Relocation – what are you waiting for?
There is no doubt that moving abroad is an emotional and life-changing process…. and you’d have to be super calm and level-headed to relocate overseas without any wobbly moments. I was in a strange nervous state for most of the last month before we relocated to Cayman! I had some sleepless nights and I think my husband got a little worried about my tearful moments…
When you get a call from a recruiter in that exotic location overseas asking if you’ve ever considered relocating for your dream job, you will most likely be a little overwhelmed! Excitement will come first – what could be better than living on a sunny island sipping cocktails and lounging on the beach with beautiful new friends? But then the nerves and ‘reality’ will set in. What about my partner getting a job, what about my house, and my dog, cat, elderly relatives, existing employer?
As someone who made this move with my husband (and without a job of my own!!!), I must say that I don’t regret the decision. Island life has a different pace, the commutes are so much shorter, it feels like we have a lot of extra time to spend doing nice things and the constant sunshine helps me through any down days. I’ve picked my violin up again and have time to read! And I don’t miss out on my aerobics classes due to traffic delays anymore. Grand Cayman is BIG on the running and triathlon side of things – You’d think it’d be too hot to exercise here, but with the amount of food and drink consumed in those first few months on island, most people take up jogging to make up for the ‘Cayman 10 pounds’ they put on without realising it, just be enjoying island life!
I’ve been living in Cayman for just under 3 years now, and my husband Paul and I have had loads of visitors from back home. It’s always great fun showing friends our little slice of paradise and doing all the ‘touristy’ things again. When they’re about to fly back home, visitors invariably tell us that they wish they could live here and that we’re “so lucky”.
Well, we are lucky because things have fallen into place for us, and we have good jobs in paradise, which are not always easy to come across. But, we also took the leap and made it happen. We packed up the home we’d only recently bought, said emotional farewells to our families and quit our jobs… When I handed my resignation in to my lovely previous employer back in Bristol, it was with a heavy heart and a hell of lot of doubt.
Sometimes a Skype interview and promise of a job across the globe from someone you have never met in person just seems unreal and like some sort of elaborate joke!
Living overseas isn’t something everyone wants to do and I’m not saying your life is incomplete without doing it. But, if you’ve got a bit of wanderlust and you wish you could live abroad, it won’t come to you unless you make it happen. Apply for that job, speak to that recruiter, say yes to those interviews.
Most employers will initially offer an overseas employee a contract of 6 months to 2 years, so it can be a temporary experience. If you don’t like it, it doesn’t have to be forever. But in my experience, most people love it and want to extend beyond the 2 years!
What are you waiting for? 🙂