When... Moving Abroad Changed My Perspective.

Leaving an environment we call “home” is never an easy decision.

For me, born and raised in Trento, a provincial city in northern Italy, changing country meant much more than just a geographical move. It was a mental jolt, a reset of habits, beliefs, and points of reference. In a way, I left a part of myself at home and found a new vision of myself elsewhere.

In this post, I want to share the journey that led me to move to London—the expectations, doubts, discoveries, and inner transformations I experienced. Because changing country, for me, above all meant changing perspective.

DREAMS ARE BIGGER THAN A SUITCASE

Flying to London

Travel in my family had a very specific meaning: pack a car and leave for a summer holiday - but the destinations of our “trips” were limited to the borders of the Italian peninsula, a comfort zone where language, food, and culture fell within the realm of the familiar. Travel didn’t mean adventure, the unknown, or a spirit of adaptation and exploration. Maybe it’s precisely because of that unspoken limitation that I’ve always felt a strong pull to go beyond, to not limit myself, and to explore the unknown.

Growing up in Italy in the '90s, in my small provincial world, everything that was “foreign” was unfamiliar - my view of the world was filtered through American TV shows and documentaries about different countries. What was “different” from the average Italian intrigued me. Looking back, I was obsessed with wrestling shows - I was a huge fan of the legendary Rey Mysterio, the Mexican-American WWE world champion - so I dreamed of going to California to see him in one of his matches. Everything pushed me to dream of leaving. Whether it was Asia, South America, or Africa didn’t matter - it all seemed unreachable from the couch at home.

The idea of moving abroad began to take shape when I finished high school. I had only flown once, on a school trip to Brussels. But something inside me kept saying there was a whole world out there I wanted to explore. What was stopping me?

COMMUNICATING WITH THE WORLD

Being able to communicate while traveling is essential. English is the global language, so my first clear obstacle was to learn it well.

In Italy, we study it from books, in a very methodical classroom setting-but then we find ourselves abroad and struggle to actually communicate. My first solo trip was to Edinburgh, a weekend escape to experiment, then came Barcelona, Berlin, London… and every time I felt cut off from conversations, stuck in an inability to truly communicate.

Out of necessity came action, I enrolled in an English course in Trento for two years. At the end of that journey, I finally felt ready to face a real move; and so began my trip to London, with no return date.

IT'S ALL MATTER OF ADAPTATION

The days before departure? A mix of adrenaline and fear. My family wasn’t on board, I had a permanent job contract, and I was giving it all up for uncertainty - I was crazy. But I felt I had to do it.

Arriving in London was a shock in many ways that now feel normal: a mix of different cultures, incomprehensible accents that rendered all my language courses useless, smells and customs that intertwine like the alleys of Soho. I loved everything about this new world I was seeing - I was euphoric. Every day was a challenge, and every day a success or a failure.

I remember the first time someone asked me, “How are you doing?” without stopping to hear the answer. For me, used to Italy, where that question starts a conversation, it was disorienting. I quickly learned that no one really cared how I was doing - it was just a formality. In the end, I was just one of many. More than 12 years ago, when visas weren’t needed, London was the destination for many Europeans looking to step outside their borders easily. I was just another young Italian who had just arrived. It was up to me to adapt to that new reality.

LONELINESS AND PERSONAL GROWTH

London Sunset

One of the biggest challenges of moving abroad was loneliness. In London, I met amazing people, but like in all big cities, many come and many go.

Constantly building new relationships is hard - and making them last is even harder. Back home, friendships were born and grew together, but here it was different.

I had to adapt to these new dynamics, to temporary friendships formed among colleagues and friends of friends. The lack of reference people and the constant effort to create new bonds was, at times, exhausting. I believe it’s a common experience for many immigrants - you get used to it, and as the saying goes, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

In 12 years, I’ve grown as a person. I’ve come to understand the importance of having a community, and also how strong I am as an individual. Today I know I can count on myself, on my abilities, and on the people whose affection is sincere - people to whom I can ask “how are you doing?” and mean it.

Teaching yoga opened me up to new people who come to my classes every week, and that has helped create a sense of belonging to a community, pushing back that sense of loneliness that still occasionally returns.

THERE'S NO GOING BACK

It wouldn’t be realistic to say that expat life is always an adventure. There were moments when I thought about giving it all up and going back “home.” But every time I gave in to that thought, I reminded myself why I left. I love Trentino, and my family even more, but I feel like I couldn’t truly be myself there. By moving, I found opportunities I hadn’t even considered possible, I built a lifestyle different from the one life had mapped out for me, and I chose a more dynamic work culture. And most importantly, I learned to live outside my cultural comfort zone - going from being a foreigner to feeling like a local.

Despite the difficulties, living abroad has given me new perspectives and changed me deeply. It’s taught me humility and respect for different cultures, and it’s satisfied my curiosity and my ambition to follow my instincts.

I don’t know what I’d be doing - or who I would be - if I had stayed instead of leaving Italy. I have no regrets, and I deeply love my roots and miss having my family close. It’s a side effect of my choices. But I’ve also built new relationships and found a new place to call “home.”

If you’re thinking about moving or feel the need for a change in perspective, my advice is simple: truly open yourself up to the new. Don’t just seek out “bubbles” of what you know in a different place. Let yourself be changed. Because only by living different experiences can you truly understand how capable you are, how much you can grow, and how much there still is to discover on your journey.

What about you? How has changing your environment changed your perspective?

Edited by Silvia De Vecchi