I moved from the US to Wales 14 years ago. Raising kids away from my family is harder than I thought.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
Kids looking at plane
The author has lived in Wales for the last 14 years.

Courtesy of the author

I dropped out of college at 19 and had no plan for what came next. Hong Kong pushed me to grow up fast.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
Nikolai Smirnoff behind the bar at Graceland in Hong Kong
Nikolai Smirnoff

Provided by Nikolai Smirnoff

He has no regrets about leaving academia — or California — to start a café in Beijing with his partner

Tech Insider : Business
Ki Won Yoon and Shu Yu at 010 Beijing Natural cafe.
Ki Won Yoon has no regrets about leaving academia — or California — to start a café in Beijing with his partner, Shu Yu.

Provided by Ki Won Yoon

Their first international flight was a one-way ticket — to retire in Thailand

Tech Insider : Business, Style
A couple posing for a photo with their dog.
Nicolia and Charles Connor moved to Thailand in 2025.

The Connors.

I moved to Madrid to be with my husband. After some convincing, he agreed to relocate to my dream city instead.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The author looking up and smiling. She's wearing a green V-neck top.
I moved to Madrid to be with my husband, but the city didn't feel like home.

Moriah Costa

I work in advertising during the day and stand-up comedy at night. The jobs are surprisingly similar.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
Garron Chiu on stage doing stand-up comedy in Hong Kong.
By day, Garron Chiu works in advertising; by night, he performs stand-up comedy.

Provided by Garron Chiu

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 left my job in tech and moved to Spain. Being alone in a foreign country is hard, but it's changed me for the better.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
Parrie Hartley at Plaza de España in Seville, Spain.
Parrie Hartley at Plaza de España in Seville, Spain.

Courtesy of Parrie Hartley

I quit my job to travel the world. About 18 months later, I realized living abroad isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
A woman stretches her arms out and smiles while standing in the mountains in Vietnam.
I quit my job to travel full time.

Christina Fang

Priced out of Austin, he bought a one-way ticket out of the US. Now, he lives on a Thai island for a fraction of the cost.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business, Style
A man posing at an outdoor table in Koh Samui, Thailand.
Mike Holp left the US because of the high cost of living. Now, he's living in Koh Samui, Thailand, and has no regrets.

Amanda Goh.

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