I mentioned on previous blog posts that America has always been my favorite country in the world. I’ve wanted to visit since I was 12 and at 21 I finally made the big move overseas. Here I have 10 reasons I moved abroad by myself.
Now I had a lot to think about before I made the decision to move, I made a list of why I wouldn’t want to move. Some of them were leaving my family behind and not visiting them often. Others were missing milestones and celebrations. The biggest one was not getting closure if a loved one were to pass on (not be able to attend funerals etc)
My reasons to move overseas were far greater and that’s why I’m sharing 10 reasons I moved abroad. Click here to see some of my travel pictures on instagram from the time I left South Africa in 2018.
Independence
I come from a big family, I was raised by my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Needless to say I had a lot of people try to protect me from this cruel world. Because of that gesture I became reliable on anyone and everyone but myself. I could barely make my own decisions because a lot of decisions were made for me. So right before I turned 21 I genuinely craved the feeling of independence. I had moved to other cities but it didn’t feel far enough as anyone could come by anytime or feel obligated to make decisions for me because they felt that I was incapable. I wanted to be alone for a while, make my own choices and figure out who I was.
Privacy
This was a big one for me, I wanted privacy. Because I’m sensitive and I tend to overthink a lot, small gossip always affected me. People seemed to have an opinion on how I lived my life and it bothered me a lot. When you’re surrounded by people you can’t get away from, your life will always be on display, no matter how hard you try. When I moved overseas I finally had the privacy I had always longed for. I could share what I was comfortable with and yet still keep parts of my life private. My anxiety stopped making an appearance around that time, I was no longer concerned about who said what, I was living my life and they weren’t there to take notes like they used to.
I will say though, it doesn’t matter where you go, you will always come across people who will have an opinion on how you live your life. The best thing to do for yourself is to keep people like that at arm’s length and continue to live your life the way you please. Also, there’s a difference between people who want the best for you and people who are just nosy. Know the difference.
Travel
I didn’t get to travel much as a kid so when the travel bug bit me in 2016, I couldn’t resist. I wanted to see all parts of the US, explore different cultures, try new food and meet all kinds of people. Honestly, that was enough to motivate me to move abroad. From what I had seen when I came here the first time, I knew that I wanted to see so much more.
Opportunity
I wanted a better life for myself and America is the land of opportunity, here you can become whatever you want with loads of hard work and a sprinkle of luck. I’m not where I want to be yet but I’m definitely not where I used to be and that’s progress. I know what it takes to live as an immigrant in this country and I would never go through so much just to be stagnant. I like staying busy, I like working on the things that I’m deeply passionate about and I like that I get to do it in America.
Finding God
I had always wanted to have a close relationship with God, but wasn’t sure exactly where to start. I knew my relationship with God would change and that I would cling onto Him with all I had moving to a foreign country by myself. He was the only one I could rely on, who I still rely on. He’s been there for me through every step of my journey and I am so glad I made the decision to love and trust Him through it all. I’ve been faithful to Him because He’s been so good to me. If you would like to read about the day I accepted God as my Lord and Savior, click here.
Love
I know this one is cliche but this is something that I thought of before I moved abroad. The possibility of finding love. I didn’t date much in my home country, mainly because I wasn’t attractive or confident enough at the time. I’m grateful now because it saved me from a lot but I still experienced heartbreak nonetheless.
I thought moving abroad would be different, it really wasn’t. I went through the exact same things that I tried to avoid in my home country. It was painful, but my love story had a happy ending. I got really lucky.
Finding myself
When I tell you that I had no idea who I was, believe me. The Shernice I knew was satisfied when she did everything anyone else asked her to do. It was always about the other person. I was such a people’s pleaser. I wanted to live for myself, do things that I loved, whenever I wanted.
Moving overseas taught me a lot about myself. I learned that sensitivity is okay and that it just takes the right people to accept that part of you. I learned to set boundaries. I learned how to confidently get out of friendships and relationships that didn’t feel right. I learned that it’s okay to say no. I learned that its okay to authentically be myself no matter what it looked like to the next person. I learned how to be loved right. I learned the balance between sharing and oversharing. I am learning forgiveness.
There’s still so much more to discover about myself but I like the space I’m in right now. I like the person that I’ve become. I hope the 10 reasons I moved abroad helps you discover why you want to relocate too.
You see, moving abroad is an adventure. Making a list of the reasons why you would want to move would just make the decision easier for you. You can’t do it simply because your friend looks like they are having a blast in a foreign country.
You need to want it for you.
xoxo Shernice
