Breaking the Schengen Shuffle News to Friends and Family
Living abroad is something I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember. And there have been a few close calls over the years too. The first was when I applied to Franklin College, An American University in Switzerland after attending a college fair and seeing photos of the gorgeous campus setting. Mountains and a lake? Sign me up!
They accepted me. But when I saw their retention rate was so low and found out that it was due to students feeling homesick and lonely, I decided to explore options in the USA instead such as: Berklee College of Music, NYU Tisch, Eugene Lang, Bennington, Colorado College, etc. Each one I applied to accepted me but in the end I went with New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts to pursue my FAME, RENT, and FRIENDS dreams.
Turns out, NYU Tisch was nothing like FAME, RENT, or FRIENDS - for better or worse. And after graduating, I worked full time in New York’s Film/TV scene for a bit but still felt the pull abroad. So, I applied to the BBC Broadcast journalism masters program and University of Westminster where I interviewed with legendary BBC correspondent Deborah Vogel which was exciting unto itself. I was accepted into the program and began working on setting up my housing with flatmates. But then my funding offer came through and it was for practically nothing. Since I already had about $100K to pay off from undergrad, I was scared to take out more loans. So, I turned it down.
Not too long after, I visited Costa Rica 3 times in just over a year. The people, the land, the energy. It all drew me in. But once again, my student loans got in the way. Salaries in that wonderful country were not enough to support myself there and pay my American bills from college. I wrote a song about it and then did my best to let that dream go too.
Technically, that was three strikes. But I wasn’t out yet. Even though my family was relieved every time I backed out of taking the leap to move abroad, the dream still hadn’t died.
Fast forward to nearly two decades later. I paid off my student loans and began traveling and manifesting dreams big and small. But experiencing life in another country as a local long term instead of a tourist on vacation has yet to come to fruition, until now. This time it’s happening. And with my husband and rescue pup by my side.
Even with all those previous attempts to move abroad, it has taken quite some time for friends and family to believe we’re really doing it. We’ve been talking about it for years as a couple and I’ve taken steps towards making it happen throughout my life multiple times. But as we speak, we’re in so deep now that there’s no turning back. And the more people find out where we’re at in the process, the more they’re finally beginning to believe we’re actually doing it.
They’re scared for us. They’re sad we’re leaving. But the most recent turn of events is that they’re also genuinely excited and happy for us. They’re beginning to not only wish us well but to reminisce about their own travel stories or share their hidden desire to explore the world as well. Some are even increasingly inspired to consider the notion of living abroad themselves one day. Others joke about coming with us. And we think more and more about buying a property big enough to host others once we find our place in Europe or the UK.
For years, something we were so looking forward to had somehow become a dreaded topic of conversation because of the backlash and barrage of questions and attempts to poke holes in our plans for the future. However, as that future is now only a few months away from becoming the present, the reality of the situation is sinking in for everyone on a different level. Including us.
We’ve sold most of our furniture and lots of other belongings. We’ve made multiple donation drop-offs. Our flights are booked and accommodations set for months. We’re searching for remote work, exploring visa options, consulting with lawyers regarding potential citizenship, researching storage spaces, and investing in film gear to document the journey and make a feature film about Venetian Carnival.
While it may have taken a while for many folks to come around, most people have our back at this point. They want the best for us. They can see the joy and excitement that planning all of this brings us. Especially as it becomes more real every day. And that’s infectious.
From there, it’s just a feedback loop of goodness which is even more motivating. And much better than the discouraging voices of doubt and concern. So, don’t let them get to you. Internally or externally. If this is meant for you and the timing is right, you’ll know. And no one and nothing can stop you. -TSS
QUESTION:
Have you broken the news to your friends and family yet about your plans to spend an extended amount of time abroad as a Schengen Shuffler? If so, how did it go?