Why migration is no longer your only chance at a better life

A lot of people believe that they were born in the wrong era. The problem is that they haven’t really thought it through. Epidemics of now-curable diseases, access to modern medical care, prosthetics that are almost as good as real limbs, a modern standard of living, and food security are just some of the things that you’re likely undervaluing. In other words, you’re just saying that without thinking it through.

Then, there are people who believe they’re born in the wrong place. Once again, while this can be true in someone’s case, for a lot of people, this is just an idea that they’ve not really thought through. You see, in the past, this was a much bigger factor than it is today.

Of course, if you’re living in a war-torn area or in a place where personal freedoms are heavily restricted, this is another story altogether. However, if you just want to move because of a change in lifestyle or new opportunities, chances are that there’s a simpler way to get there.

With this in mind, let us try to elaborate on why migrating is really not your only option.

Online content
In the past, moving to a different region meant having access to better-stocked libraries, richer TV and radio programs, and much, much more. If you lived in an area with media notorious for propaganda, moving to a distant region meant getting more nuanced takes on a daily basis.

Thanks to the internet, this is no longer as restrictive.

Today, you can easily watch content from all over the globe. You can watch the same YouTube videos as everyone else, read the same Wikipedia articles, and, generally speaking, find anything that you’re looking for.

Now, one major bottleneck here is definitely geo-restrictions. Fortunately, there are a few ways to get around it, as well. For instance, you can effectively get around geo-restrictions with the help of VPN apps for mobile devices. You could also download the content if you can find it available. When on your device, chances are that it will no longer check for your location. Even then, you can find an app that allows you to change your locale. In some (rare) instances, even changing your time zone might work.

The most important thing you need to understand is that while online content isn’t everything, for the populace that’s terminally online, this is really the only thing that counts.

Availability of remote work
If you plan to migrate for economic reasons, chances are that you have another option available. Remote work is becoming huge, even in the same country/city, but if you’re from a less developed country, it could be a saving grace.

You see, not only do you get unlimited access to job opportunities, but you also get a hidden perk of living in a country with lower costs. In other words, you can get paid the US salaries and get the privilege of spending it in a country with a much lower cost of living.

In other words, you can earn $4000 per month and pay $200 for rent and $100 for food per month. On the other hand, you could also work from a tropical island, a remote tundra, or spend your summer in Malta.

Sure, there are a lot of logistical issues with this. For instance, receiving money and paying taxes for money you received from abroad could be a bit complex. Still, this is no longer as big of a problem. Since global work became such a huge trend, the majority of countries rushed to regulate this type of work, which means that you now have a chance to do it all fairly easily by the books.

More importantly, payment options have advanced drastically, but if there’s no other way, you can always receive money in crypto.

Regardless of whether you’re doing it for yourself or for your family, finding remote work is always more efficient than moving away and sending remittances.

Meeting new people
One of the main reasons for you to travel abroad would be to meet new people and get to know new cultures. Well, the latter is fairly easy to achieve by consuming online content. Sure, we know it’s not the same, but the thing is that quantity may make up for quality in a way.

This way, you could watch a video about the coldest city on the planet, and the next minute, watch a video about the hottest place on Earth. You could even consume this kind of content in order to plan for your future travels.

Also, the majority of people are interacting online. Chances are that you have that one friend that you communicate with on a daily basis. You send memes, perhaps even share everything about your day, but try to remember when you saw them in person last time. Chances are that you can’t.

So, if your circle of friends is annoying you and you want to meet someone else, there’s nothing stopping you from befriending someone from half a world away. You would be surprised at how meaningful these social media interactions can be, especially when you learn a thing or two about it.

You don’t even have to travel in order to find your future partner. Just think about it: even locally, the majority of people in 2024 will be meeting via dating apps or social media. There’s literally nothing preventing you from meeting someone from the other end of the globe and starting a (at first a long-distance) relationship. Then, if things work out, you can meet and start dating in a more traditional sense.

Online education
One of the best things about the internet is the fact that you can learn almost any skill remotely.

There are so many online courses out there, some with incredible accreditation and credentials. This means that you can earn a degree or a certificate that you could use to advance your career.

Another thing worth mentioning is that these online courses sometimes bring in guest speakers who are at the top of the field. You can also attend webinars where they are guest lecturers. In the past, you would have to travel across the continent in a carriage in order to listen to the sharpest mind of your time speak. Today, it’s all about tuning into the right channel. Most of this content is even available for free if you can find the lecture on YouTube.

Even outside of traditional online educational institutions, you can go to platforms like Fiverr and find yourself a tutor. This way, you can get a one-on-one approach that you so desperately need.

This doesn’t even have to be academic at all. A lot of people hire personal trainers remotely. This way, you can learn more about fitness.

In the past, the quality of available education was a huge factor (big enough to move). Today, this is no longer as restricting.

You have more options that are not location-based than ever before
Once again, we’re not suggesting that you shouldn’t move or that it’s a bad idea by any means. All that we’re saying is that the four reasons listed above are no longer as big as they once were. In the past, the only way to solve these four problems was to move to a different country. Today, you have one more option to consider before passing a final decision.

The article Why migration is no longer your only chance at a better life first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.