101: Moving abroad to escape your problems? Why it might be the best choice you ever make.

People often say you shouldn’t “run away” from your problems — but sometimes those problems or inflection points are what you really need to finally move abroad. In this episode, we also talk through examples of when it might be unhealthy to run away from your problems and move abroad and when it's the healthy decision to make. 

You’ll learn:

• Why the idea of “running away” isn’t always a bad thing
• How to recognize the difference between healthy change and avoidance
• The life inflection points that often lead people to move abroad
• How a new environment can create clarity, healing, and growth

By the end, you’ll see that moving abroad doesn’t mean ignoring your problems — it can mean choosing yourself, your sanity, and a better path forward.

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Website: jordangiberson.com
Instagram: @jordan.giberson

Transcript

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We need to be kicked down, in a way to where we can find that motivation to move jobs or you're finally leaving that relationship and you are looking for a change of pace or you feel trapped in routine, or political reasons, or whatever it is. I think that sometimes we really need those to get you to move forward and to move abroad. Hey, my name is Jordan Giberson. I'm a Texas girl living and thriving in London. The best thing I've ever done? Moving abroad, hands down. And I'm passionate about helping others do the same. Are you curious about finding a job abroad? You're in the right place, friend. I'll teach you the tried and true secrets of how to make moving abroad a reality for you and how to live a fulfilling life once you get there. We'll cover topics like choosing the best visa for you, how to get a job offer in another country, how to get over your fear of moving abroad, and how to live a life you love once you get there, this is The Move Abroad Podcast. Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Move Abroad Podcast. Today we're going to be talking about moving abroad to escape your problems and reasons why it might be the best choice that you ever make. So in today's episode we'll be running through the reasons why running away from your problems might be a healthy thing in some circumstances and in other circumstances why it's not the healthy thing to do as in to move abroad. So with that, we'll go ahead and get started with today's episode. Let's talk first about the stigma of running away and what some people think of whenever you say, oh, I'm moving abroad. Some people think that you are just running away from your problems. Some people will view it as moving abroad is just escapism. It's running away from things, it's not facing reality. And I think that on one hand, I think in some circumstances that might be true, but in some circumstances. It's not, I think that a lot of our society says, face your problems head on. Don't run away. Depending on who you're talking to, they might be saying that. But I mean, if you're giving yourself a bit of a reality check, sometimes the environment itself is not a part of the problem. So I would just ask you, are you running away from something or are you running towards. Something new. I think that's really the big difference whenever we're thinking about the reason why we're moving abroad, and I think that it's healthy to evaluate yourself, whether you kind of already know a little bit or not. I think it's really good to just sit down and reflect a little bit about why you're wanting to move abroad. What are some of those reasons. And some of those reasons might be running away from something, something that's bad, and maybe you're running towards something new. So I would just kind of take some time to think about the reason why you're moving abroad. Maybe think of some specific examples and whether you think that it might be a healthy thing or not. So we'll get into what might be healthy and what might not be later on in the episode as well. And the reason why this episode came about actually was I was recording an episode recently and chatting with a few people who are thinking about moving abroad, and as I was recording it was episode 98. Everyone thinks moving abroad is hard and they're wrong. And I kept saying the same thing over and over again about basically how moving abroad itself. Like the steps that you need to take. That's not actually the hard part. The hard part is actually deciding that you're a hundred percent gonna go for it. I think the hardest part is getting over the emotional barrier. And in order to get over that emotional barrier and decide that you're finally going to move abroad, you really need to have a natural inflection point where change is necessary. And moving abroad really becomes a vehicle for that. So an affection point is just a moment where something shifts and. Where staying the same no longer feels possible. So that's what an inflection point is. And I believe, and what I've seen in many people who talk about moving abroad or decide to finally go for it, is that they have this natural inflection point, which typically an inflection point. And if you think about those times in your life where you've had an inflection point, you probably were facing some sort of. Big barrier. Some big change in your life, whether it's good or bad, but something that's a really big change that then cues something in your mind to say, okay, the old way of doing things, I can't do that any longer. I have to have a new way of doing things. So some examples of common inflection points. That might spark you. Really, really wanting to move abroad. And finally doing it would be like a burnout in career. Maybe you haven't enjoyed your, your career for a long time. Maybe you're wanting to make a shift and that is what sparks moving abroad. Or maybe it's a really big breakup or a divorce that finally sparks. Desiring change and that change for you is moving abroad and it's probably something you've thought about for a long time and the breakup or divorce finally pushes you to say, okay, I'm gonna have a really big change in my life and maybe this is the right move for me Is, is going to another country. Maybe you feel trapped in routine and you're just sick of it. You're sick of the routine, you're sick of doing the same thing over and over again. Or maybe it's political or cultural problems that you don't agree with. Maybe you're very frustrated with the government. Maybe you're frustrated with people in power. Maybe you are frustrated with our culture or schools, the schooling system or not feeling safe, and you've just had some experience where you're saying, enough is enough. I need to make a change. So a lot of times I feel like we need to have those inflection points in order to actually make a change. And in this case. The change that we're talking about is moving abroad where you say, okay, I'm having these problems, these negative things that have happened, and all of that. All of this has sparked an inflection point in where I know I need to make a change. And the answer to that is moving abroad for you. I think that these moments in our lives aren't inherently bad. They just create clarity and they give you urgency. They give people urgency to need to take bold action. And let's be honest, moving abroad is bold action. It's doing something that's outside of the ordinary. You need to make a lot of changes in your life, and you're kind of not completely flipping your life upside down, but in a way. You could say that. I mean, you're making a really big change in your life to not just move to a different city or move to a different state, where those are really big changes, but to move to a whole different culture, a whole different continent probably, and, and start a new life there. So in saying all this, I wanted to get the point across that moving abroad requires that spark of discomfort to get over the fear and logistics and just say, I am just going to go for it. So I do think that you need an inflection point in order to move abroad, but let's talk about now why moving abroad isn't just escapism. I do think that whenever we're discussing escapism and just trying to get away from things, I think that it, it does depend on the reason why you are escaping. So the next thing that I wanted to talk about is the signs that you are ready versus signs that you are escaping unhealthily. I think that whenever you're thinking about moving abroad, you need to evaluate why you're moving abroad. I think be really honest about what that is. For me, it was. It was positive. I wanted adventure, but I was also just finishing university. So I had this chance to start a new life no matter where I was going, and I didn't have, I had to change my whole life completely anyways. So to me it felt like good timing. I was also just so excited. About the thought of moving abroad and living life there. And so I was constantly thinking about it, but I did have two inflection points myself. One was, I was speaking with a woman who had gone to my university maybe 10, 15 years prior. She, decided to move to London, but what had happened to her was she had graduated, she was dating this, this guy from Texas and they were in love and they ended up getting married, but all along she really knew that she wanted to move abroad and that was, I think, something that was a non-negotiable for her. It was really important to her. She ended up marrying this guy, and I'm not saying that their divorce was. Just because she wanted to move abroad, but they did end up getting divorced and then she moved abroad. So in that circumstance, it was something that she had wanted to do for a long time. She had gone through a divorce and that was kind of a, an inflection point for her where she obviously she had to change her life a lot. She was. Probably living with this guy. She was married to him and all of a sudden she's single again. She needs to move to a different home. She didn't have kids, so she had this opportunity and she had always wanted to move abroad. So for her, that was an inflection point, but that's also, that's actually not even the point I was trying to make. I kind of went into her inflection point in her life, but. Basically what that showed me is I was listening to her inflection point, it was listening to her life, and I was like, well, if I don't go now, then I might regret it and I might end up in a similar situation where I'm with someone that does not want to move abroad and and doesn't want that life, and that's something that I'm not willing to sacrifice. So for me, that was my inflection point, was realizing. Oh my goodness. I don't want to end up with someone who does not share the same dreams as me. And this, for me was a really, really important dream that I wasn't willing to give up. And that was one really big inflection point, which could have been viewed as, as a negative thing, I guess. But I was kind of learning from someone else's mistakes. And my other really big inflection point that happened for me was I got a job offer for a job in Houston, Texas. Right before I was going to graduate and I needed to decide if I was going to accept it or not. And whenever I remember, whenever I first got that job offer, I remember sitting in a class and opening up my email and seeing that I got this job offer and I immediately left the class that I was in. I ran outside and I just started bawling my eyes out. I remember crying so hard and just realizing in that moment that I had to decline the job I. Had to give London a chance no matter what it took, I was willing to do whatever it took to get to the UK and to move abroad and to accomplish that. And that was a really big inflection point, was actually getting a job offer, which to some would feel like a really positive thing, but I needed to have that choice where I was saying yes or no to that and saying yes to life in Texas or, or denying that and saying, Nope, and I'm gonna go for this for something in London. So those were my really big inflection points. But anyways, I went down a bit of a rabbit hole, but. I think what I'm trying to say is I had to evaluate why I was moving. I had to think about my motivations. For me, it was adventure I was going to leave university anyways. And I had that inflection point where I said, okay, what am I saying yes to? I'm saying yes to something and no to something else. I going to say yes to a life in Texas and having a job in Texas or am I going to say no to that and say yes to something in London and say, okay, I am just gonna go for whatever I'm able to get in in London and find my way, which I, I did end up doing that, but yeah, I would say just evaluate why you're moving. If you leave, will your problems cause more harm? As in, are you in really bad debt? Do you have a sick family member who needs you or. Will it be positive change for you, as in you're, you're having these things in your life that are an obstacle, like we talked about having a bad job or a breakup or divorce or feeling trapped in routine or unhappy with politics at the moment, or whatever the reason is. What are those reasons and what leaving be a positive change for you and a positive change of scenery? So some healthy motivations might be wanting growth. Wanting clarity in your life and maybe who you are, finding yourself finding a new perspective or a lifestyle shift, or wanting to feel safer or wanting a better education for your family. Or, I mean, you name it, maybe you think that your financial situation will be so much more positive and your lifestyle will be so much better. So think about those motivations and. Assess whether you think that there are healthy motivations or not. Some potential red flags on the other hand, might be believing that a new country will fix everything that you might be avoiding, responsibilities that you really should be taking care of, leaving without reflection of why you're leaving and whether it will be a positive thing for you in the long run or not. So I would just encourage you to ask, am I running toward the life that I want or only away from the life that I don't want? So are there going to be negative repercussions if you move abroad or like would it just be positive in your life if you did end up moving abroad? So I would just take some time to evaluate yourself and really question yourself and your motives and whether you think that it's signs that you are ready and you need a change in your life, or signs that you are escaping unhealthily. And, some people might say that moving abroad is just escapism, but it's not. I think that moving abroad, it helps you to face challenges. You will still bring yourself with you. You'll bring your habits, you'll bring your patterns, you'll bring your emotions. So I mean, you will still have all those things, but. A new environment can give you the perspective that you need, the distance that you need, the space that you need in order to heal. So maybe it's something bad. Maybe there's something that you've been dealing with and you want to change, but moving abroad might be that new environment that helps you to overcome those things. That gives you new perspective, distance and space that you really need living abroad. It. Forces you to grow. You learn resilience, you learn adaptability, you learn problem solving. You learn all those things whenever you move abroad, which might help you to overcome some of those habits and patterns and emotions that you've had in the past. And you will grow from your experience of living abroad, and you will grow in your resilience, adaptability, and problem solving. But moving abroad does not erase your problems. However. It can catalyze transformation. I'll say that again. Moving abroad doesn't erase your problems, but it can catalyze positive transformation. Maybe you weren't expecting to grow in your resilience or your independence or problem solving, but after moving abroad, you are. So much more open to different ways of life and different people, and you're warmer towards people and you're resilient and, you've grown in who you are and you really do whenever you move abroad. So it's not just escapism. You really do grow whenever you move abroad. So it's not just about escaping things, but part of the reason why might be because you're escaping things, but you're escaping to a positive environment that's going to be better for you. So let's reframe it. Running away is basically choosing yourself. Sometimes running away is exactly what you need to protect your energy, your sanity, and your future. Choosing to leave an unhealthy job, a city that doesn't fit your needs anymore, or a bad relationship, is a form of empowerment and is. Perhaps a really positive thing that you really need in your life, and you really need that inflection point to then start a new life afresh and to accomplish that goal of moving abroad. It's something that we kind of need in order to actually push us to do the big things in life in general. Inflection points, they're natural, it's. Just a change. And change is rarely born out of comfort. A lot of times this inflection point is probably going to be uncomfortable, but as many of us know, our brains are wired to seek comfort and we need to become uncomfortable to grow. And I do think that sometimes whenever life becomes uncomfortable and there's something that's just kind of a thorn in our side. Sometimes we need that thorn at our side to spur us forward and to get us to actually accomplish the things that we really want in our lives, like starting a family or starting a business or moving abroad or whatever it is. But in this circumstance, we're obviously talking about moving abroad, but I do think that we need those inflection points to spur us forward and to, to motivate us to, to achieve those goals that we have in our lives. So if you are looking for a little bit of reassurance, if you are considering moving abroad because of a life inflection point, that is not a weakness, it's not a bad thing, it's a really positive thing and actually something you probably really needed in order to make a change. So I would invite you to reflect what are you moving away? From like what is the reason why you are thinking about moving abroad and what are you moving towards? What is going to change whenever you move abroad? Is it going to solve some of those problems, the thorn in your side? Or maybe it was just something that has happened in your life and you're looking for a change. So just take some time to reflect, think about why you're wanting to move abroad and whether you are going to have a positive change in your life from the move abroad or not. And like I said, I do think that sometimes we need that inflection point that. Kind of like thorn in our side a little bit or something that kind of like pushes us forward in a way. Which I was thinking about, like I said, whenever I was recording that previous episode, because I was like, wow, the steps to move abroad, they're not actually the hard part. It's, it's actually just finding the motivation to move forward and to push us forward and to like find that motivation. We need to be kicked down, in a way to where we can find that motivation to move jobs or you're finally leaving that relationship and you are looking for a change of pace or you, you feel trapped in routine, you're looking for change or political reasons, or whatever it is. So I think that sometimes we really need those. You know, quote unquote bad things to happen to us, to push us forward and to, to open us up and to a positive change and to go after the goal of moving abroad so I hope that you found this episode helpful. I do hope that you take some time to reflect on why you're moving abroad and whether it's escaping unhealthily or whether it's a healthy escape and a healthy change for you and something that you needed, maybe you needed that, that kick to, to get you to move forward and to move abroad. So anyways, I hope that you found this episode helpful and encouraging. If you have not taken the quiz to learn about. Which European City is the best fit for you? You can click on the link that's in this podcast description to figure out which country and city fits your vibe best and will be best for your move abroad if it is a healthy change for you. So with that, I will close this out and say thank you so much for listening to another episode of the Move Abroad podcast. I will catch you here again next week, same time, same place. I'll catch you then