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Things to consider
You have been offered a position overseas, or have decided to move overseas by yourself. Great! The challenge is exciting and a whole new life awaits you. But... make sure you make the right choice! Living overseas also has its downsides and it is important that you know these and take these into consideration before you move. Expatriate life has its dark sides too.
Culture Shock
Whether the move will expose you to a culture shock off-course depends. There may be no real hefty adjustment required when moving to e.g. Singapore, at least nowhere near the adjustment or culture shock you would experience when moving to countries such as Indonesia or Bangladesh .... depending on where you come from of course, it could be the reverse ... It is difficult to say what the elements of culture shock are, because what one person experiences as stressful, another experiences as colorful and interesting but think about the following:
(Physical) Distance
The truth is, with cheap phone calls, internet with web cams, dozens of (almost) daily direct flights to and from Europe, USA and major parts of Asia per week and all at very affordable prices, the world has become a much smaller place. Especially compared to barely 20 years ago, when there were only a handful of flights a week, costing 3 times as much as they do now, no internet, and a phone call at $7 per minute. Having said that, you will probably be hundreds if not thousands of kilometers away from your parents, siblings, extended family and all your friends. This is often not a problem but there will be times when distance does become a problem. Your father may fall very ill, your grandmother may suddenly pass away, your best friend might call you in tears, telling you she's getting a divorce. Whatever the reason, there will be times when you want to be home ... NOW! And that's not always going to be possible. Consider whether or not you have the financial means or will be earning enough to be able to afford a ticket home at any time. Every expat will find themselves in a situation where they must return home instantly, and not having money for a ticket in situations described above can be a very painful situation. Consider also that there will be many, many times when situations arise which are not urgent enough to go home for, but you would so much have liked to put your arm around your best friend's shoulder, or feel his/her arm around your shoulder. You will have to do without, you will have to share each other's sorrows and disappointments over the phone, and that's not always easy. Also consider that, while you may not have a problem with the distance, other people might. If you have parents who are getting on in years, they may have severe emotional problems with their child living so far away.
Vanishing Friendships
Consider that one of the main building blocks of friendships is sharing a common life and interest. When you move overseas, you will no longer have this, or certainly to a lesser extent. You will start living a completely different life. You will live in a different culture, you will live in a bigger house, you will mingle with people from all nationalities on a daily basis, you will spend your weekend in places your friends can only dream of. Consider that as the years go by, your life and that of your friends back home will drift apart. Friendships will loose their fire. Your friends cannot relate to your life and your experiences whereas you can no longer relate to theirs. They will have found new friends, have gone on to new activities, are talking about people you don't know. Some friendships will last forever, but consider that the form of that friendship will certainly change. Ask yourself whether you let the feelings of your children, who will also leave all their friends behind, play a role in your decision making to move overseas.