highest of the year. This elevated offer of 75,000 bonus UR points is worth exactly $937 and 50 cents when it's redeemed through the travel portal. Now this might sound like a really random amount of money, but those 75,000 bonus points could actually be worth even more when transferred out to the bank's.  

Kristin:    00:01:01    Many travel partners. These UR points are one of the most valuable currencies in the travel world. So this offer is insane and it only happens once a year. So make sure to use my affiliate link in the show notes to check it out today. This card will not only earn you hundreds of dollars in free travel, but you'll also receive a $50 hotel credit annually, three times the points when you dine out and access to some of the best transfer partners out there and much more. And again, this offer only happens once per year. And if you're listening to this podcast when it comes out on Tuesday, June 11th, and you have barely 48 hours before it's gone. So seriously, head over to the show notes of this podcast episode right now and check it out. Take advantage while you can.

Introduction: Welcome to Badass Digital Nomads, where we're pushing the boundaries of remote work and travel, all while staying grounded with a little bit of old school philosophy, self-development, and business advice from our guests.

Kristin:    00:02:14    When moving overseas for the first time. Naturally, there's going to be a lot on your to-do list, but what about what's on your not to-do list? Kristin, from Traveling with Kristin here, I've been helping people relocate around the world for the last 15 years, and in today's podcast, I'll be sharing with you the top 10 mistakes that I see people make when they move overseas for the first time. Up first is buying real estate before you live in the country. Now, investing in real estate abroad is usually a great decision, especially if it's for investment reasons. But if you're moving somewhere permanently, it's always a good idea to visit the country and rent in a couple different places before you decide to buy something. Back when I worked in real estate in Costa Rica, a common pattern I would see was people moving down to the country and buying something right when they got there, or even before they arrived site unseen.  

Kristin:    00:03:14    And then once they spent a few months or even a couple years living in Costa Rica, they wanted to sell and move to a different part of town or a different part of the country. So a good way to avoid this mistake is to do an exploratory trip to the country first, check out a few different towns and neighborhoods and spend a couple weeks or even months in different places before deciding to invest long term. Another mistake that I see quite often is people skipping that exploratory trip and moving straight into the process of applying for residency. Now, it's one thing if you're looking to get a second passport, another citizenship or a golden visa just for flexibility purposes in your life. But if you're moving to a country and applying for permanent residency to live there for five or 10 years, that's a big commitment and a big upfront investment, and it also takes a lot of time for that residency to go through.  

Kristin:    00:04:12    So it's a good idea to spend some time in the country before starting that process of applying for a residency. Now, a caveat here is that many countries require you to apply for permanent residency before you get there. So if that's the case, then take a quick trip, make sure that you're on the right path, and then go back to your home country, start that application process and then move back to the country when you're ready. On the other hand, a mistake that I see far too often is people waiting too long to pursue their dreams of living in another country. Life is short and nothing is guaranteed. So if it's something that you've been thinking about for many years or even decades, then go ahead and take those first steps. Some of the most common feedback that I get from my relocation clients is that they wish they did this sooner.  

Kristin:    00:05:07    And sometimes it just takes a little bit of motivation and guidance to be able to put those wheels into motion and take your first steps of moving to another country. So don't make the same mistake. Take action now, and you could be living abroad sooner than you think. Now, once you arrive in a foreign country, you're likely gonna want to hit the ground running and really immerse yourself in that foreign culture and get to know the locals. But a mistake that I see far too often is people staying in their comfort zone and gravitating more towards people that are living there from their home country, people that speak the same language rather than really putting themselves out there and outside of their comfort zone. So this is something that's really normal. We want to gravitate to what's familiar to us, but a mistake that I see is people spending too much time with expats and foreigners because it's the path of least resistance and not taking enough time to get to know the local people, culture and language.  

Kristin:    00:06:12    So don't let that happen to you. Create a plan. Take some language classes and be mindful about taking time to get involved with the community volunteer and make sure that you're spending at least equal time with expats as well as locals. Another mistake that I often see is people being too trusting when they get to a foreign country. Now of course, there are really friendly, great, amazing people all around the world, but don't let your guard down more abroad than you would at home. If you wouldn't invite a stranger into your house, into your home country, then don't do it when you get to another one. I've heard far too many stories of people inviting their new friends over for dinner and really showing them their home and then getting robbed a few days or a few weeks later. So there are a lot of scams out there.  

Kristin:    00:07:09    Do your homework so that you know about the most common ones and be trusting with people, but not to the point to where you're putting yourself at risk. Summer is here and so are higher temps. So if you're looking for some lightweight clothing that's easily packable and that you don't have to wash very often, then let me introduce you to Unbound Merino. Unbound Merino creates high performance, great looking clothes for travel. It's simple, stylish, and versatile apparel that can be worn for weeks without ever needing to be washed. So you can travel anywhere for any length of time with nothing more than a carry-on. Check out Unbound Merino using our link in the show notes. They have clothing for men, women as well as bundles where you can save up to $95 on your purchase. That's with Unbound Merino using our link in the show notes.  

Kristin:    00:08:09    Another mistake that I think we can all be guilty of sometimes is expecting a country to change or not being able to fully adapt to life in a foreign culture. Sometimes there's really big hurdles where laws and equality and human rights are a lot different abroad than they are in your home country, but sometimes it can just be little frustrations like the climate or the power or the water going out or poor infrastructure or a combination of different things. If you are from a country where everyone is really punctual and you move to a place where people are on manana time, where tomorrow might mean tomorrow, but it also might mean next week, next month, or never, then these are the things to be aware of. But having a really flexible and open mindset and knowing that you might change, but that country is not going to change for you, can really help you cope with those cultural differences.  

Kristin:    00:09:08    And a website that I like to use is called the Hofstede Index, where they have a country comparison calculator where you can see the main differences between two countries at a glimpse, and this can give you a point of reference for how extreme those cultural differences are and what you're gonna be up against when you get there. Also, save more money than you think you'll need. Sure, you want to benefit from the low cost of living that you can achieve in different countries, but a lot of people don't save enough, and I have seen people move back home after just a few weeks or months because they didn't save enough money before they went abroad. A good rule of thumb is to have at least six months of living expenses saved up or more if that's what makes you feel comfortable. Whenever you're making a big life decision like a career change or moving to a new city, it's natural to ask around to get opinions and advice.  

Kristin:    00:10:08    But what I've seen all too often in the expat community is people giving too much waiting to the opinions of, well-meaning friends and family or to complete strangers on the internet, whether it's people in Facebook Groups, online forums, or even right here on YouTube, paying too much attention to what other people think can actually dissuade you from moving abroad altogether. Or it can influence you to end up in a destination that might not be the best fit for you. So feel free to ask around and gather information when you're planning your move overseas, but always remain objective and fact check the information that people give you. But there are also two extremes when it comes to gathering a bunch of random information on the internet or not getting any help at all. There are plenty of things that you could learn to do in life, like how to change your car's oil or remodeling your home by yourself.  

Kristin:    00:11:06    But for certain big projects that take a lot of time and planning, like planning a wedding or an overseas move, it doesn't hurt to get some professional help. Trying to figure out everything on your own when you're moving overseas for the first time is a lot. It's one of those things where hindsight is always 2020, and I'm sure some of you who are watching this video now can attest to the fact that you wish you knew a lot of things before you moved abroad that you might know now after living there for a few months or a few years. So if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or stuck in the process of moving to another country, then reach out for help. Whether it's through a relocation professional, a moving company or a lawyer who can help you with your residency and visa paperwork. There are a lot of ways to get help.  

Kristin:    00:11:57    I've personally helped more than 1000 people move to 37 countries in my career as a relocation consultant. And so if you're interested in finding out more about how you can get support from me and your overseas move, then you can click the link below this video or apply at TravelingwithKristin.com/relocation. Ultimately, another mistake I see is people staying stuck when things aren't working. So if you move to another country and after a certain period of time you decide it's just not working for you or you decide that you wanna move back home, that's totally fine For some people. They wanna live abroad for their entire lives. For other people, you might wanna switch countries every few years or just live abroad temporarily and then move back to be near friends and family. So if you find yourself coming to the end of your time in a given place, then just embrace it. Be grateful for that experience that you had living there. Don't be afraid to move on or move home. You'll really value that life experience either way.  

Kristin:    00:13:07    Kristin here, I hope today's podcast helps you prevent a few of the most common expat mistakes out there, and maybe you've already made some of these, but if you'd like help with an international move and you're thinking of relocating in the next year or so, then you can always reach out to me at TravelingwithKristin.com/relocation. My signature program Ready to Relocate is open for enrollment now, and you can join myself as well as a private group of other people in our community who are also planning their international moves at the same time, so you get my support as well as the support of our entire community. I just got a text from one of my clients, Lou today, who's moving to Costa Rica with his wife, Mary, and he says, joining your group was one of the best things we could have done to help make our dreams come true.  

Kristin:    00:14:02    Your experience and knowledge of what seems like endless networks is invaluable. The group chat and ability to exchange information with others who are also interested in relocating is superb. Your planning system guided us down the correct path, and your weekly sessions helped us stay focused on our specific goals and targets. We're finalizing our move to Costa Rica by the end of this year. Thank you to you and the relocation group for making what was a dream a reality. Thank you so much, Lou and Mary Brandon. You know, many of the people who I talk to have been thinking about moving or have been planning their move for years without making much progress, but if you want to be able to move in the next year or so without all of that stress and without having to do everything on your own, then reach out to me today at TravelingwithKristin.com/relocation.  

Kristin:    00:15:00    And we have also linked that up for you in the show notes. Thank you again for spending time with me, and I will see you here next week. We have an amazing interview with Mike Swigunski, the author of the Global Careers book. So if you want to know how to travel the world for years and work overseas or work from anywhere remotely, this is the episode for you. Also, remember that special credit card offer that I mentioned at the beginning of this episode expires on Thursday, June 13th at 3:00 PM Eastern. So if you wanna grab those 75,000 bonus UR points, then go to the link in the show notes and check it out right now.