I left the US to start over after a tragedy — and fumbled through 5 classic first-timer mistakes

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
Author Melanie Gordon smiling with trees behind her
If you're traveling solo for the first time, especially after a significant life event, I hope this helps you avoid some of the pitfalls I fell into.

Melanie Gordon

Layoffs, sky-high rent, and a $3,000 preschool bill convinced me I can't live in the US anymore. We're moving to Japan.

Tech Insider : Business
A man posing for a photo in Japan.
Nick Woolsey moved back to the US for six years after leaving Japan. Now he's going back.

Japan Remotely

I moved to a small mountain town in Italy. The community I've found here beats anything I've had in the US.

Tech Insider : Business
Woman and man on vespa
I've met some incredible people while living in a small town in Italy.

Su Guillory

We tried building our dream life in Portugal. After 3 years, we realized living abroad was actually holding us back.

Tech Insider : Business
Author Yvonne Ivanescu, cat, and partner at home in Portugal
Portuga

Yvonne Ivanescu

I moved from the US to Spain and fell in love. Despite the difficult language barrier, we're still together 2 years later.

Tech Insider : Business
Author Kiersten Brown and a man smiling
I moved from the US to Spain and fell in love with a man who doesn't speak English. In some ways, the language barrier made our communication skills stronger.

Kiersten Brown

I moved to Malaysia in my 30s. I didn't know where to go or what to do, so I started a club to connect the expat community.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
A man posing in front of a street hawker in Malaysia.
Joshua Webley settled down in Malaysia last year and started an expats community to meet new people.

Provided by Joshua Webley.

I moved from the US to France. It took 4 years and one great piece of advice for the country to finally feel like home.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
Sand beach beneath the colorful old town Menton on French Riviera, France
When I moved from the United States to France, one piece of advice and a few years of living in my new country helped me adjust.

Xantana/Getty Images

The US cities with the best quality of life for expats, ranked

Tech Insider : Business, Sports, Travel
Aerial view of Boston showcasing the Charles River.
Boston clinched a spot in Mercer's top 50.

Sergii Figurnyi/Shutterstock

I was an expat working in Dubai for 4 years. The culture of splurging on luxuries made saving harder than I expected.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
Victoria Blinova on a yacht.
Victoria Blinova left Dubai in 2021 after four years of working in the emirate.

Courtesy of Victoria Blinova

We left the US and moved to Mexico when I got pregnant 4 years ago. It's more affordable and our family is thriving.

Tech Insider
View from coast of Puerto Vallarta that shows many buildings up mountains and a rocky coastline along blue waters
Puerto Vallarta is a popular spot for tourists.

Carlos Flores/Getty Images

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