Ready to migrate?

Deciding to change the country of residence is a tough decision that should be measured from every angle. There are many things to take into consideration and the starting point is not where you are going, but where you are right now. Are you sure that what you already have is not good enough? The "Promiseland" should have all that and more. Much more! Because at the end we all know it: there is no place like home!

So think about the reasons you want to leave. Is it work, environment, social condition, health care, everything together? Think about your specific case, because being wide (like: politics are corrupted, people are racist etc) won't help  your case. When you are in peace with what you are leaving, then you can look forward. 

What should you focus on when looking forward? Well some basics are your accommodation, transportation, social life, safety of the place and yeah, your FREE TIME. 

Let's elaborate this last one first. International Labour Organization published data revealing what we all knew: Asia dominates the list of world's average working week (all +45h per week). You might earn a higher salary by devoting your lifetime to work, but if you are a hedonist or just like to enjoy and live the life, maybe in Asia you won't have the time to do so. And TIME happens to be the most precious thing that you have in your life, it is your life. For me this is top priority.

Going backwards, safety of the place is important for your peace of mind and for your family in the future. There are some places safer than others and the other way round. 

Social life is quite logical, since we are, as Aristotle said, social animals. You might like to stay at home, by yourself (I like it too!), but sooner or later you're gonna look for interaction. And more options to it, the better. Cultural events and active social life make a place feel like home after all. Your affection to a place is connected to your memories and you make memories by going out and doing things with people. A place with no social life is like a ghost town, it has no spirit.

You might want to consider time you're spending to reach your working place, as well as your entertainment places. For me the choice from living next to the airport versus living in downtown was always the latter. Even though it meant spending more time to go to work, but I preferred to stay close to my life rather than close to work. Still it is good if you can find a compromise and stay close to both, because time spent in the traffic is wasted time of your life. If the Promiseland has a good transportation network, your whole life is going to be more smooth.

If you have a family and they will be depending on you, important factor to consider is schooling and insurance. In the Middle East this is taken care of by the company you work for and it is a huge relief. Family happiness is important as much as yours individually.

About where you live, choosing neighborhood is important for you and for your family. If you have children you want to make sure who they are hanging out with and you also need all the services nearby. Economic side of it is also important: how high is the rent you are paying? In the Middle Eastern Airlines accommodation is mostly company provided, so that is a huge benefit. But if you get used to that, learn to let it go as well: don't expect to find it elsewhere! After all to live in the humid desert under 50" degrees Celsius, far from home (and home means friends, family, 4 seasons, good food and weather, different rules) you need to get a big EXTRA benefit, otherwise it's not worth it. That benefit is free accommodation and transportation. I will not say a higher salary, since in the Middle East you are not paying taxes, therefor no pension is granted. Moreover life in the Middle East is crazily expensive, so if you do have that social life, you will also spend a lot. And that makes it even with  lower salaries in Europe where you do have a pension program and general expenses (housing, transportation, dining out, tickets for events) have reasonable price. Not everything that shines is gold.

Of course the above applies especially to a Cabin Crew job. In other  working positions (ex. pilots) or other industries (ex. teaching) the benefits might be significantly better, therefor makes it worth relocating. 

Maybe not in the Covid-19 era, but let's hope for a better future!

I am a world citizen and I like it.