The new American expatriates are not only younger people on an adventure, but also retirees. The author told us that Americans are retiring abroad more than ever before for lots of different reasons, like climate, lifestyle, cost of living and other factors. Costa Rica, Ecuador and New Zealand are good examples of countries experiencing an influx of American retirees.
“I think the major difference between the younger expat and the older expat is adaptability to change,” Wennersten said. “Young expats will to work in Russia and not think anything about it.”
We asked Wennersten if it is easier to become an expatriate today. “Global technology like the Internet, satellite television, mobile phones and widely connected air transportation has shrunk the world and made it possible to live and work just about anywhere,” he said. “The availability of logistical support is another important change. I worked in Japan for five years and one of the things that bothered me was that we had to do everything ourselves when we moved. Now, logistical support is available to anyone, not just corporate movers.”
The Internet has spawned websites like MyInternationalAdventure to provide American self-movers, who represent nearly 80 percent of all moves abroad, a wealth of information and resources to help them not only move to another country, but also live and work abroad.
“Some real estate firms in cities like Wellington, New Zealand and London, England and even Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia have people who are skilled at helping expats make the transition to their new country,” Wennersten said. “Relocation consultants, who used to serve only corporate relocations, exist in many cities for use by anyone making a move to another country. And, of course, the Internet has made such a big difference with not only your website and others, but also local services like craigslist.com, which is available in most major cities around the world.”
So what makes today’s American expat different from previous waves of Americans leaving their homeland shores? Wennersten explained: “The big difference is that cultural and political dissent, although part of the equation, do not play as significant a role as they did in the twentieth century. Also, Americans last century typically had good language skills. Today, most people in developed countries and popular tourist destinations in emerging countries speak English better than we speak their language, facilitating an easier transition abroad.”
Will this new American expat trend continue? “I have never met many expats who have made a conscious decision to move abroad and never return to America,” Wennersten said. “I think we will see a continuing trend of a kind of ‘rolling expat,’ expatriates who go abroad for a number of years, return to the U.S. for a few years and then go abroad again.”
Wennersten had one important piece of advice for those thinking about joining the new American expatriate generation: “Embrace change. If you do not, things will not go well for you.”