What’s to stop a young college graduate from packing up and moving abroad as soon as they have that fancy, very expensive diploma in their hand? Well, perhaps tuition debt, car payments, a little bit of credit card concerns. The United States is successfully creating a generation of young people that become so financially entrapped that by the time they’re twenty-two the only choice they have is diving head first into a never ending cycle of work and ladder-climbing to pay off the overconsumption caused by somewhat unfulfilling lives. Whew, what a rant.

At the same time we have a sub-current of this generation realizing that life isn’t enriched by objects, but by experience and relationship. That’s all very cliche, and has been yelled from the soapboxes of countless dirty hippies and independently wealthy vagabonds for hundreds of years. So how can we take this resurgent appreciation for experience and relationship and apply it to our own lives?

THE ABROAD EQUATION

The first claim I’d like to make is that living abroad isn’t outside of anyone’s reach. True, endless vacationing is available to only the truly wealthy, but LIVING abroad, that’s open to almost anyone. Even if you feel like you’re being anchored down by a thousand ton debt anvil, there are options for you. Those will be covered later.

WHY LIVE ABROAD?

I don’t think anyone’s a stranger to the charms and benefits of spending time overseas. I’ve been able to spend a few years in a small Argentine city on the edge of the Andes. The experiences, joys, memories and relationships (including my wife), that this time provided has made me not only a more well rounded person, but I like to think also more understanding and patient.

THE STEPS

Instead of continuing with abstract arguments on the joys and wonders of living abroad, let’s get down to some practical steps. These are some tips and ideas I’ve formed while trying to prolong my vagabonding years.

THE PLAN

This is the research phase. You need to form a short list of locations you’re interested in. Visit some forums and try to get some accurate figures for cost of living. Go to Quora, it’s a great site to pose a cost of living break down question if there isn’t already one posted.

Unless you have a fairly large recurring income you’ll probably look at Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe or one of the more off-the-beaten path countries of Western Europe. Portugal, I’m looking at you.

THE SAVING

Once you have the cost of living data, it’s time to start saving. Make yourself a 250 day goal. Mark it on the calendar with the amount you want to have saved by that day. By using a few cost saving tactics in your everday living, and selling any unneeded items on craigslist or ebay, you’ll be surprised by how quickly you’re able to surpass your monthly goals. Once the saving mindset has been sparked, you’ll enjoy finding new ways to add to this travel pot. You’ll also find new and exciting ways to cook lentils (Nows a good time to get used to eating on the cheap, but in a health conscious way).

FORMING CONTACTS

Once you have a location set, start reaching out and forming some contacts. This will save you some work when you get there. It takes a lot of time and effort to meet people in a foreign culture and language, so putting in a bit of time now will payoff in a huge way later on. Look for a cowork space you can join to meet other interesting entrepreneurs. Look for cooking classes, Tango classes, art classes. These are all great ways to meet new people. You may be nervous joining classes in a second language, but your classmates will be excited to have a foreigner in the group, and having an activity on hand is a natural ice breaker.

Try to contact some English speaking expats. They are full of good tips and local knowledge. They’ll be able to share the locals-only type places, more-so than even the true locals at times.

This is also a good time to look into side income. Put out some job posts on local boards. Offer to teach English, program a site, take photos. Anything to get you out into the country you’re moving to.

THE LANGUAGE

This will always be the most difficult part of moving overseas. Download Duolingo. Start learning vocabulary and grammar. Once you’re there, and surrounded by native speakers, that’s when you’ll really start to pick it up. Prepare some small notebooks and when you’re arround native speakers and you hear a word you don’t know, ask what it is and right it down right there. This will increase your learning speed GREATLY. Don’t worry. You’ll make some mistakes but if you don’t take yourself too seriously, and others see that you’re putting the effort in, they’ll be more than happy to help you.

THE MOVE

The time has come. You’ve done the homework. Found a great place to set up your abode. You’ve made some contacts so you can hit the ground running. You have a budget set with a contingency in case there’s any unexpected costs. Now it’s time to go! Remember, it’s about immersing yourself, appreciating the REAL culture. Try to avoid hanging out only in the tourist spots. Be spontaneous. Be generous.

You will get lonely and homesick. Schedule skype times with your friends back home and family regularly. They’re part of your life too, and investing in those relationships are equally important.

Don’t overdo it. You will get burned out. Take some alone time and read a classic book. Have a coffee by yourself in the most touristy cafe in the city. Take it slow. It’s not a race to check things off a list, it’s about feeling the pulse of a different culture, the heartbeat of a new place.

Take photos of the small stuff. Your apartment kitchen, the local pub where you watch football games, a bicycle you picked up secondhand, the friendly barista you practiced jokes with. These are the memories you’ll want to share in ten years. These are the photos you can’t search for on Google photos.

THE RETURN

After a while, it will be time to head back home. But after you’ve experienced this way of life, hopefully your concept of what it means to have a career will change. You’ll probably get home, and after a few months start saving for your next trip abroad. And maybe this time you’ll be sharing it with someone else.

—T. Jara Morgan