Move to Europe! Now there’s a resolution!

Guest Post by Sasha Zahn

Every year we all sit down and make New Year’s resolutions.

How many of them do we actually keep?

You know, I think the problem lies within the word itself: Resolutions. Like we need to resolve ourselves, force ourselves, get dirty, and push through.

Who honestly wants to do that?

So I resolve to call them New Year’s missions. That makes it sound infinitely cooler – like you’re James Bond, or part of the CIA. It brings up thoughts of cool gadgets and martinis, and adventure. And I have the perfect mission for us to shoot for this year.

Come live in Europe.

That’s right. I said live.

I know that sounds crazy, but think about it. Isn’t there even a little part of you that would love to live that scene from a movie, the one where you throw open the shutters of a window in Paris, or London, or wherever in Europe, and look down at all the people hustling and bustling below? Have you ever wanted to be able to really be fluent in that language you took in high school? Who ever said that they wished they’d never tried to fulfill their dreams?

You can do it. I know, because I did it a few years ago. I packed my bags and came to Hungary, not knowing a soul, the language, or culture. I did it to go to school. It turned out to be one of the most pivotal points of my life. I would never change it.

You could do it, too.

Most of the people I talk to about coming to Europe think it’s much more complicated than it seems. I myself questioned it. My uncle told me, “Wait, you can go study in Europe, still get student aid, fulfill your dreams to become a doctor, and travel in your spare time? I would have done it yesterday.”

Thinking back on it, it seems like a no brainer.

But what about??

There are tons of excuses you can make. It’s not the right time, or it is too off the wall. The one I hear the most is the economy.

Yes, the economy back home is bad. Yes, the dollar is weak. It seems like a bad time to travel. But really? Is it? There are some parts of Eastern Europe, like Prague and Budapest, that have all the charms of Western European life, but are incredibly affordable if you still earn in dollars. Or try transferring to a country in Western Europe. You’d be earning in the local currency, not the dollar.

Or, if the job market is bad, why not take this opportunity to get a step on the competition with more education? Student loans are still available to US students studying abroad. Many of my friends here and I feel so lucky to be in school right now, and not job hunting.

And hopefully, we’ll graduate at a time when the economy is on the up. No company in this global market is ever going to think of your experience abroad as a negative. You’ll be worldly, experienced outside of your own country, maybe even multilingual. If you do ever return back to the US, you have advantages others won’t.

Take the steps to make it real.

If you do take on this mission, fulfill it. There are plenty of resources to help you. I have decided to make a step by step process to getting you there. Start talking to people about what you plan to do. The sooner you start telling people your idea, the more real it seems. It was a span of 6 months between when I decided and when I moved. Start thinking about your dream destination and imagine yourself there. Buy a book on traveling Europe, and start listening to some great podcasts or subscribe to some invaluable travel sites, like this one. Make it real. Make it happen.

I’ll have a martini waiting for you, – shaken, not stirred.

Sasha Zahn is the author and editor of YankeeInNewWorld.com, a site dedicated to helping Americans living in Europe and still staying connected to home. She is no way affiliated with the CIA, but likes her missions none the less. You can find her on her site, or on Twitter.

Resolution photo: covs97
Map photo: Laughing Squid