How I Stay Inspired to Move Abroad

How I Stay Inspired to Move Abroad

Moving abroad at mid-life is not for the faint of heart. Moving abroad with two kids in the middle of a global pandemic can feel 100 percent overwhelming. Every day there is a new challenge or a new obstacle that pops up, and if I didn’t have my go-to sources for inspiration, I probably would have given up this whole notion of relocating to Spain a long time ago. So, what am I doing to stay inspired to move abroad? I’m glad you asked.

I turn to some of my favorite books, movies and podcasts to keep me inspired, motivated and informed, especially when I feel like giving up. Thankfully, these days there is an endless supply of content to fuel my enthusiasm, although I still go back to past favorites in times of need.

How I Stay Inspired to Move Abroad

Here’s a list of content I consume to keep my spirits up, my imagination fueled, and my appetite for adventure peaked.

How To Move Abroad Podcasts

It’s always helpful to hear how other people managed to pack up their life and move to another country, so I love to listen to podcasts that really break down the nuts and bolts of moving/living abroad. I’m particularly interested in hearing those stories from women my age and/or women in multiracial families. That’s why my three favorite moving abroad podcasts are:

  1. She Hit Refresh
  2. Flourish in the Foreign
  3. The Global Chatter
Americanah by Chimamanda Adichie
Americanah has characters leaping across continents, from Africa to Europe and North America.

Books that Feature People of Color Traveling the World

Inspiration can come in many forms. While I like to listen to podcasts for the real-life wisdom they impart, I like to read books about life in foreign places to whet my appetite for travel and adventure. Five of my favorite books I’ve read over the years that have inspired me to travel and live a more global life are:

  1. Black Girl in Paris by Shay Youngblood
  2. Fruit of the Lemon by Andrea Levy
  3. Anything written by Andrea Lee
  4. Americanah by Chimamanda Adichie
  5. Waiting in Vain by Colin Channer

Movies with an International Theme and Pretty Settings

Admittedly, sometimes I watch movies that take place in foreign countries, just to get a taste of what my new life might look like, even if the storyline is silly. For example, I’m not ashamed that I suggested to my daughter that we watch Ferdinand again in anticipation of our move to Spain. But in addition to cartoons based on picture books, here are some other films that always inspire me to travel and see more of the world.

  1. Anything by Pedro Almodovar
  2. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
  3. Eat Pray Love (I truly dislike this movie, but the scenery is awe-inspiring)
  4. *Honorable Mention* I watch a lot of House Hunters International on YouTube

What content would you suggest I consume to keep me motivated for my upcoming move? I am always open to advice. Plead drop your suggestions in the comments below. And thank you in advance!


Comments

6 responses to “How I Stay Inspired to Move Abroad”

  1. Leslie Green Avatar
    Leslie Green

    Hi Lori, sorry for the delay but I have been following your posts and appreciating all you have had to say as you lead up to your exit off to Spain! There are several podcasts I ran across, through another podcast (The Global Chatter, by Amanda Bates.) She has a short episode where she recommends 5 podcasts by Black expats – the link to it is https://anchor.fm/theblackexpat/episodes/Bonus-The-5-Black-Expat-Podcasters-You-Should-Follow-eupufl

    Also, when time permits you might consider joining / looking at an app called Xpat. A wonderful woman named Shar Wynter is the founder. She has been an expat in many places. The app is a great resource, and in my opinion its best features are the encouraging community it offers as well as many high-quality video interviews of Black expats around the world.

    Wishing you continued blessings! Looking forward to continuing to follow your adventures as and after you move.

    1. Lori Tharps Avatar
      Lori Tharps

      Thank you for these resources, Leslie!

  2. I’ve got a podcast to add to your list—the Blaxit Global podcast.

    1. Lori Tharps Avatar
      Lori Tharps

      Thanks, Crishan. I just listened to today’s episode and it was great! I even made my husband listen and he loved it too!

  3. Millie C. Avatar
    Millie C.

    My first night I cried ugly tears that I had left my good job with a pension and health insurance in NYC for the unknown. But there I was alone in Paris in a lovely, sloped-ceilinged apartment in the Bastille that the one friend from J-School I knew in Paris had lent me while she and her hubs were attending a wedding in the US. I was crying about not having health insurance in a country with socialised medicine. Go figure!🤔 I thought a lot about worst case scenarios, like having to sleep rough in the street, but none ever came. Doors literally kept opening. For several months, I kept meeting people who needed a house sitter. When I ran out of houses to sit but hadn’t yet found a place of my own, I landed a job that took me to Senegal and Ghana where I would be staying in hotels for weeks. Back in Paris, a friend’s US job was sending her to Paris for several months and putting her up in a 2-bedroom. And with my job, I would still be traveling a lot – a perfect roommate situation presented itself. All this to say, the universe finds a way to support you in ways you cannot imagine right now. Just by taking this leap of faith, already with your support system in tow, you are telling the universe that you are open to the possibilities. Trust your instincts and you will be fine. You so have got this, Lori. I will send you a pic of when you were in St Pancras a few years ago speaking this dream into existence to remind you. Also, the other thing you have going for you is your American can-do-attitude-and-anything-is-possible-ness. You will be surprised how effortlessly you can summon this positive, resourceful person when you encounter bureaucratic hurdles or people behind desks who tell you, ”pero, no es possible.” For every “mademoiselle, mais ce n’est pas possible” I encountered there’s a story of triumph. Surely, I was not the first person to install a phone in her flat or turn the electricity on or whatever it was. So, yes, stay motivated, my friend. Mxx

    1. Lori Tharps Avatar
      Lori Tharps

      Oh Millie,
      You just made me laugh and cry. Thank you so much for sharing your story and reminding me of what I am capable of. I needed that. For real! And I so look forward to seeing you again on the other side of the pond!

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