I lived a total of 2 months in Europe, the Netherlands specifically. It may not sound like a long time but I am sure that they were some of the months that I grew the most in my life, this due to the challenges that I faced during my stay, on this Wise Saturday I am going to comment a little about my experience and the teachings I obtained.
At the time of writing this post I am back in Mexico, but if you would like to take the same step that I took and emigrate to another country, I highly recommend it, but I hope this post helps you make a better decision .
First I am going to tell you what led me to undertake this adventure, since 2021 I had been interested in having the experience of living and working in a "first world" country due to factors such as:
- Learn about new cultures and ways of seeing the world.
- Make my work worth more financially.
- Have the prestige of having worked abroad.
In August 2022, after a trip to Estonia for an event that I will talk about later, I decided that I was going to get a job in Europe and I was going to move there, this was because I fell in love with the places and architecture that I visited, I knew that It was different to go as a tourist than to live there, so I wanted to give myself the opportunity to learn the differences.
That same month I accepted the first job I could, this was in the Netherlands and it took me 3 months to resolve all the legal and immigration procedures to be able to be physically there in November.
I thought that living in the "first world" was an important factor for my happiness
Living in the "first world" has its advantages, I think one of the most important is security, during my stay there I always felt safe and I was never afraid that something was going to happen to me. Of course this does not mean that the place is perfect, but compared to Mexico the difference is noticeable.
The next thing is that being in Europe allows you to travel freely throughout the European Union, and being such a small continent means that you can travel and know much more than traveling from America, weekends were not strange when I decided to take a train and go to a new city.
Another advantage (or at least for me) was the multiculturalism, I had the opportunity to visit incredible cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Zurich or Cologne. And I loved seeing people of all ethnicities and nationalities, especially the nightlife was incredible since in the same night you could go to bars or clubs with all kinds of music, including Afrobeats, Latin or electronic, to name a few.
I was also able to live alone and fend for myself, an invaluable experience was getting to know myself more as a person and having the confidence in myself to know that I lived alone and can do it again in the future.
But it wasn't all advantages... the biggest disadvantage I think is the cost of living, my salary was more than enough to live on, but things like rent, food, or services are incredibly expensive, so much so that although my salary in paper was greater than what I received in Mexico, after paying everything, I had more free money left in my country.
Another factor is housing, at least the time I lived in the Netherlands was during a "housing crisis", where as a foreigner (or even as a local) it was extremely difficult to find a place to live, and if there was a place It was quite expensive.
It was common for people to spend up to almost half of their salary on rent, the options left were to live in very small apartments in the city or go to rural areas that are more accessible.
In my case I lived in a student-type apartment in the center of my city, with a kitchenette and a small bathroom, with a small living room and a small room on the upper floor of the apartment with a bed. I am grateful since I was fortunate to have a place to live but there are people who have to live for months in hostels where they find something.
But this was not the reason why I decided to return.
You appreciate your country much more
Another important lesson was to appreciate more what I have at home. Whenever I mentioned that I was from Mexico, everyone I spoke to was fascinated and if they didn't mention their experience in the country (which was limited to Mexico City, Tulum or Cancun), they mentioned what they were most excited about visiting the country and how much they wanted to know him.
This, combined with factors such as climate, gastronomy or culture, makes you appreciate your roots much more. It wasn't uncommon for days when I craved tacos or to be able to have chilaquiles for breakfast, if the craving was too big I would cook it, but sometimes there are things that you would simply prefer were more available.
Still, this was not the reason why I decided to return.
You realize that you don't need so many things to live
When I arrived in the Netherlands, I arrived with so many things and so many suitcases that I could barely get from the airport to the train that would take me to the city where I would live. The moments of stress and effort involved in moving make you reflect on what you really need to live.
I realized that I had too many clothes, so much so that I practically donated the equivalent of a suitcase. During the time I lived there I only used half of the clothes I arrived with and I realized that I never felt like I was missing anything.
Also my small apartment simply didn't allow for having so many things piled up, which forces you to think about focusing on what you really need and limiting yourself to that, this was a great experience as it helped me realize that many things I have just me. They were bulky, and I was even able to experience great relief by letting go of some things.
Enjoying your work is something really important for your quality of life
I had a beautiful landscape in front of me, it was snowing and I saw how the green hills were painted white. I was sitting at a desk, in front of me was my laptop and next to it was hot tea. At that moment I understood everything.
My job was programming, but there are many types of programming and I just didn't like the one I was doing, this made me not give my best at work as I was used to before. What was the point of living the "European experience" if for 8 hours of my day I didn't enjoy what I was doing?
Working in the digital economy gives you many opportunities to improve your life.
I remembered this, and I realized that I didn't need to suffer from this situation, so I got to work and started looking for something that I really liked, and it turned out that this opportunity was in Mexico. So I made the decision to return.
do not stay with the desire
This was an invaluable experience for me as it helped me realize what matters most in life. And although before returning many encouraged me to stay in Europe and pursue something there, my decision had already been made, and it was a decision that gave me peace and simply "felt" like the right one.
If you had known what was going to happen, would you have gone? Absolutely, no one can take away what you have experienced, so if you want to do something similar, I invite you not to be afraid and do it! In the worst case scenario, you will have incredible memories and some interesting anecdotes to tell.
If getting a job in Europe or elsewhere is something you would like to do, here are some final tips.
Final tips for emigrating
- Do your research before you move: Research the cost of living, the job market, immigration laws, and anything else that may affect your stay in the country.
- Don't take the first job that accepts you: know yourself well and find out as best you can what your day-to-day life would be like to know if it is something you enjoy.
- Travel light: you really don't need that much to live, focus on the functionality of the things you carry and limit yourself to only what is necessary.
- Accept the challenges: Living in a foreign country comes with challenges, but it is important to face them with a positive attitude and see them as opportunities to learn and grow.
- Take advantage of travel opportunities: Take advantage of opportunities to travel to other countries or nearby cities and learn more about the culture and people.
- Learn English: My entire experience was only possible because I already had a good level of English, so if you want to live abroad, this is absolutely necessary.
- Learn the local language: You don't have to master the language before arriving, but it is recommended to learn at least some basic everyday phrases, these can help you communicate with people who don't know English, and the locals always appreciate it when You try to communicate with them in their language. If you decide to stay long-term, learning the language is almost necessary to make your life in that country.
- Connect with other people: Connect with other foreigners and locals to have a support network and learn more about the country's culture. Look for foreign networks, events of interest to meet people, and be friendly and sociable with everyone. Especially if you're arriving and you don't know anyone.