Is it Beneficial to Live in Different Countries?
Why Living in Different Countries Changes You Forever
🌍 A Journey of the Self That No Book Can Teach
There’s a certain allure to travel—a sense of adventure, discovery, and the unknown. But what happens when travel turns into long-term immersion? When the stamps on your passport aren’t just memories of fleeting vacations, but milestones in a life lived across cultures?
Living in another country isn’t like visiting it. It’s not about checking landmarks off a list or eating street food for a week. It’s about slowly rewiring how you think, feel, and see the world. It’s about being the outsider who has to adapt, question, re-learn—even unlearn. It’s about waking up and realizing that what you once thought was "normal" is only one of many possible ways to live.
At Polyglottist Language Academy, we know that language is more than vocabulary and grammar—it’s culture, mindset, and identity. That’s why we’re passionate about helping students not only learn to speak a language, but also understand the people and perspectives behind it. Because once you live abroad—even briefly—you’ll never be the same.
In this article, we’ll explore what makes living in a foreign country such a transformational experience, and why that change is often profound, permanent, and enriching in ways few expect.
🧠Marco Polo and the Power of Living Elsewhere
In the 13th century, Venetian merchant and explorer Marco Polo spent 24 years traveling across Asia, including 17 years in China. His detailed accounts brought the first accurate descriptions of East Asia to Europe—but what they didn’t reveal was how this journey likely changed him at his core.
Living in a different country, especially for long periods, leaves a permanent imprint. Just as books shape our intellect and relationships shape our hearts, international living shapes our entire being. The cultural shock, the daily misunderstandings, the exhilarating moments of connection—these accumulate into something more powerful than mere "experience." They change who we are.
🧠When Assumptions Are Challenged
Most of us grow up in environments where our values, customs, and communication styles are largely shared by those around us. This creates a sense of coherence and predictability. But when we move to a different country, that invisible scaffolding is suddenly gone.
At first, you may expect people to behave as they do in your own culture. You may assume politeness means the same thing, that personal space is universal, or that humor translates. It doesn't. And when people act in unfamiliar ways, your first instinct might be frustration or judgment.
But over time, as you struggle to understand, something beautiful happens—you begin to see the world from more than one point of view. You begin to question yourself just as much as you question the culture around you.
🧩 Becoming a Cultural Hybrid
Eventually, the boundaries between "them" and "you" begin to blur. You might never become fully native to your adopted culture—and that's okay. But you won’t ever be the same as before either. You become a cultural hybrid, someone who sees the strengths and blind spots of both worlds.
You may no longer feel fully at home anywhere—but you’ll feel at home in ambiguity, in nuance, in contradiction. And that, paradoxically, is a superpower in our increasingly globalized world.
🚀 The Price and the Gift of Transformation
Choosing to live in another country is not easy. It often comes with loneliness, miscommunication, and the ache of homesickness. But it also brings the possibility of deep growth, self-awareness, and empathy.
You might never fully "belong" again—but you’ll never be confined either. You’ll live between languages, between expectations, between cultural codes—and from that in-between space, you'll gain insight, creativity, and a rare kind of wisdom.
In short, you’ll return from your journey not as the same person with a suitcase full of stories, but as someone new—someone richer in perspective, and more connected to the diversity of the human experience.
🙋‍♀️ FAQs: Living in Different Countries
Q: Is it better to live abroad for a short or long period?
A: Even a short stay can be eye-opening, but longer immersion usually leads to deeper transformation and cultural understanding.
Q: Do I need to speak the local language to benefit?
A: While not strictly necessary, speaking the language accelerates your integration and helps you connect more meaningfully with local people.
Q: What if I never feel like I belong?
A: That’s common—and part of the growth. The discomfort can evolve into a new comfort with uncertainty and fluid identity.
Q: Can living abroad help my career?
A: Absolutely. It builds intercultural skills, resilience, language proficiency, and often leads to unexpected professional opportunities.
Q: What’s the biggest personal gain from living abroad?
A: A broadened worldview. You become someone who can see life through more than one lens—and that’s priceless.
🌟 Start Your Own Journey at Polyglottist Language Academy
Whether you’re preparing for your first move abroad or have already lived between cultures, Polyglottist Language Academy is here to support your journey. Our small, dynamic classes are designed for students who want to go beyond textbooks and truly understand the world through language and culture.
We offer French, Italian, Russian, Mandarin, and more—both online and in-person for adults and teens in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Berkeley, Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Reno, and Portland.
đź“š Ready to take the next step?
👉 Sign up for our language classes today!