Living in the UK isn’t the only option

For virtually all my life, until the last few years, I lived in properties within half a mile of each other in southeast London. Even the hospital I was born in was within that area.

During that time I thought it unthinkable that I would ever live anywhere else. But then divorce triggered a completely new life, living part of the time with a new partner in Zurich and then another in Los Angeles, then a move to Suffolk and then lots of moving about due to travel writing.

All that change, coupled with the UK descending into the worst mess I’ve ever known in my lifetime since austerity cuts began in 2010, caused me to completely revise my views on living in the UK.

This week’s Sunday Times had an article on how people dialling 999 when they are having a heart attack or stroke or have suffered serious burns - and who medics deem should be seen within 18 minutes - are being asked to get themselves to the hospital themselves in some parts of England, for lack of ambulances.

Another article the same day detailed how adults referred for an autism assessment have been told that the waiting list is so long in their part of the country that they may not be seen until 2043.

Those are pretty strong indications that the UK remains in dire straits, and of course further extraordinary examples of a country that’s completely lost its way crop up daily.

That’s not to say the UK, for all its problems, doesn’t retain so many wonderful and remarkable aspects. Chronic lack of funding hasn’t taken away its beautiful countryside, exceptional architecture, outstanding museums and cultural centres, to name but a few.

However, it’s not that surprising that a survey out this week - The Next Generation UK 2024 survey conducted to mark the 90th anniversary of the British Council - found that three-quarters of young people in the UK would consider moving abroad. Two thirds of the 3000 respondents aged from 18 to 30 said their standard of living was worse than it was for their parents’ generation, while more than half cited low wages as the biggest challenge.

The internet has made many people in many jobs much more mobile now, and seriously cheap airfares in the last couple of decades have enabled far more travel - it’s a pity trains, which are of course much more eco-conscious, don’t usually have low fares also.

Therefore living abroad is far easier than ever before, whether in one place if you have commitments like a family or office-based job, or being a constantly moving digital nomad if you don’t.

The idea of living abroad is only set to grow and grow. As well as rocketing housing costs in the UK, the pandemic provided the perfect catalyst for a reappraisal of how we live. It resulted in a mass reimagining of office life and the introduction of compelling tax incentives and extended visas by numerous governments across the globe. There are currently thought to be around 35 million digital nomads worldwide, and it’s believed that by 2035 around one billion – or one third of the global workforce – will be living and working this way.

Years of travel have convinced me that young people should never be afraid to look past our shores for somewhere to live or build a life. While none of these other countries are complete idylls devoid of considerable problems of their own, they do offer incredible experiences, insights and advantages.

Choose a cheap enough place to live, and hopefully you’ll be left with enough spare cash to revisit your home country regularly. Or choose a place with higher rates of pay, or with far less competition in the field that you work.

And you don’t need to commit your life forever more in a new country. If it doesn’t work out - you can always come back.