A Moving Abroad Survival Guide from an Astrocartographer
Our world as we know it is becoming increasingly digitized and this massive technological shift will likely go full-force when Pluto enters the progressive, innovative, and tech-loving sign of Aquarius next week on November 19th. One noteworthy and perhaps unintended consequence of our lives going online is the advent of digital nomads and people moving abroad for the long haul. Remote work has made it possible for people all around the world to live and work outside of their home country. Add to that, if someone works for a company in a high-income country, such as Germany or the U.S., they can take advantage of remote work to relocate to “cheaper” nations and have a much better quality of life. Unfortunately, this social phenomenon also has negative impacts, especially on the locals of the places where they have relocated to. Landlords and business owners know that wealthier foreigners are going to be more willing and able to pay higher prices for rents, goods, and services, which causes prices to skyrocket, which displaces many of the locals.
The NYC Skyline! Although it’s not home for me anymore, it might be for someone else! Regardless, this is where it all began for me.
This Move Abroad Guide includes a deep dive on how to move abroad responsibly and respectfully, tips to help you select your best location(s) based on your astrocartography and your personal needs/values, and more!
Step 1- Looking at the bigger picture The first thing to bring attention to is where you are right now. Analyze your present situation by asking yourself the following questions:
Where are you currently living? How do you truly feel there?
What do you appreciate about the place you live? Can you find that elsewhere?
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in your current location? What are the biggest drawbacks of living there?
Step 2-Identifying your non-negotiables
What are your non-negotiables when it comes to the place where you live? These are things that you refuse to live with (or without.) For some, having a universal health care option could be a non-negotiable, for others, having low taxes is a non-negotiable. I know that for me, personally, having an expansive and reliable public transportation system was a non-negotiable, since I don’t drive.
Additional potential non-negotiables could be access to fresh, healthy produce, a suitable climate, affordability, a sense of community, and a strong education system.
Step 4-Identifying what you’re looking for
It’s a known fact that life occurs in stages and therefore, we may be looking to attract different experiences and energies into our lives depending on where we’re at in a particular moment. For this reason, it’s very important to know what you want and what you’re looking to get out of your move abroad. This could look like finding supportive community networks, achieving career success/recognition, enriching your studies, finding romantic union, or even healing spiritually.
The beautiful Rif Mountains in Northern Morocco, where I lived for three magical months.
Step 5-Knowing your strengths
What language(s) do you speak? People tend to underestimate the importance of speaking the local language(s) of the place you’re relocating to. Being able to communicate with locals
What are some of your talents/interests? For example, if you’re a musician, it could be a good idea to consider moving somewhere with a thriving music scene.
Step 5-Knowing your limitations
Sometimes, it is not feasible to move abroad and this could be due to a myriad of reasons, but the two most common obstacles tend to be family obligations, not having financial stability, and obtaining a visa/”legal” status. However, dealing with these situations does not have to completely stop you from moving abroad. Sometimes, we feel unnecessarily stuck simply because we aren’t aware of the potential options and possibilities available to us.
Step 3-Selecting a location
Sometimes, we feel drawn to a place that we’ve never even been to before! Often, this could be explained by astrocartography, but even if someone feels a strong pull towards a certain location, I think it’s important to visit that place before committing to moving there. Asking others about their experience in said location will not suffice, because everyone’s experience is different. In Spain, there’s this huge debate about whether Madrid or Barcelona is better, and it’s fascinating to hear what people have to say about both cities. In some cases, you’ll be left wondering if they’re really talking about the same two places. Remember, perspectives shift based on our experiences, values, cultural background, and what we’re looking for at a given time. Therefore, it’s important to factor everything discussed above into the equation when choosing your destination.
Part of choosing where to relocate involves narrowing down your search as much as possible! In doing so, cross out places that contain the following:
“dealbreakers/non-negotiables”
Are too impractical and complicated to immigrate to, whether due to their distance from home, stringent immigration laws, political and/or social instability, etc.
Are energetically incompatible based on your astrocartography findings there and/or your personal experience visiting those locations. If you or someone you know is contemplating moving abroad, I highly recommend booking an Astrocartography Coaching Session, as it allows you to explore how your birth chart placements interplay with your goals, desires, and real life circumstances while harnessing those cosmic energies for practical and applicable guidance.
Me in Madrid, Spain, where I have been living for the past 5+ years!
Step 6-Getting the logistical work done
So perhaps you’ve already got your heart set on a specific location and you’re ready to make the big move, but don’t know where to start. Well, to begin, it’s important to know all of the options that are available to you regarding immigration and employment. Based on my own experiences and what I’ve observed from others who have moved abroad, some of the most common ways people manage to move abroad include becoming an Au Pair, teaching English, studying abroad at a university in a country of their choice, or, as of more recently, through obtaining a digital nomad visa. These are not the only options, however! Keep in mind that some countries are inevitably more difficult to move to legally than others.
Another thing to consider is which destination is best for you if you wish to stay long-term. Some countries, like Portugal, allow you to apply for permanent residency after five years of living there, whereas others, like the UAE, do not allow people to become citizens unless they have been living there for at least 30 years. In my Astrocartography Coaching Sessions, I work with you one-on-one to help you find your best locations based on what you’re looking to attract and once you have decided on a location, I guide you through the relocation process by outlining potential visa/citizenship options, employment possibilities, and by providing invaluable resources.
Step 7-Finding a place to live
After all the immigration paperwork, this is probably the hardest part of moving abroad for many people. There seems to be a housing crisis in what feels like every big city worldwide, especially in Western countries. In Spain, at least, it seems to be the “perfect storm” of a shortage of housing, insanely strict requirements to rent a place, price gouging, and an abundance of short-term rentals geared toward students and tourists.
Some countries require you to have an apartment secured to be able to get approved for a visa, but luckily, this isn’t the case everywhere. In general, it’s quite common for people immigrating from wealthier countries ie. the Global North and Western Countries to be overcharged for rent, which leads to an increase in the median rents, resulting in an adverse effect on the local population. The best ways to find out if you’re being overcharged are 1. by speaking with locals to gauge what they’re paying for an apartment and 2. by asking on local Facebook groups and online forums.
A spectacular sunset view from my grandparents’ house in Milazzo, Sicily. There’s truly nowhere where I feel more at home than there 💕
Step 8-Integrating and Finding Community
Although integrating into a new country and culture is challenging in and of itself, it’s undeniable that some countries are easier to integrate into than others, and this largely depends on how different one’s home culture is from that of the country they have relocated to. However, it’s important to understand that some people do not truly connect or resonate with their home culture, and could end up thriving in a totally different culture. Furthermore, there can be many different cultures present within a country, which we call Internal Cultural Diversity. This highlights the variation of cultural practices, beliefs, and identities within a nation that did not arise from external migration.
Two well-known frameworks that measure and analyze differences between cultures are Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory and The Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) study, which expands on Hofstede’s work.
A big part of integrating is knowing the language(s) spoken in your country of residence. I’ve found that locals appreciate it when you try to communicate in their language. You can also expand your social circle and professional network by speaking the local language(s) because you will be able to form meaningful connections with people outside of the “expat bubble”.
Another big part of integrating is understanding the country you’re living in in terms of local cultures, customs, history, and politics. This is so important because A) It will explain a lot about people’s different mentalities and behaviors, B) It will allow you to empathize more with peoples’ experiences in that country, especially marginalized groups, and C) It will enable you to get more involved with your local community and to advocate for all of you!
Being new in a country can be intimidating for many. It is certainly no easy feat! Especially if you end up in a big city, going about making friends could feel daunting. Also, many people report experiencing challenges making friends post-university, because there’s no fixed time and place that brings people together anymore. Some people manage to befriend their coworkers, but with more and more people working remotely, this isn’t always possible. But despite these potential setbacks, making friends and finding community is NOT impossible! Facebook groups could be great places to find local events, meetups, and classes. For those who work remotely, many coworking spaces host mingling events. There are even group chats within Facebook groups that are designed for people to make friends! People in some countries, like Spain, actively prioritize socializing so you can walk into a bar, cafe, or street event and try talking to people there.
Step 9-Setting your foundations
So you’ve come to learn that you love your new destination and have decided to settle there permanently or at least indefinitely. This is a critical point, because while living abroad already poses numerous challenges, staying abroad could be even more complicated. The first thing I want to say about this is that living abroad requires a high degree of adaptability and resilience. Life as we know it in terms of work and lifestyle has changed dramatically in the last few years amidst the advent of content creation and remote work. On the one hand, there is a wider range of career opportunities/work setups, but on the other hand, gaining stability from a standard job (ie. working for someone else) has become less and less viable. There is a plethora of resources available to us to build our own businesses/alternative sources of income, but at the same time, it’s undeniable that we are living in a “gig economy” at least to some extent. These current conditions can be quite daunting, but we also have to learn how to maximize them to our own benefit by taking advantage of the myriad of resources that are out there, which can enable us to work for ourselves and not someone else.
To me, being adaptable means getting truly comfortable with cultural differences and still managing to thrive, embracing a new way of life, and being able to accept and navigate changes. It also means having backup plan after backup plan after backup plan in the form of multiple sources of income, especially passive income if possible. Being resilient entails maintaining your cool in times of crisis, being flexible when it’s called for, having a strong self-concept, and having a willingness to seek out a community. So as hard as it may be for some of you (I know it was and sometimes still is super tough for me!), put yourself out there, network, trust your intuition, and be your most authentic self!
When it comes down to how to set your foundations in a foreign country, there is no one size fits all model if that makes sense. Some people prefer to make a detailed, elaborate life plan, while others prefer to just flow with life. My best advice is to do what feels right and remember that you don’t have to go through this process alone!
Some of my favorite resources for moving abroad:
Numbeo: Great for comparing costs of living, housing, and quality of life between cities worldwide.
Meetup: A platform for events in different cities across the world that are geared towards networking and meeting new people.
AstroClick Travel from Astro.com: Here, you can enter your birth data to view your astrocartography lines! (It’s free!)
Reddit: Subreddits like r/expats, r/movingabroad, or country-specific threads
Facebook Groups: Search for local expat or interest-based groups. (As much as I despise the term “expat”, it’s so universal that you cannot escape it!)
Just Landed: Offers visa, work permit guides, forums, and more.
