For those disappointed with social media and international long-distance romance, the adventure of love should return to its fundamental principles: physical encounters, concrete exchanges, outings, activities for two, etc. This adventure can be even more exciting during your stay in a foreign country. Most people move abroad to find a job or for a better quality of life. What if we took the leap to find love in a foreign land? Does this sound viable?
A glance et the best countries to find love
A quick search on the internet and you'll find many articles listing the "best destinations" to find love abroad. These countries include Ecuador, Costa Rica, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Malta, Israel, the Philippines, Indonesia, Panama, Thailand, Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands, Ireland and Sweden. The lists vary according to articles and studies that often involve expatriates themselves. They have found love abroad and testify to the potential of their host country when it comes to romance. Other rankings focus more on the best dating spots, once again, according to expats.
Can a country's "romantic potential" be defined based on the percentage of couples? Of course, there are many other rankings on many other subjects, for example, the best countries to study in, the best countries to work in, the most eco-friendly countries, the best destinations for expat women, etc. The difference between these studies and those about love is the purpose of moving abroad.
When you're considering one of "the best countries to study or work", you're planning a move abroad for a valid reason, a much more specific purpose than finding love. International students first apply for a visa for a particular university. When they go abroad, they already know where they'll be and what they'll be doing, and they'll do their best to graduate. The same applies to workers who go abroad to look for work or already have a job offer. But what about those who are seeking love and romance?
Should you take the risk?
Visa remains a crucial issue. How much time are you ready to give yourself to find love abroad? For how long will your visa (or visa waiver) be valid? Keep in mind that a country is vast. Country rankings give only a relative indication, based mainly on the testimonies of happy expat couples. Since love is everywhere, we could think that it's possible to find love, regardless of the country. Still, you need to be able to travel and legally stay there. You also need to factor in the visa fees and the cost of living in your target destination. As such, the excitement of moving abroad to find love can be short-lived.
We usually talk about moving abroad in the name of love. And the challenges are already significant, both for the person living abroad and for the person who's moving abroad to be with them. Newcomers find themselves in a place they know little about, with social norms they are not familiar with. This person living in the country becomes the lifeline, the guide, and the only family member. Everyone needs time, patience, dialogue, and compromise to find their place.
When love becomes the sole reason for moving abroad, the pressure can increase because you expect to see that love arising everywhere. Even unconsciously, every outing turns into a landmark. The senses are constantly awakened, and any courteous behavior can be taken as a romantic signal. Hence, possible misunderstandings are accentuated by cultural differences. Differences can cause even more misunderstandings if you have little or no knowledge of the foreign country's culture. All this pressure takes its toll, and the risk of morale decline is high.
The difference between moving abroad for love and to find love
The big difference between moving abroad for love and moving abroad to find love is that, in the first case, you have already found love. It is, therefore, assumed that love was not the purpose of the trip but arose during the stay abroad for work, studies, etc. Moving abroad with the sole aim of finding love opens the door to many more challenges than in the first case. You could say that more and more people are seeking career opportunities abroad. But as mentioned above, in this case, you're moving after securing a job contract or offer. You don't have to apply to every company, but only to those that match your profile. You may have already selected a few employers on the internet and may have even already applied to some. You're not moving blindly, especially considering points-based visas and other selective systems in many countries.
It's hard to say the same for those who move abroad with the sole aim of finding love. Search criteria such as age range, physical appearance, and a few character traits don't narrow the field, though. There are other things to factor in as well. You have to learn and understand the culture of the country, its language, etc., which brings us back to the original question: how do you choose the right country to find love?
The wisest thing to do would be to choose a country you have already traveled to and whose language and culture you are familiar with. Even then, there's a big difference between traveling for a few weeks or months and relocating for a few years or a lifetime. Moving abroad to find love has certain consequences. Leaving for this reason alone at least means that you are prepared to stay in the foreign country. However, it remains risky because of the numerous unknowns.
