Rockets flew over our house, and a villa just 3 kilometers away was completely destroyed that night. It hit me how quickly safety can disappear. That terrifying experience and a few others taught me a lot about living abroad.
Living in China, Iraqi Kurdistan, and South Korea, I faced some unexpected challenges: an earthquake, a wild dog attack, drone strikes, and more.
Although some of these experiences are rare exceptions, I’m sharing these stories to give you a sense of the surprises and unexpected challenges you might face when moving and living abroad.
Key Takeaways
- Living abroad brings unexpected challenges that can take just about any form.
- You can learn a lot from embracing the unknown which leads to personal growth and resilience.
- Reflecting on past experiences can provide great insights for future adventures.
Table of Contents
Earthquake in Iraq
Moving abroad together was already quite an adventure! But nothing prepared me for my first earthquake.
I was sitting at the dinner table working on my blog when, out of nowhere, I started to feel dizzy. I felt the table moving, and when I looked up, I noticed that the lamps hanging from the ceiling were moving a lot!
It didn’t occur to me immediately that it was an earthquake, as I had never experienced one before. It was so strange to feel so dizzy.
When I looked outside, I saw many people standing together, and then I realized that this was an earthquake.
Luckily, it wasn’t strong enough to damage the house. An hour later, another less intense earthquake hit. It took me about two hours to recover from the dizziness. Later I heard that more people had the same thing.
An earthquake might not be on my bucket list, but it certainly added some spice to my life in Erbil! (as if moving to Iraq wasn’t big of an adventure itself).
What I learned from this:
Since back in my home country, earthquakes never happened, I realized even more that living somewhere else in the world is not only about cultural, regulation, and economic differences etc. but also about nature. Before moving abroad, it’s wise to have a look at the country’s history of natural disasters, if there are any.
Trouble with the Chinese Company I Worked For
Moving to China in 2019 felt like a dream until after a few months reality kicked in.
My first few months were smooth, but soon enough, things got, let’s say, complicated.
I ran into visa issues. The company I worked for provided my visa, which allowed me to work for them and also perform shows in clubs in China.
But then, I received an amazing opportunity to do lots of shows for another company. I mailed and called the boss to let him know about this opportunity. But he was not interested! So I figured, ok, suit yourself, I did tell you about it! (This would be fine in The Netherlands, but not in China; I learned that the hard way…)
I started to do shows for the other company.
Then came the big fight with my boss.
He was furious, threatening with lawyers and the whole lot. And as a foreigner in China, you probably won’t stand a chance.
Several days were incredibly stressful, and I couldn’t sleep.
I set up meetings with a jurist familiar with Chinese laws and tried to gather as much information as I could.
But I was also thinking, the boss, he’s bluffing…
I had to take a risk to keep the visa to keep doing the shows, and when it expires, I’ll try to find another company, which I did in Shanghai!
Aside from some angry phone calls and crazy long angry text messages, it all ended well, luckily…
In short, those early days in China turned into a wild roller coaster, and my journey was just beginning!
What I learned from this:
I learned to be even more aware of cultural differences to avoid issues!
Martial Law in South Korea
Moving to a new country is always a leap into the unknown, but experiencing martial law takes that leap to a whole new level.
We just arrived in Seoul three months before, and my parents were visiting from the Netherlands!
Suddenly, we saw on the news that martial law had been declared. Wait what?
Martial law means the military steps in to take control over civilian life.
Especially for my visiting parents, this was shocking. I just came back from Iraq, so I was a bit more used to some turbulence.
So what exactly does this mean?
We kept following the news and saw videos of police and soldiers clashing with protesters in front of the National Assembly building in Seoul, the government’s main building.
The news also hit other countries abroad and reached our friends and families. They sent us worrying messages!
Luckily, martial law was withdrawn after a few hours, and things became more relaxed.
Overall, Seoul is still a very safe place.
What I learned from this:
Stay calm, and don’t get too stressed by what you see on the news. Try to look at things rationally.
Drone and Rocket Attacks 3 km From Our House
We just arrived back in Erbil with our newborn. We had to fly back (with our two cats again!) to Erbil for my wife’s last few months of work before moving to South Korea. I would have preferred to stay in the Netherlands, but that wasn’t an option.
I remember that night vividly. After being back for 2 weeks, I was giving our son a nightly bottle.
Life in Erbil was pretty quiet actually, until that moment… when we suddenly heard distant loud bangs.
I’ve heard loud bangs in Erbil from fireworks and construction before, but these were different…
Within a few minutes, I saw crazy images on Instagram of rockets hitting a large villa.
Perhaps even more spooky was the thought of evacuating and leaving everything behind. If our home country has to send an emergency aircraft, you’re not allowed to take your pets… I honestly don’t know if I could do that and let them stay.
What I learned from this:
Well, what can you learn from rockets flying over your house? Not much, I guess!
Landmines in the Mountains
We discovered remnants from previous conflicts during a hiking trip in Iraq, a country with a complex history. Yes, I mean actual landmines!
We had a hike planned on a trial at the Zagros Mountain that just opened up. Zagrosmountaintrail.org actively researches trails and maps them for other hikers.
When we arrived, we arrived at the foot of the mountain at a small village. Children were playing and we met a few locals.
Surprisingly, one little girl was able to speak English really well! She explained to us that there had been some drone attacks in the mountains a few weeks ago and that we had to stay close to the barbwire that went up the mountain. going too far away from it would be too dangerous. That area hasn’t been checked yet, and there could be landmines.
Wow! I didn’t know that beforehand. Apparently, there are still old landmines from the Saddam times.
But learning about the history of these landmines only heightened my curiosity. In regions that experienced conflict, remnants still remain, particularly from conflicts like those of Saddam. These hidden dangers are a harsh reminder of the past, especially when you see these young children playing in the area.
We went up the mountain and stayed close to the barbwire. Then, when we were almost at the top, the weather changed drastically. It started to rain and even hail!
But, we were treated to a spectacular view:
But considering al the circumstances, we had to go back pretty fast, and safe!
Here’s what I learned:
Stay on marked paths. Straying can lead to dangerous encounters.
Research the area. Knowledge is power—especially when avoiding areas marked “landmine risk.”
Consider a guide. They can provide safety tips and local lore.
Missing Our Most Important Flight
When my wife and I decided to move abroad, we didn’t always fully grasp what awaited us.
For the birth of our son, we had to fly back from Iraq to The Netherlands.
This was likely the most crucial flight I’ve ever taken. If it had been canceled or significantly delayed, we wouldn’t have been able to fly at all. Airlines have strict rules about how far along in pregnancy you can be to board a flight.
If we were to miss any flight ( we also had a transfer), we would be in big trouble.
My pregnant wife, two cats, and I were ready to return home.
As we navigated the airport, I felt confident. What could go wrong? Spoiler: a lot.
In Erbil, we breezed through security, so far so good.
But we had a very short transfer at Istanbul airport.
Then, when we were already in the plane, it was delayed. Only 30 minutes, but this could be too much to even reach our transfer on time.
We arrived in Istanbul and had to rush out of the plane with our luggage, two cats, and my pregnant wife. We asked for an airport shuttle, but it wasn’t there! We thought we had to go and can’t wait for a cart to arrive.
We were able to take a shortcut through a special security, then, we had 15 minutes left.
We had to run.
When we barely made it to the gate, I saw an airport shuttle; I asked can you please quickly bring us? My wife is pregnant!
The airport employee said, “Ooh, is she pregnant? We need to see a document to see if she is allowed to fly!” But we have already shown it three times, and there is no time for it! I don’t think I’ve ever been more stressed in my life…
We said forget about the shuttle, we ran the last part, and we barely made it.
The plane was completely full, and we still had to find our seats and make sure our cats were doing ok. Talk about a cat-astrophe!
So there we were—just in time. I learned an important lesson that day: traveling with a pregnant wife and two cats requires both adventure and a backup plan. However, we didn’t have a backup plan.
Lesson learned.
What I learned from this:
Even when you’ve prepared everything, there will still be unexpected things.
Police at the Door
Right before the COVID era started, I lived in China, but I was visiting The Netherlands. I got a message that my work visa was ready, so I had to come back. Then, after 3 days the borders of China closed! Just in time!
The streets were eerie and completely empty.
To get my new work visa, I had to fly to Shenzhen; domestic flights were still possible.
After a few days in Shenzhen, I returned to Beijing, in our little hutong house.
Then, only after few hours two policemen were at my door.
Oh sh*t.
Two Uniformed Officers stood there, looking serious. My mind raced with “What did I do?!”
The neighbors even came to watch!
He asked for my flight tickets. Luckily, I still had them. I learned that in China, you need to save every document you get because you just never know.
I thought, how does he know that I just was on a flight?! (Obviously, they know everything about you in China, but it was probably the first time that I had this harsh realization)
In broken English, they asked about my travels. I tried to explain that I went to Shenzhen and didn’t come from abroad.
I didn’t know what they were saying, and then one of my neighbors explained that I had to stay inside the house for two weeks.
I was relieved; going into quarantine at home is not bad.
My wife was also there, and we asked if she also had to stay inside. They said, no, she can go outside, but just keep a distance between you two!
I was thinking, our house is about 35 m2, how are we going to keep a distance between us?!
Never mind… sure, we’ll do it! thank you, officer!
What I learned from this:
If anything happens, stay calm and try to observe the situation. In China, it is much more common for the police to handle a broader range of things than in the Western world. For instance, I had to register when I moved into a new home in Beijing at the police station (which isn’t common in the West). So it’s smart to be aware of local regulations.
Wild Dog Attack
One of my most hair-raising experiences after moving abroad happened in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan.
There I was, driving my car with a visiting friend through the peaceful landscape of Safeen Mountain, when we suddenly spotted a wild dog. You see them quite a lot, even in the city, and they are (almost) always just chilling and lying around.
I was driving in my car with a friend, and I could see the dog slowly approaching us.
We had to drive past it as there was no other route of the mountain, and the dog suddenly started to run towards us, barking loudly! The dog was huge!
Then, he came so close to us that I shouted to my friend quick! close the window!
I quickly calculated my options: 1. Speed away, 2. Stop and take a photo, or 3. Offer them snacks. Spoiler alert: I chose the first option.
The dog jumped towards the car! I turned the wheel and barely missed the dog as he jumped! The car drifted to the side, I hit the gas pedal, and we took off!
Later, I learned that these dogs help keep the balance of nature around the city by keeping wolves at a distance. It’s better to have these dogs than wolves around!
What I learned from this:
I learned that I’m really a cat person! 😉
Reflection: Looking Back and Forward
Moving abroad has been a wild ride, filled with unforgettable moments and, luckily, only a few scary ones. But who’s to say nothing terrible would have happened back home?
Something unexpected can happen anywhere you go, so there is no point in staying put!
Of course, going to some countries involves certain risks, such as Iraq. But, crime-wise, it’s a safer place than many in Europe.
Countries are often much different in reality from how they are portrayed on the news. You’ll likely only hear and read about the bad things happening, but not the positive things of a country: China? Scary! South Korea? Still at war with North Korea! Iraq? Isn’t that a war zone? Oman? There is only sand!
There’s only one way of discovering what a country is like: going out there and start exploring.
Have you ever faced something terryfing while traveling or living abroad? Let me know in the comments below!
Moving Jack
Hi! I’m Chris, a traveler who’s explored over 40 countries and lived in fascinating places across Asia and the Middle East. Featured by top travel outlets, I’m here to offer real insights, hidden places, and practical tips to make the most of your travels. Let’s go!
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