I’ve made a lot of good decisions in my life, but the best decision I’ve ever made was leaving Ireland for Australia in 2011. That great decision led me to experience the world in ways I never thought possible. They say great things happen when you leave your comfort zone, and that couldn’t be truer for me.
Since moving from my hometown of Cork, Ireland, in 2011, I’ve lived in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand and traveled to over 50 countries. As of late 2020, I’ve returned home to settle in Cork – and we’ve bought a house here and had our two beautiful daughters here. So, I guess you could say I’ve come full circle.
Read Next: If you’re interested in getting a Working Holiday Visa for Australia, Canada or New Zealand – check out my detailed guide!
Benefits of Moving Out of Your Hometown
1. There’s nothing more fulfilling than stepping out of your comfort zone
At home, you’re likely hanging out with the same friends in the same places and doing the same things. Leaving the safe haven of our hometown will force you to try new things and meet new people.
2. You can start afresh
If you want to “re-brand” or “re-invent” yourself, moving away allows you to start over with a clean slate.
moving from home allows you to feel comfortable reinventing yourself and just trying things out for fun. You may not even do anything drastic, but there is something cool about knowing you can and you can feel comfortable. When fewer people know you, this is easier to do without feeling too weird.
3. You will gain more responsibility and, as a result, independence
Renting, paying bills, and setting up a bank account in a foreign country can be daunting. But these are all part of adulting.
These are all things you’re likely not doing in your hometown as you’re living at home with your mom and dad.
4. You’ll become more confident
Leaving home to move to a new country is a big step. You have to adapt to a new way of life – find a new job, get a place to live, find new friends – all major steps to becoming a more confident person. I have changed so much since leaving my hometown. I used to care what people thought of me and now I honestly couldn’t care less. It’s on them if they don’t like what I’m about.
Most importantly, I’m 10 times happier since moving abroad and pursuing a new way of life. When you travel and live abroad, you meet lots of interesting people who will teach you a lot. Particularly for me, traveling to poorer countries in Africa and Asia, I learned that people there are happier with less.
Soon, you will look back and realize how much you’ve grown.
5. You will open yourself up to more opportunities
For most people, opportunities are not given to them – you’ve got to create your own opportunities. Well, that’s my experience anyway. And by staying in one place – your opportunities are limited. When you move to a new country – you open yourself up to new experiences and opportunities.
And I’m not just talking about job opportunities but friend opportunities and a chance at love.
My experience leaving my hometown
When I left my small village in Ireland in 2011, I had just graduated from University and, due to the recession, found a job in retail to tide me over because I couldn’t find a job in my field – Journalism. I was nervous leaving Ireland, and I’ll admit I didn’t really want to do it, but I decided it was what was best for me for now. I seriously only saw myself staying in Australia for two years maximum.
Well, that didn’t happen, and it wasn’t until 10 years later that the emergence of COVID-19 made me re-think my nomadic life.
After almost four amazing years in Sydney, Australia – we decided (my now husband and I) to relocate to Canada for their International Experience Canada program. But first (we saved a lot in Australia), we decided to take a year to travel that world. Between 2014 and 2015, we visited over 16 countries across Southeast Asia, Central America, and Europe. That experience taught me more about the world than any book or course ever could.
Me and my now husband moved to Vancouver in May 2015 and shortly after that to the nearby ski resort of Whistler. Which we fell in love with on a weekend away from Vancouver. We stayed in Canada for two years until the travel bug hit again. And we were unsure where to move next – a couple of countries were thrown into the mix.
Eventually, we settled in Queenstown New Zealand – we heard it was an easy place to live as an expat, and the work visa was easy to get. But of course, before we made the move all the way to New Zealand, we’d undertake a few months of backpacking – this time, we took in Spain and Greece.
Surprisingly we ended up staying in New Zealand for 3 years (we only planned on 1 or 2 max.). We had no predicted end date for this life of travel until Covid hit and I found out I was pregnant. It took us months to make the decision to move back home to Ireland, but eventually, in July 2020, we made the move home after living abroad for so long. It took 27 hours of travel to our new home in Ireland.
We moved home 3 years ago!
Moving home to Ireland has been good for us in many ways – we had our two daughters and both are healthy, we’ve got to spend time with family and we lived in an enviable rental home. Just a few months ago, we bought our first property in West Cork.
However, moving home has made us realize that the way we were doing life before is the way for us. Neither of us want a conventional life. So, even though we’ve bought a property here – we are currently putting in place some steps for us to lead a semi-nomadic life. For example, spending a few months abroad every year.
Thanks for Reading!
While you’re here – you may also enjoy reading my other Ireland blog posts, such as –
Best Free Things to do in Cork County
15 Best Free Things to do in Cork City
The best beaches you must visit in West Cork
Last Updated on May 9, 2024 by snaphappytravel