We met up in Paris for the weekend. We were five women blown in from four cities in Europe, none of them the cities of our birth, and all of us former Seattleites. There were two newly minted Londoners by way of Seattle and Phoenix. There was someone newly living in Lausanne but meeting us in Paris direct from Tokyo. Yet another was living in Berlin with her husband and child. And myself, a Canadian living in Dublin.
We talked about the challenges and excitement of building lives and livelihoods in new countries. We talked about the stuff no one tells you, the quirks of being a foreigner and figuring out things like banking or taxes or which phone plan to choose. I listened, and heard some of the same confusion and hearsay I’d also heard from clients throughout my career. There’s a lot of outdated, confusing, and incomplete information out there. And much of it relates to areas of life that busy, successful professionals might not have the bandwidth to focus on, but that have the potential to simplify and improve their lives if done correctly.
I believe that people, especially women, especially single women, can benefit hugely from understanding their finances, and there’s a dearth of good information out there on how to do that, especially when you don’t plan on living in the country of your birth for the rest of your life. But this won’t just be about the exciting world of taxes and personal finance. As globally mobile individuals, we have the unique privilege to create our own path in all areas of life. The best way to do that is to question everything, and to learn the rules so you can break them.
A sunny spring weekend in Paris with some seriously impressive women sparked an idea to share what’s working for me as I figure it out along the way. What areas of the globally mobile lifestyle are most confusing to you? Or if you’re considering making a move, what’s the most daunting item on your to-do list? I’d love to hear all about it.
