DinaI was just 23 years old when I made the decision, packed my bags, and left Greece. What I thought would be a short adventure turned into more than 13 years of living abroad. In these years, I moved between countries, starting over from zero again and again, building a career on my own, and shaping a life far away from the familiar smells, tastes, and faces of home.
It hasn’t been easy. Living abroad is often romanticized like in the movies. You may dream the freedom, new cultures, parties, exciting jobs, the endless adventures. And while all of that is true (don’t get me wrong) there’s also the loneliness, the bureaucracy, the exhausting hunt for apartments, the difficult landlords, the noisy roommates, the nights when you wonder if it’s all worth it.
But looking back now, I know that those 13+ years have shaped me more than anything else. Here are the biggest lessons I’ve learned:
1. Home is not always one place
When I first left my hometown, I thought of “home” as a fixed spot on the map. Over the years, I learned that home is fluid. Today it’s one place, tomorrow, maybe another.
Home may be a small flat with thin walls and noisy neighbors. Home may be a temporary guest room while you wait for your paperwork to be sorted. Sometimes you may call home just a suitcase, dragged from one Airbnb to another.
Home stops being an address and becomes the little comforts you create for yourself in each chapter.
2. Independence comes with a price
People often say, “You’re so brave to have done this all on your own.” And while I am proud of my independence, the truth is that independence has a cost.
I’ve had landlords who made me cry out of sheer frustration, contracts written in languages I barely understood, and endless paperwork that seemed impossible to get through. Even selling my car turned into a small life lesson. Things like that remind you that abroad, you are your only safety net, you have to face it all alone.
Yes, you grow stronger. But you also grow tired. And that’s okay.
3. You will always live in between worlds
One of the hardest parts is the in-betweenness.
In Greece, I sometimes feel like a stranger in my own home, people assume nothing has changed, while inside I know I’m different. Abroad, I blend in, but I never fully belong. I translate myself constantly culturally, socially, and even emotionally.
At first, this makes you feel like you don’t fit anywhere. Later, you realize it means you carry two worlds inside you.
4. Success feels different when you’ve built it abroad
Career milestones hit differently when you’ve built them without shortcuts.
I remember awkward interviews in languages that weren’t mine, long probation periods, and the constant pressure of knowing that there is nobackup plan. That’s why every job I landed, every raise, every milestone, they weren’t just wins. They were proof that I could survive anywhere.ù
Whatever doesn’t kills you makes you stronger!
5. Loneliness makes you value the right people
There were birthdays where the cake was just a cheap cake and a couple of good friends. Sometimes birthdays were groups of 30 or more people (people that you might not even know their last name) Sundays when the silence was too heavy or weekends that you did not even step a foot at home.
But loneliness is a teacher. It showed me how to recognize the right people. Friendships that became family, that lasted through the years. Friendships that, despite the distanc,e keep going through the years. The colleagues who showed kindness when they didn’t have to, the loved ones who picked up the phone even across time zones.
It also taught me the opposite: how to let go of those who don’t make the effort. You need to distinguish the difference between the simple acquaintances and true friends.
6. Not everyone back home will understand
Every time I go back home, I notice a gap. Friends who never left often can’t fully grasp what it means to start from zero in a foreign country, to deal with housing stress, or even the simple anxiety of walking into a government office where nobody speaks your language.
It may happen to start having heated conversations when you discuss, maybe, another job opportunity in another country, and you express your worries that you can’t do it again, that you are tired of all of this. And maybe your friends, who do love you – but never left the country, will push you to accept the job offer, just for the salary (and between us, because it’s a dream destination and they are already dreaming of visiting you!)
Sometimes that makes you feel misunderstood. But that’s okay. It just means you’ve lived more lives than one.
7. Gratitude becomes your compass
Living abroad makes you notice things others take for granted: safe transport, career opportunities, even the freedom of being anonymous. And at the same time, it makes you miss your home even more, the sea, the food, the warmth of family dinners.
Gratitude stops being a buzzword. It becomes survival.
Final Thoughts for Living Abroad
After 13+ years abroad, I can say this: leaving home breaks you and builds you at the same time. You learn resilience, empathy, and courage — but also the quiet strength of standing alone.
If you’re thinking of moving abroad, know this: it won’t be easy, but it will change you forever. And no matter how far you go, Greece — or whatever your “home” is — will always live inside you.
✨ Pretty Travels Tip: Keep a small notebook of the hardest moments you overcome abroad. Later, you’ll look back and realize how far you’ve come.
