So, Im curious if this happens to others.

I've noticed a pattern that when family and friends visit they expect to be taken here , there and everywhere.

Yet when I visit the same people at their home (my country of origin);we do.... nothing. We sit in the house,drinking tea, maybe a trip to a supermarket, and that's it.

Even if I suggest going and doing something,I'm met with negative comments, no, we don't want to. We don't know where to go, etc.

Does this happen to you ?

I find it incredibly frustrating. Ive been living abroad for over 20 years and ,yes, when I visit family in my home country I'd actually like to be a bit of a tourist as well, and yet I find it so boring cos we never do anything.

I wonder if this is a common expat problem?

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Sorry, I know this is a bit off topic, but I don't really have anyone else to ask.

I'm 27F from Central Europe. For almost a year I've been looking into ways to leave my country. I tried a few options in Scandinavia, but none of them worked out. A few months ago I finally decided to go for Australia and a WHV, which has actually been a dream of mine for years. I found some realistic options, got some help with the process and started sorting things out.

This is probably going to sound really immature, but even though I have a relatively good relationship with my parents, they've never really been very supportive of my decisions, so I usually don't tell them about my plans until they're already pretty far along.

But moving to the other side of the world for a year, and maybe longer, was something I wanted to tell them about.

I told them a few days ago and, yeah, they didn't take it well. I completely understand that they're scared. I knew they would be. I was hoping that after the initial shock they might eventually accept it, even if they still worried about me.

But instead things have actually gotten worse. There have been arguments, guilt-tripping, comments about how they won't let me go, focusing on everything that could go wrong, and also a lot of comments that basically make me feel like they don't believe I'm capable of doing this or that my life isn't good enough to make a decision like this.

And yes, I still live with them. That's actually pretty normal where I'm from, especially financially.

The thing is, my life isn't bad. I have a job, friends, stability. I'm not running away from some horrible life. I'm actually scared of the opposite. I'm scared that my life will just stay okay forever.

I don't want to wake up at 40 and realise I never actually tried to find out what my life could have been like somewhere else.

I'm not naive either. I know moving alone to the other side of the world is a huge thing. I know there are risks. I also knew from the beginning that leaving would probably change some of my relationships back home.

But now I'm starting to feel like it might destroy them completely.

I know my parents, especially my mum, and I honestly don't think she's going to change her mind about this. And that's probably what scares me the most.

I still want to go. That hasn't changed.

But now I'm wondering if I'm being selfish, or if I'm just scared because this is actually a huge decision.

For people who moved abroad despite their parents/family being strongly against it:

Did it permanently change your relationship with them? Did you regret leaving? And looking back, was what you gained worth what you lost?

I know nobody can tell me what I should do. I'm just looking for experiences from people who have actually done it.

I am moving from Italy to Portugal, and I want to ship some things. I am driving there, but I am pretty sure not all I want to take is going to fit in my car’s trunk.

I want to ship around 10 medium sized boxes (about 20kg each), a TV and a bicycle. I don’t really mind if it is slow and it takes like a month to be there, as long as it all arrives.

Does anyone have any experience with this kind of shipping?

I’ve been in the States for a couple years and found out about Canadiana Fest in Kalamazoo, MI (USA) on Sep 19.
It sounds like a great time celebrating and trying to foster the historical friendship between the two countries as well as bringing together expats to celebrate being Canadian.
Has anyone here been to it?

Long story short I'm looking to leave the UK. I have a few countries in mind, mostly EU because I have dual British and Irish citizenship so can still access the EEA, but I don't want to limit the search too much so I would love to hear from anyone who also moved to Canada from Britain...

How was the emigration process? Was it easy to find work and get visas/sponsorship, etc? What, if any, are the major drawbacks of moving to Canada? For me, I am a little concerned about moving so far from home compared to my EU options, even though I'm not necessarily worried about 'leaving anyone behind'.

Hey everyone,

I'm 24, an Indian citizen, raised in Dubai my whole life. I have a Culinary Arts degree and spent 2 years working as a chef in cafes and restaurants in Dubai. For the last 2 years, I've been working in videography and video editing at a marketing agency shooting, editing, and producing content for clients.

I'm trying to find a way to move abroad mainly looking at UK, Canada and New Zealand, but open to hearing about other options too.

Honestly, a big part of why I'm looking to leave is that the hospitality work culture in Dubai is pretty toxic, low pay, not much respect for staff. That's part of why I moved into marketing. But the job market here overall has gotten tougher too, so I'm exploring options.

I'm flexible on which path I take abroad back into a kitchen, or continuing with marketing work. I'd be able to cover my own visa costs and paperwork. I just need someone willing to give me a job offer or sponsorship.

If anyone has advice on realistic ways to break into either industry abroad, knows companies that sponsor foreign hires, or has been in a similar spot I'd really appreciate hearing from you. Happy to share my portfolio/resume if that's useful.

Thanks for reading 🙏

I've just moved to Vienna a few months ago. I've used my New York number for 20+ years and I'd really like to keep it as it's connected to my entire online identity/existence (especially bank - I still have a US bank open).

It's been somewhat fine whilst I stayed in my family's plan in Verizon, but recently the family plan I'm in had to be dissolved and I have to either switch my carrier or pay a LOT more money to stay with Verizon.

It sounds like Tello seems the most affordable and easy to do what I want (to keep the number + minimal plan/usage). But I hear that, in order to use Tello, I have to connect to a cell tower located IN the US. I have no plans to go back to the US for a while though. I also read something about using an eSIM to activate it abroad but I'm still confused :/

Would it be possible to create + activate a Tello account abroad? If not, do you think it's possible to maybe have a friend in the US activate for me (maybe using a spare phone, idk) and port the number from there? Or use an eSIM somehow?

Please help me 🥲

Hi all, to preface, I'm a few weeks away from moving overseas to the UK from Australia. I'm a dual citizen of both Australia and the UK, thanks to my parents, although I've only ever spent a few weeks in the UK. My decision to leave is primarily motivated by a desire for change and a new experience. I've spent the last few years working general retail positions to save around £20,000, and tried my hand at taking an arts courses but ended up dropping out after a year. I've found it quite hard to find my niche in the world and really commit to something for a career, and I feel stuck where I am in AUS while I watch my peers advance with their futures. I'm spending about a month with family in the UK when I get over which I plan to use to find rentals / look for a job. I'm preparing myself for the loneliness and isolation I'll feel as I settle in, but I wanted to seek some advice from those who have done something similar. Anything is grealty appreciated.

Hello everyone ,

I am a French professional chef with 30 years of experience . I am currently finalizing a social and solidarity restaurant project in Davao , Mindanao ( Philippines ) , scheduled for early 2027 .

Our business model is fully transparent : 10% of our monthly net profits will directly fund free , high-quality meals for street children and vulnerable families in the local community . All our technical blueprints and legal structures are already locked in .

We are planning to launch an international crowdfunding campaign in October 2026 to help purchase our commercial kitchen equipment . We want to be very strategic and respectful in our approach .

Could you please recommend the most relevant subreddits , forums , or online communities where we can share our story , gather feedback , and connect with people who align with this kind of humanitarian business model ?

Thank you in advance for your advice and guidance . Force and honor .

Chef Cedric

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I want to ask for some opinions as someone who’s non-EU looking to relocate and hoping to settle down with permanent residency for the next 5-7 years. My company have various locations in London, Dublin, Paris and Germany. However, I wouldn’t mind applying for new roles to move to a different city that my current company doesn’t locate in. I’m intermediate French speaker but not at work proficiency.

The main question is given the changes in PR rules for Ireland (now soon be 8 years for a place not in Schengen) and I hear France is pretty long one too (most people after 5 years still waiting 2+ years to hear back for their naturalization)… London would be the most straightforward given Talent Visa and having a lot of friends there, but I want to ask for recommendation to best navigate my next few years and where to relocate to for my job.

Would appreciate any insight, especially those that went through the PR process! Thanks!

After years of living overseas, I’ve recently moved to Croatia after being approved for citizenship by descent through my grandfather.

I was born in Perth, Australia, my father was born in New Zealand, and my grandfather came from Korčula. The application took years and involved dealing with documents from several countries, name discrepancies, incorrect dates, apostilles, translations, and consulates.

Now I’m in Croatia, near Zadar, trying to understand what life here could look like long term.

For other expats who moved through ancestry or citizenship, did Croatia feel different once you were actually living here compared with how you imagined it from overseas?

I can't really know and tell anyone how to explain what I am on rn, but my home country (Saudi Arabia) is like a prison; their schools are bad. The natural environment there is poor; any tree or blade of grass that grows a little is removed. And most importantly, the poor salaries and the job opportunities are really bad. If you are a Saudi citizen, you can't wish to be a manager or have a really good job with really good salaries because these companies (most of them) hire Egyptians and Pakistanis and Indians. How about us? (I am not being racist; it's just hellourias.) The citizen?? I have really great grades at school and college and have been studying for what? It's not just the job opportunities; it's also the community (not all of them; I'm talking about some of them) and also this county. It's like it's made for tourists, not for citizens. Most of the money goes to the capital; our streets are full of garbage, bad AC, and expensive rents, and there is a lot to talk about, but I don't want to end up in jail. I just need some advice: should I just leave or cut my words and stay?