In the last few years of blogging, I have often talked about the people I’ve met along the way, my fellow travelers, and it occurred to me that those of you who have read my blog, who have come along on my journeys through my first years of marriage and motherhood and address changes are just as important in my journey as the people I’ve met in person. You are also fellow travelers. And as I embark on a new (blogging) adventure, I want to make sure to keep you all journeying with me.
A few weeks back I started writing for Wanderlust and Lipstick, a travel website that I’ve followed since before I ever really thought about blogging. I will be posting for them twice a week so my posts here at Drinking the Whole Bottle will slow down a bit but I’ll still hopefully be sharing several times a week either through DTWB or Expat Village, my blog through Wanderlust and Lipstick.
This past week, I shared some thoughts on things you might want to consider if you’re a couple moving abroad. I know that when Husband (Then Boyfriend) and I first debated moving abroad we considered none of these things. Because we were stupid. Thank God for stupid. We might not have had the cojones to make the leap if we hadn’t been blissfully stupid.
If you are moving abroad as a couple, having a partner could seem like an easier way to take the leap: living costs might be cheaper, you have less worries about making friends since you already have at least one, and you have a sounding board to navigate a new place. There are many upsides to moving abroad with another person but there are more things to consider than just having an InstaDinnerDate.
If your travel partner is not a significant other
Moving abroad with a friend could be Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants meets Eat, Pray, Love – complete with gushy friendship moments and yummy heapfulls of shared pasta bowls. Or it could also go very, very wrong. When I was graduating high school, my best friend and I, who were both attending the same college, thought the obvious good idea was to room together. It nearly ended our 20-year friendship. Luckily, our friendship won out but we didn’t speak for almost a year. What we didn’t know then was that just because a friendship is strong doesn’t mean it can survive such intimate circumstances. You will be asking a lot of this person. A lot. One of you might make friends easier than the other. Your taste in friends – besides each other – might be very different. One of you might want your apartment to be a place of solace. One of you might want it to be Hot Spot Central. One of you might like adventure, another more of a homebody. Point being, if you are going to move abroad with a friend, make sure – double, triple sure – that you both want the same things.
Continue reading about things to consider when moving abroad as a couple at Expat Village on Wanderlust and Lipstick.