I always wanted to go to a different country than my own, to be more specific I wanted NYC for as long as I remember as I grew up. I worked at one of the big 4 Consulting firms and even approached the move to the NY office. But then I found out that consulting was not for me, I started dating someone and I just kept falling in love with living in Lisbon. Changed careers and a few years later we broke up (2014) and I started wondering about being what they call now a digital nomad. But having a dog I always thought it could be harder to manage alone in a different country, and then I started dating someone else. Nothing happened for a few years and now at 42 and partner 39, with two kids and still my dog. There was always that option on our table, as his company is Spanish and they would often approach the topic with him. Until there was an actual offer and we decided to accept and here we go in the beginning of next year. Truth is our change will be from the country next door, we’re going to just drive there with all our belongings and kids in tow! I hope it’ll be fun and a new adventure!

31, no kids (but have a large dog), partner had lost his job so we thought it was the perfect opportunity to leave the declining quality of life and increasing cost of living in Toronto as we have been extremely unhappy here. My partner just signed for a well paying job in Germany and we are off at the beginning of the year!

Early forties, married, school aged kids. It happened almost by accident: everyone in the family was quite content with their situation, professional and personal. And then I saw an advertisement for a job abroad that asked for exactly my (very niche) specialization. Been there one year, Thinking about staying longer now.

Honestly all the school shootings pushed us over the edge. My husband was able to work for the same company abroad and they moved our family (two young kids and a dog) to London earlier this year. We’re so grateful for the opportunity but the reason why it came together is sad 😔

Realized America is just a capitalist machine and I a cog in it destined to live in fear, debt, and positioned to play a game of social climbing in a polarised political climate with status and actual freedoms being awarded to those with significant money and objects you own.

23, single no kids, Brexit/tired of England

43, high earner / small biz owner in Miami, hated Miami lifestyle and growing cost.

no kids no marriage.

was visiting Colombia a lot and one day walked into a house and made an offer and 25 days later was living here with my dogs.

I was 44m when we decided, about 1.5 years ago. Been with my husband for 26 years, no kids. We spoke with a financial advisor about retirement planning and realized that if we liquidate everything (sell our real estate, sell collectibles we’ve acquired over the years, cash-out 20+ years of 401k savings once I reach the proper age, etc), we’d be able to buy a cozy little place in Europe and retire comfortably right around when I turn 51. For the next few years, we’re saving our money to make sure we have more than enough margin-of-error funding when the big GTFO date comes. And I’m spending a lot of time studying a new language; I want to be one of those freaks who walks into the immigration office and can immediately respond in their language when they start asking me questions.😅

We’ve always batted around the idea of retiring overseas (husband was stationed there in the 90s, we still travel there often for work and pleasure), but when we took a hard look at how we want to spend the later phases of life, we decided that the US isn’t for us, for a variety of personal, political, and financial reasons.

Early 40s, married to a SAHD, twins in early elementary school. We’d always talked about living abroad and then a job came up in my MNC that I knew I could get. Moved from San Francisco to Switzerland. I’ve been here for 5 years now but considering going back soon; my kids did not manage to learn the local language fluently and the option is stay here and pay 60K / year for the next 6 years of private school, or go back to the states where I will make more money and school will be free. It’s been a lovely, grand adventure but I don’t think Switzerland is our “forever home.” We might move back for retirement but not CH— somewhere a little more lively like Spain, Portugal, or Italy.

At 25. Hit a couple of banks in the US West with not the best choice of partners. One got caught, started singing about us. Got over the border to Mexico with the cash, found my way to Ecuador. Went legit to help companies develop low cost supply chains until the IRS started inquiring, then found my way to China, built factories, a lot of them, learned to read and speak Chinese. 25 years later, a completely different cat now in Vegas banging cocktail waitresses two at a time.

US born. 35F, bartender with 5 useless AA degrees, but I make about $50k a year. 38M french husband can’t find steady work that pays more than minimum wage. No kids, living in a tiny studio off my parents laundry room because it’s literally the only thing we can afford in CA and not be super broke. Moving to France because our $30,000 savings is more than enough for a down payment for a small farm in Normandy. France has a more livable minimum wage, everything is more affordable (other than gas), tons of trains and buses. So much easier to travel around to other countries. More and better access to affordable healthcare, more family friendly (plus, we can actually afford to think about having a kid in France, unlike here).

28, no kids. Found the love of my life on the other side of the ocean and went on 4 years long distance. Got my eu passport and now a contract with a temp job agency until we can have something of our own.

Decent job, decent salary, in a long-term relationship, in a decent country.

Never regretted for a day I changed. I wasn’t happy.

I was 21 moved from the UK to Central Europe because I wasn’t ready to settle after uni and want to explore Europe and it was easy pre-brexit. Stayed now for 9 years because it’s my home and I love it here.

I was 26, married no kids and for the reason I was in France, so wanted a bit more money and international exposure.