What I Do—And Don't—Love About Expat Life
By Kirsten Raccuia

When it comes to things I love about expat life, affordability ranks pretty high. The other day here in Penang, Malaysia, I had a spa day. An hour-long massage, an hour-long facial, and a 45-minute body scrub. It cost me $103. In Chicago, a one-hour treatment at a good spa starts at $90, and that's without the tip.

The three-bedroom, four-bathroom, oceanfront condo in Penang that my husband Mark and I rent costs $675 a month. A similar condo in Chicago, on the lakefront, would cost 10 times that.

The view from our Penang condo.

A house cleaner in Chicago costs $100 for two hours. Here I pay $19 for four hours.

If you've always felt like you've got champagne tastes on a beer budget, moving abroad brings those luxuries within reach.

Another thing I love about expat life here is the opportunities for travel.

Since my cost of living is more affordable, I have more left over to spend. For me, that equates to more travel, which is ridiculously cheap here. The only time we've spent more than $200 on a ticket was when we flew to Hawaii. It's common to find flights for under $100, and we regularly pop over to Phuket, Thailand, for even less.

We can jet down to Phuket for under $100.

We never pay more than $50 for accommodation; for a full-amenity, 3- to 4-star hotel, in a great location.

Then there's friends. Before I left the U.S., all my friends were Americans from Chicago. That's not a bad thing, but the friendship circle was pretty small. Now, we have friends from all over the world, and our social life is busier than ever.

At any given social outing, there are more nationalities than I can count on one hand, sometimes two. I love learning about other people's customs, teaching them mine, and making new traditions together.

There's also the freedom moving overseas has afforded us. Before we moved here, we had two cars and a condo full of stuff. However, before we left, we sold everything, except for family heirlooms and photos. It was difficult at the time, but afterward, we immediately felt a sense of freedom.

Now, we aren't attached to the stuff. If we want to move to Uruguay or Vietnam tomorrow, we can pack our two suitcases and leave. The only thing we'd bring is the art that we have accumulated on our travels because it brings us joy.

Abroad, you get to start over. You can follow your passions, do some soul searching, and figure out what makes you the happiest.

I ran a wholesale clothing agency in Chicago but secretly dreamed of being a travel writer. After moving to Penang, I was given that chance by International Living, and now I run a blog.

I've also found perspective here.

When you live in the U.S., the media constantly bombards you with news and only one angle. You get a snippet of world news daily, but that's about it. Living abroad expands your horizons and shows you an entirely different world.

It is very interesting listening to news about the U.S. from a different point of view. I am grateful that I'm an American. I love America. But there is a big world out there, and it's not all centered around the U.S.

As for things I don't love about my expat life…

I can't get some of my creature comforts here. Sometimes you want a little slice of home. Turkey and avocado sandwiches are my comfort foods. We can get avocados, but they are hard little rocks. And the only way to eat turkey here is to buy a whole one and cook it yourself. I want sliced deli turkey, not the entire bird.

I've become cheap, too. Things I regularly bought in Chicago now seem expensive. A good martini at our favorite steakhouse back home costs as much as a week's worth of food at my local market in Penang. I never thought about how I spent that money before moving. But now, when I convert U.S. dollars to Malaysian ringgit, I think twice.

I've also had to relearn everything. Driving on the opposite side of the road is challenging enough, especially since the road rules here are mere suggestions. Scooters fly at me from all angles, going the wrong way down a one-way road, driving on the sidewalks. It's sheer mayhem here, but I've mastered it.

It's not just driving. Setting up a bank account, buying a car, getting insurance, seeing a doctor; it is all different. Not worse, not better. Just different.