When all you carry is a backpack, the act of moving overseas for a job can be relatively easy. But when a boyfriend, baby and all their unexpected accoutrements join the plan, the transition to live and work abroad with a family requires a bit more effort.
Choosing to relocate to New Zealand will, I suspect, remain one of the toughest decisions of my life: one that sent Grandma Mutchler into a three-day fit of tears and one-line emails dripping with guilty words. However, now that I’ve established some semblance of normal life here, the alternative – staying home – sounds just as unimaginable as this once did.
There will always be 1,000 reasons not to drag your partner and children out of their comfort zone; but here are a few more overwhelming reasons to work abroad with a family.
1. It’s an adventure! Why do we remove the exclamation points from our lives after we have kids? Parenthood may involve more responsibility, but that doesn’t mean abandoning freedom and spontaneity. Raising a child is an adventure in itself; so, why not add another element to the equation and raise a child in a foreign country? Working abroad with a family offers all the same challenges as working at home – rent, insurance, health care – but with the added excitement of a new scene.
2. It’s beneficial for your children. Contrary to cultural standards focusing on stability and routine for young kids, new research shows that travel is, actually, healthy for your family. While you worry about how relocating your kids to a new climate may ruin them for life, consider this: Children First Foundation USA says that travel increases a child’s curiosity, flexibility, interpersonal awareness, and even makes them smarter.
3. It’s the perfect length of time for exploration. Good news, commitment-phobes: most international work placements run for a shorter, introductory contract period. From one to three years, this allows you and your family time to settle down, make friends and delve into the local culture. Enjoy this brief duration as an opportunity to squeeze all you can from the experience. You can decide later whether you stick around after the contract expires, or whether you head home with worthwhile memories.
4. It’s cost effective. The tab for starting a family (anywhere) runs into the millions. Or at least, it will once you factor in a mortgage, two cars, child care, Christmas presents, sports equipment and school uniforms, etc. For many parents, the relative costs of all these things drop substantially in other countries, making an employment stint abroad more economically viable. You don’t have to move into an underdeveloped country slum, either. Consider working in countries that provide better and cheaper healthcare, offer lower tax rates or a free education system: all these things can save you money during your time abroad.
5. It introduces another language. Working abroad with a family pushes everyone to learn a second language, enriching your understanding of the host country and stimulating your mental facilities. Even if you relocate to an English-speaking city, you’ll notice slang and vocabulary words entirely different from those spoken back home. Embrace this as an classroom-free way to educate yourself and teach your kids the importance of verbal communication.
6. It’s career-enhancing. While every parent understands the sacrifices that accompany having kids, you shouldn’t give up your occupational goals and dreams simply because you want a baby, or maybe two. Instead of treating your children like an anchor that holds you in one job, let them be the motivation to keep climbing the corporate ladder – or begin your own bed and breakfast on some exotic shore.
7. It’s never been easier to stay in touch with folks back home. With Skype, FaceTime, Facebook and a pile of apps and mobile services, it’s easier to stay in touch with the relatives left behind than it is to avoid them! Organize hourly or monthly dates to speak with loved ones. Teach your children the art of writing letters. Create fun care packages with gifts and goodies from your new location, or send a random postcard once a week. Modern technology, combined with the old fashioned postal system, allows you to share your voice and your culture with folks elsewhere.
8. Frequent flier miles. Sunday mornings at the market. Cherry blossoms in the spring or a winter snowstorm. Christmas in July. The first time you dream in another language. Adding personal touches to a temporary home. Mastering the public transportation system. Curries, crepes, mussels and sidewalk barbeque. The list is truly endless. With so many reasons to take your family and move overseas, what reasons could you possibly have to stay?