In the wake of Covid-19 and ongoing economic uncertainty, more people are seriously considering life abroad. For some, it's still just a distant dream. But for others, that dream becomes a lived reality. Life as an expat, however, is rarely a fairytale. Those who share their stories know the challenges firsthand. It takes persistence鈥攁nd often struggle鈥攖o find one's footing in a foreign country.
Dropping everything to start over abroad: They did it
They are entrepreneurs, engineers, pastry chefs, pharmacists, doctors, farmers, travel coordinators, and managers. Some had dreamed of living abroad for years; others decided in a matter of days. Whether their move was the result of long-term planning or a spontaneous choice, they all share one thing in common: they earned their place in a new country鈥攐ften the hard way.
An expat in the UK recalled the 鈥渂ig hassles with paperwork,鈥� made worse by the fact that he 鈥渄idn't speak a word of English.鈥�
Others faced a steep culture shock upon arriving in places vastly different from home. 鈥淚 tried digital nomad life in Brazil,鈥� one expat admitted. 鈥淚t was a disaster. Not because of the country but because I wasn't prepared. That lifestyle wasn't for me. I returned to Brazil later, this time with a proper business plan. I ended up starting my own company.鈥�
The current geopolitical climate is pushing many professionals to seek stability鈥攁nd new beginnings鈥攁broad. 鈥淲e've been talking about crisis for years. It never ends,鈥� said a marketing professional who moved to Australia. 鈥淚'm not saying the grass is greener in Australia. I'm saying that if you have a plan, it's better to try than to live with regrets. We're often afraid to take the leap because we fear failure. But once you accept failure as part of the journey, it becomes a reason to keep going.鈥�
Starting over to find your place abroad
Failure is difficult enough to face alone鈥攚hen your family is involved, the stakes feel even higher.
鈥淚 admire all those stories of happy, successful immigrants,鈥� said one aspiring expat. 鈥淚 got a job offer from a Canadian startup. My wife's a doctor鈥攕he'll find work easily there. She's on board. But I've already experienced a startup failure in France. What if it happens again in Canada? We just bought a house. Our kids are happy at school and in the neighborhood. I don't know if I have the strength to start over again. I'm naturally anxious... and yet, I really want to give it a try.鈥�
Taking the plunge is never easy. The emotional weight of such a move can be heavy鈥攅specially when it means uprooting others. But those who have made the leap rarely express regret, even if their time abroad was brief.
鈥淚 came back because I missed my family too much.鈥�
鈥淎fter Covid, I couldn't get my old job back.鈥�
鈥淥ur kids wanted to return home to study. We followed them.鈥�
Whether they return after a few years or stay for good, integration takes time, and every journey is different. Some come full circle. Others build a new life from the ground up.
Meet an expat who has done just that鈥攕uccessfully finding his place in a new country.
Fran莽ois, engineering student in France
Born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, 23-year-old Fran莽ois never saw himself living abroad. It was only when he chose to pursue engineering that the idea of relocating to a foreign country took shape. His first move was to Senegal. 鈥淭he school had a great reputation,鈥� he explains.
There, he learned that the institution had campuses in other countries鈥擟anada, Germany, and France, among them. 鈥淵ou could complete your undergraduate or master's abroad,鈥� he said. But Fran莽ois hesitated. 鈥淚 really liked living in Dakar. I spoke Wolof well. I had my friends, my routines, and even a part-time job in my field. I was far from home but still closer than I'd be in Europe or North America.鈥�
Still, his family encouraged him to think further ahead. 鈥淎t the time (in 2023), things were tough back home. We were okay, but others weren't so lucky,鈥� he said. The resurgence of the M23 rebel group鈥攁ctive since 2021鈥攈ad escalated into renewed conflict, with an offensive launched in December 2024. On April 23, a joint truce was announced between the group and the government. But by then, uncertainty remained high.
Eventually, Fran莽ois chose France鈥攕pecifically Montpellier. 鈥淚 had visited France before. I had some idea of what to expect. But the political atmosphere quickly discouraged me.鈥�
Finding a place abroad: Between struggles and hope
Fran莽ois's early days in France were marked by frustration and uncertainty. Despite a solid CV, he couldn't land a part-time job or an apprenticeship. 鈥淟iving off savings is awful,鈥� he said. 鈥淎t first, I was confident. But after eight months, I was depressed. I felt ashamed. My family was sending me money, but honestly, I wanted to go home. I felt like I didn't belong鈥攍ike no one wanted me.鈥�
The turning point came at the end of the academic year. Fran莽ois had earned excellent grades but still needed a work-study placement to complete his degree. 鈥淚 knew it would be hard to find, but not that hard,鈥� he said. Fortunately, his school stepped in. 鈥淭hey were supportive. They even allowed us to postpone our apprenticeships until autumn. I wasn't the only one struggling.鈥�
Clinging to that lifeline, Fran莽ois managed to find a small job. But just as things started to look up, he received an Obligation de Quitter le Territoire Fran莽ais (OQTF)鈥攁 notice to leave French territory. 鈥淧eople think only criminals get these, but many international students, even those who pass their exams, are told to leave,鈥� he explained.
Again, his school rallied around him. While waiting for the situation to resolve, Fran莽ois kept applying for apprenticeships. 鈥淚 told myself: if no one gives me a chance, then I'll give myself one.鈥�
That chance came in November 2024, when he finally secured the work-study placement he needed. 鈥淚 thought the OQTF would be canceled automatically, but French bureaucracy is complicated,鈥� he said with a wry smile. Still, he stayed calm. 鈥淚 got a temporary permit that lets me stay while my papers are being processed. I'll get my permanent documents soon.鈥�
Looking back, Fran莽ois sees how far he's come. 鈥淎fter everything I went through, there's no way I'm giving up. I feel like I've found my place here. More than that鈥擨 earned it.鈥�
C茅line, chef in Japan
C茅line lives in Sendai鈥攁 major city in northern Honshu, Japan's main island鈥攚ith her husband and their three children. Though she had visited Japan several times, she never imagined building a life outside of Belgium. 鈥淚'm very family-oriented. Japan felt too far away.鈥�
Then, she fell in love鈥攏ot only with the country but with the man who would become her husband. 鈥淚t sounds clich茅, but that's really how it happened. I was 20, it was 2015. I told myself, 鈥楾his might be the biggest mistake of your life. Enjoy it鈥攜ou're still young.'鈥�
At the time, C茅line was studying computer science. 鈥淚t had nothing to do with cooking, which has always been my true passion. But my mother鈥攁 software engineer鈥攗sed to say, 鈥業 didn't send you to school so you could end up behind a stove!' So, yeah鈥︹��
Kai, her future husband, was also unsure about his studies. They were the same age and connected quickly. He eventually dropped out; C茅line stuck with her degree, then rewarded herself with a trip to Japan after graduation.
They had met during her very first visit鈥攚hen she got lost in Ikebukuro Station, one of Tokyo's busiest transit hubs. 鈥淗e helped me find the exit. It was that or spending the night in the station! We kept in touch, mixing languages鈥攎e in French, Kai in Japanese, with some English in between.鈥�
By 2015, something had shifted. 鈥淓verything felt magical鈥攖he scenery, the food, and Kai, of course. When I got back to Belgium, I told my parents: I want to live in Japan!鈥�
Building a life abroad, step by step
In the beginning, C茅line didn't have a clear roadmap. She didn't speak Japanese, and Belgium didn't offer a Working Holiday Visa (WHV) for Japan. 鈥淚 really envied my French neighbors at that moment! I had to go with a student visa.鈥�
Determined to make it work, she spent two years working in Belgium to finance her studies. 鈥淚 was serious! If I wanted to be with Kai, I had to get to work. And since I was going to study, I chose a school that offered a culinary track.鈥� Meanwhile, Kai had secured an apprenticeship at a restaurant in Sendai.
In 2017, C茅line returned to Japan鈥攖his time for good. She and Kai built their life together, one step at a time. 鈥淚'm adventurous. Of course, I made some big mistakes, but that's part of the process. I found a part-time job quickly. I earned my diploma, got into culinary school, and graduated again.鈥�
Together, they dreamed of opening a restaurant that would blend their Belgian and Japanese cultures. Then Covid hit, and everything came to a halt. 鈥淲e celebrated Kai's birthday like two sad clowns in lockdown. The mood wasn't great, but we still had fun! And thankfully, we could stay connected to family online. I realized you can be far away and still feel close.鈥�
Bouncing back from difficulties
During the Covid lockdown, C茅line put her IT background to use, refining the business project she and Kai had been developing. 鈥淲e also used the time to get married and start a family! We had time鈥︹��
As the world paused, C茅line noticed something in their neighborhood: many elderly residents were deeply isolated. 鈥淚 launched a kind of mini social network鈥攔eally mini! More like a chat app,鈥� she said. Through it, she offered remote lessons to local seniors. 鈥淏ut most of them already knew the basics. After lockdown, we asked ourselves how we could keep that spirit of connection alive.鈥�
Their answer was a bold new concept: a space that blended restaurant, tea salon, and community hub. C茅line threw herself into the project and, in doing so, discovered a new kind of family. 鈥淟oneliness is an invisible tragedy. It's true here, and it's true in so many countries. If we can bring people together over a simple, good meal鈥攚hy not?鈥�
Today, C茅line feels fully integrated into Japanese life. 鈥淚 love going back to Belgium to see my family. I love staying here, in Japan. I found my place.鈥�
Yet, a new chapter is beginning. C茅line and Kai are preparing to take over Kai's grandfather's restaurant in Niigata, a coastal city in northern Honshu. 鈥淚 love our grandpa and my Japanese family! It hurts to leave our community bistro behind, but we're passing it on to our local partners. Kai's parents were initially skeptical, but they're letting us go for it. It's going to be amazing.鈥�
