Women Who Travel Podcast: What It's Really Like to Move Abroad

Moving halfway across the world in search of something new is a romantic notion. It's an opportunity to learn a language, make friends, change a career, and to swap that morning subway commute for surfing on Bondi Beach or a bike ride along Amsterdam's canals. However, for those of us who actually decide to make the leap, there are a lot of factors to consider. A lot of factors. Luckily, about half the female staff at Traveler have lived (or are still living) the expat life, and are brimming with advice on international visa processes, apartment hunting, meet-up groups, and long-distance relationships (the latter often being the reason for moving in the first place). This week, we're joined by two such experts: senior editor Katherine LaGrave, who has bounced around Germany, Japan, and Greece, and community editor Megan Spurrell, who spent a year-and-a-half living and traveling around South America. We chat about the many highs (and lows) that come with living an ocean away from home, what it really takes to move abroad in the first place (and in some cases what made us decide to stay), and explore why the word "expat" itself is a problematic term. Plus, Megan tells us of the time she spent a month traveling solo—by land—from Brazil to Peru, and Katherine horrifies us all with an anecdote about an unruly spider in Athens.