I met a Taiwanese-American girl (Christine Chiang) last year in Ubud, Bali whose launching a new project – “Asian American Abroad” showcasing expats and their lives in foreign countries.
So instead of writing out my answers, I decided to drive up to Wat Pha Lad, atop Doi Suthep Mountain (Chiang Mai, Thailand) and film a video-blog interview.
It was a lot of fun answering the questions and it brought up some good memories for me.
The last question really got me going and I think it applies to to EVERYONE (not just a certain ethnic group) –
“What opportunities do you think Asian Americans gain by moving abroad (to Asia or any other country)?”
My answer: The biggest benefit is not financial or tied to monetary opportunities but rather intangible – PERSONAL GROWTH. Putting yourself in new, exotic, unfamiliar locations and being tossed into survival-mode and vulnerability challenges you – forces you to find out who you really are, what excites you and causes you to expand past your comfort zone. You will evolve into a different version of yourself (hopefully an upgrade). And eventually, this will have a positive influence on your career and financial pursuits.
To all the people who I’ve met traveling that were just on a short holiday vacation and to my friends back home – If you are considering living abroad – I encourage you to listen to that voice inside your head and just do it! There will never be a perfect time nor 100% certainty in anything.
I could write a book explaining all the different factors and driving motivations behind the move, etc – but have kept my answers short and to the point.
Hope you enjoy!
List of questions & time-stamp:
3:01 – Has anyone from home every reached out to you asking about your move? If so, what questions did they ask?
6:22 – Why did you move?
8:12 – What steps did you take to prepare (i.e. job hunting, setting up business, researching a country to live in, etc)?
10:15 – Do you have any regrets? Or anything you’d do differently?
11:27 – What did your family and friends think of your move? What questions did they have and how did you answer them?
17:03 – What opportunities do you think Asian Americans gain by moving abroad (to Asia or any other country)?
