101 Top Motivational Life Abroad Quotes to Fuel Your Adventure

Moving abroad and living abroad is absolutely one of the scariest and most challenging experiences you’ll ever have in your life. I’ve done it – twice – and the second time wasn’t any easier.

But it’s also one of the most rewarding things you can ever accomplish. And yes, it’s worth it.

Here are some of my favorite motivational life abroad quotes to give you courage, perspective, and comfort.

(PS…Stay tuned til the end, where I go through my favorite Taylor Swift quotes for moving abroad.)

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Motivational Life Abroad Quotes

Here are my favorite motivational life abroad quotes, for when you need a little inspiration. If the ground under your feet feels a little unsteady, read on.

1.

motivational life abroad quote about courage text overlaid on an image of the Sagrada Famiglia in Barcelona

Travel is never a matter of money, but of courage.”

– Paulo Coelho

Coelho emphasizes that the essence of travel is about the bravery to step out of your comfort zone, not the financial aspect (but the financial aspect sure is important, too)!

2.

Travel early and travel often. Live abroad, if you can. Understand cultures other than your own. As your understanding of other cultures increases, your understanding of yourself and your own culture will increase exponentially.

– Tom Freston

Freston encourages living abroad as a means to personal and cultural growth, suggesting that it can lead to a deeper understanding of oneself. I’ve found this to be exponentially true!

3.

The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.

– Christopher McCandless

If you haven’t read John Krakauer’s Into the Wild about McCandless, read it ASAP. Chris McCandless’s words highlight the joy that comes from new experiences and the ever-changing adventure of traveling. It’s all the more poingant when you know what happened to him.

4.

Life might be difficult for a while, but I would tough it out because living in a foreign country is one of those things that everyone should try at least once. My understanding was that it completed a person, sanding down the rough provincial edges and transforming you into a citizen of the world.”

– David Sedaris

Sedaris conveys the idea that living abroad shapes and enriches a person, making them more worldly and well-rounded. He’s brilliantly funny, and for anyone moving abroad I highly recommend Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls.

5.

To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.”

– Bill Bryson

All around brilliant author Bill Bryson has many poingant quotes for moving abroad in his huge array of titles. This quote suggests that travel refreshes our perspective on the everyday, making the mundane exciting again.

6.

The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”

– St. Augustine

This quote is akin to how humans only use part of their brain. Once you start traveling, you unlock the potential of the full spectrum.

7.

With age, comes wisdom. With travel, comes understanding.”

– Sandra Lake

And if you’re aged, and have a bunch of travel experiences under your belt, I can bet you’re a more well-rounded person than the rest.

8.

We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.”

– Jawaharlal Nehru

I love the curiosity embodied in this quote. If you open your eyes, stay curious, and hold onto bravery, you’ll see so much beauty.

9.

Not all those who wander are lost.”

– J. R. R. Tolkien

Tolkien’s famous line from “The Lord of the Rings” – the ultimate foreign adventure book -describes how you’ll learn things along the way that make ‘losing yourself’ worth it. It also hints at a greater purpose.

10.

motivational moving abroad quote set over a travel photograph

The best journeys in life are those that answer questions you never thought to ask.”

― Rich Ridgeway

Moving abroad, you’ll find parts of yourself you didn’t know existed, and you’ll find answers you didn’t know you needed.

11.

To travel is to evolve.”

– Pierre Bernardo

Bernardo succinctly captures the idea that travel is a process of personal evolution.

12.

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

– Mark Twain

Twain argues that travel is essential to overcoming narrow-mindedness and developing a broader, more charitable view of the world.

Quotes About Living Abroad & Your New Life Abroad

Here are some of my favorite quotes about living abroad for when you’re making that tricky adjustment, from foreigner to local.

13.

moving abroad quote: "life is easy when you are abroad" set over an image of locals walking in Rome.

“Loving life is easy when you are abroad. Where no one knows you and you hold your life in your hands all alone, you are more master of yourself than at any other time.”

– Hannah Arendt

This is one of the least talked about and most profound differences I have experienced after moving abroad; when all of your metrics for comparison to others are gone, you see more value in yourself.

14.

“I can’t think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything. Suddenly you are five years old again. You can’t read anything, you have only the most rudimentary sense of how things work, you can’t even reliably cross a street without endangering your life. Your whole existence becomes a series of interesting guesses.”

– Bill Bryson

If you’re living abroad, read any of Bryson’s travel books. He captures the adventurous spirit and learning experiences that come with immersing yourself in a completely new environment.

15.

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

– Albert Einstein

It’s all relative! This is a great quote from Einstein about finding balance, even when it’s hard.

16.

“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”

– Alan Watts

Watts reminds us that we have to keep moving, keep going with the flow, and eventually we’ll find equilibrium.

17.

moving abroad quote: text over image of greek islands optimised for instagram

“Sometimes the hardest part isn’t letting go but rather learning to start over.”

– Nicole Sobon

This moving abroad quote is a gut punch if you’re leaving behind any tricky situations at home. You’re starting fresh, and that’s scary!

18.

“Change might not be fast and it isn’t always easy. But with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped.”

– Charles Duhigg

I love this quote for it’s simplicity: it reminds us expats that what we’re doing is really, really hard. But it’s also worth it.

19.

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”

– Charles Darwin

Looking at moving abroad as ‘survival of the fittest’ is a great comparison. Expat life is exponentially harder than just staying in the comfort of home. But you’ll emerge stronger and more adaptible.

20.

life abroad quote: "moving on is a simple thing, what it leaves behind is hard." text overlaid over image of desert trek

“Moving on, is a simple thing, what it leaves behind is hard.”

– Dave Mustaine

This quote is quite emotional for expats; we know that we are leaving our old life behind. The people, places and things still exist there at home, but not for us.

21.

“Every exit is an entry somewhere else.”

– Tom Stoppard

This life abroad quote is so true; sometimes you won’t even see the exit door before you’re through it and on the other side.

22.

“The art of life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings.”

– Kakuzo Okakura

Being flexible is so important, and it’s a skill we need to practice, especially as expats.

23.

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

– George Bernard Shaw

Moving abroad is so much more a mental game than a physical one, and this quote is a good reminder that if you don’t change your mind, you won’t change anything about your life.

24.

“Life moves on and so should we.”

– Spencer Johnson

This quote is emotional when you think about your life back home – it keeps going, whether you’re there or not.

25.

“You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one.”

– Michael McMillan

This quote is a great reminder to stop repeating old patterns. You moved for a reason – change your familiar patterns, and only then will your life truly change.

26.

“Moving on doesn’t mean you forget about things. It just means you have to accept what happened and continue living.”

– Erza Scarlet

You’ll never forget your life back home, but you have to accept that life there moves on without you.

27.

“The greatest step towards a life of simplicity is to learn to let go.”

– Steve Maraboli

Learning to let go is one of the most important lessons that moving abroad will teach you.

28.

moving abroad quote from famous literature over a photo of a long highway into the distance

“There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”

– C.S. Lewis

This is an easy sentiment to understand, but hard to accept in the moment. Trust me, it WILL get better. Give it time.

29.

“One of the happiest moments in life is when you find the courage to let go of what you can’t change.”

– Unknown

There’s so much about moving and living abroad you can’t change. If you accept that, you’ll be so much happier.

30.

“Sometimes it takes a heartbreak to shake us awake and help us see we are worth so much more than we’re settling for.”

– Mandy Hale

This is a great quote for when you’re making a huge leap: forward, away, and not looking back.

31.

“Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny.”

– Steve Maraboli

This is a powerful quote about the people we leave behind. I’ve found as an American living abroad that the people who are meant to be in your life will make the effort to stay in touch. Those wo aren’t, won’t.

32.

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but simply moving on with dignity despite that fear.”

– Pat Riley

Did you hear that? It’s so true.

33.

“You’ve got to make a conscious choice every day to shed the old – whatever ‘the old’ means for you.”

– Sarah Ban Breathnach

It might be your old job, your old house, your old friends. You don’t have to let them go, but you do have to embrace the new in order to move forward.

Quotes About Studying Abroad

Studying abroad is truly life-changing. Here are some quotes about studying abroad for when you’re about to embark on a huge life change.

34.

quotes about studying abroad: "not all classrooms have four walls" text overlaid on image of the Roman Colosseum

Not all classrooms have four walls.

– Unknown

This quote is a reminder that education and learning can happen anywhere, not just within the traditional classroom setting. You’re learning so much by studying abroad, and not just academically.

35.

Studying abroad is about experiencing a foreign country — and the most beautiful, important part of a country’s culture is its people.

– Alexander Kolker

Kolker highlights the importance of cultural immersion and connecting with locals when studying abroad.

36.

Cross-cultural learning and studying abroad can be transformative.”

– Amal Clooney

Clooney speaks to the profound impact that studying abroad can have on an individual’s worldview and understanding of different cultures.

37.

One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.

– Henry Miller

Miller suggests that the true journey of studying abroad lies in the new perspectives you gain, not just the physical location.

38.

quotes about studying abroad: text overlaid on image of european cityscape

Study abroad is the single most effective way of changing the way we view the world.”

– Chantal Mitchell

Mitchell asserts the value of study abroad programs in expanding one’s horizons and altering preconceived notions about the world.

39.

“It’s a big world out there, it would be a shame not to experience it.”

– Jo Andrews

Andrews encourages taking the opportunity to explore the vastness of the world through study abroad experiences.

Quotes for Moving Abroad: Leaving Your Homeland

Leaving one’s home country is emotionally complex and can bring up so many feelings. Here are ten quotes that speak to the journey of leaving one’s homeland.

40.

moving abroad quotes by anthony bourdain, text overlaid on image of the roman colosseum

If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food. It’s a plus for everybody.

– Anthony Bourdain

Is there anyone better to look to for comfort about moving abroad? The late, great Anthony Bourdain’s words of wisdom encourage us to broaden our lives and experiences.

41.

“The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.”

– Charles Dickens, ‘Nicholas Nickelby’

You’ll see them again. You will. And the reunion will be wonderful.

42.

“We leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place, we stay there, even though we go away. And there are things in us that we can find again only by going back there.”

– Pascal Mercier, “Night Train to Lisbon”

I often feel like a person without a country as an expat, and this quote sums it up perfectly.

43.

“I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.”

– Mary Anne Radmacher

You’ll never be the same after leaving your homeland.

44.

“To emigrate is always to dismantle the center of the world, and so to move into a lost, disoriented one of fragments.”

– John Berger

This is another one of my favorite quotes for moving abroad – you’ll feel strangely connected and disconnected to both cultures.

45.

living abroad quotes from Isabelle Allende, overlaid on an image of the canals of venice

“Leaving your country is like dying, and when you return, you are like a ghost returning to the land of the living, not sure where you belong.”

– Isabel Allende

The great author Isabel Allende has so many great quotes about immigrating, but this is my favorite. You’ll feel a bit lost in both places, and that’s okay. I encourage anyone moving abroad to read her books – they’re both comforting and relatable.

46.

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”

– Henry Miller

It’s all about perspective.

47.

“I take with me the emptiness of the sea, the vastness of the sky, the sharpness of the wind and the longing that these elements awake.”

– Unknown

As an expat you’ll long for things you didn’t know you needed, and carry them with you always.

48.

“Every dreamer knows that it is entirely possible to be homesick for a place you’ve never been to, perhaps more homesick than for familiar ground.”

– Judith Thurman

This is one of those quotes about living abroad that sums up an indescribable feeling – that you’re missing out if you don’t go, and missing out if you do.

49.

“Exile is strangely compelling to think about but terrible to experience. It is the unhealable rift forced between a human being and a native place, between the self and its true home: its essential sadness can never be surmounted.”

– Edward W. Said

You may feel a gulf between your home country and your new one, filled with things you miss, hold dear, and long to see again.

50.

“When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.”

– Clifton Fadiman

Fadiman reminds us travelers that living abroad means adapting to a different way of life, not expecting it to adapt to you. Go with THEIR flow, not yours.

51.

living abroad quotes: "nobody can discover the world for someone else." Text overlaid over image of an azure sea

“Nobody can discover the world for somebody else. Only when we discover it for ourselves does it become common ground and a common bond and we cease to be alone.”

– Wendell Berry

This quote emphasizes the personal growth and unique experiences that come from studying abroad. And once you discover the world, you’ll never look back.

52.

Simple exchanges can break walls down between us, for when people come together and speak to one another and share a common experience, then their common humanity is revealed.”

– Barack Obama

Obama speaks to the power of exchange and dialogue in creating understanding and shared experiences across cultures. This is so important when moving abroad – you’ll learn lessons you didn’t know you needed to learn.

Quotes About Living Abroad & Starting Over

Here’s some essential quotes for moving abroad when you’re feeling like you’re starting from scratch.

53.

moving abroad quote over travel photography image of waterfall in iceland

“And suddenly you just know… it’s time to start something new and trust in the magic of new beginnings.”

– Meister Ekhart

If you’re moving abroad or thinking of moving abroad, you know this moment. It’s the moment that you know in your gut that this is something you need to do. Listen to it.

54.

“It’s impossible,” said pride. It’s risky, said experience. It’s pointless, said reason. Give it a try, whispered the heart.”

– Unknown

Yes, you have fears and doubts. That’s normal. But if you don’t try, you’ll never know what you’re capable of.

55.

“You’re never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”

– C.S. Lewis

Lewis’s sentiment is a reminder that it’s never too late to make your dream of living abroad a reality, no matter your age.

56.

motivational quote about moving abroad; text overlaid on image of european cobbled street at twilight; sized for instagram

Hard is trying to rebuild yourself, piece by piece, with no instruction book, and no clue as to where all the important bits are supposed to go.”

– Nick Hornby, A Long Way Down

Nick Hornby should be essential reading for anyone going through a huge life change and change in relationships.

57.

A bridge of silver wings stretches from the dead ashes of an unforgiving nightmare to the jeweled vision of a life started anew.”

– Aberjhani, Journey through the Power of the Rainbow: Quotations from a Life Made Out of Poetry

A bit of a flowery quote for me, but I like that it describes the gap between your old life and new.

58.

The only real battle in life is between hanging on and letting go.”

– Shannon L. Alder

You’ll be in the midst of this battle when you move abroad, and it’s difficult.

59.

Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective.”

– G.K. Chesterton, A Chesterton calendar

Change this to “person” instead of man, and it reflects the challenge of truly starting clean.

60.

Instead of saying, ‘I’m damaged, I’m broken, I have trust issues’ say ‘I’m healing, I’m rediscovering myself, I’m starting over.’

– Horacio Jones

Jones’ I am the Love of My Life should be essential reading for starting over.

61.

inspirational life abroad quotes overlaid on image of waterfalls in a nordic country. sized for instagram

So what do we do? Anything. Something. So long as we just don’t sit there. If we screw it up, start over. Try something else. If we wait until we’ve satisfied all the uncertainties, it may be too late.”

– Lee Iacocca

Iacocca emphasizes the imporatance of keeping movement going, never stopping, and questioning along the way.

62.

How do you restart something that had never been turned off?”

– Veronica Rossi, Under the Never Sky

Your old life doesn’t “turn off,” but your relationship to it does.

63.

All great beginnings start in the dark, when the moon greets you to a new day at midnight.”

– Shannon L. Alder

You might not have clarity now, and that’s okay. You just have to wait for daylight.

64.

The death of a dream can in fact serve as the vehicle that endows it with new form, with reinvigorated substance, a fresh flow of ideas, and splendidly revitalized color. In short, the power of a certain kind of dream is such that death need not indicate finality at all but rather signify a metaphysical and metaphorical leap forward.”

– Aberjhani, The River of Winged Dreams

Quotes for Moving Abroad to Nudge You Forward 

65.

living abroad quotes: "a ship in a harbour is safe, but that's not what ships are made for." Text overlaid on image of port at twilight

A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.

-John A. Shedd

As humans, we’re not built to stay in one place our whole lives.

66.

Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.

– Seth Godin

Godin challenges us to create a life that feels like a constant adventure, not one we need to take breaks from. This is easier said than done, but an admirable goal.

67.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”

– Steve Jobs

Jobs’s powerful words remind us to live authentically and courageously, a message that resonates with the decision to move abroad. 

68.

“Leaving home in a sense involves a kind of second birth in which we give birth to ourselves.”

– Robert Neelly Bellah

This is one of my favorite quotes for living abroad because you really do have a second birth and start life anew.

69.

“It’s not about the place you come from, it’s about the place you go.”

– One Direction, “Don’t Forget Where You Belong”

Cheesy One Direction quote? Yes. True? Also yes.

70.

living abroad quote about leaving home; text overlaid on image of lush english countryside

Home is not where you are born; home is where all your attempts to escape cease.

– Naguib Mahfouz

This is a gut punch if you’ve always felt like you’re in the wrong place or in the wrong family; you can find a place you feel like you fit. It’ll just take some time.

71.

“You get a strange feeling when you leave a place, like you’ll not only miss the people you love, but you miss the person you are at this time and place because you’ll never be this way ever again.”

– Azar Nafisi

This is a great reminder to capture moments – you’ll never be this age in this place again.

72.

“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.”

– Maya Angelou

If you’ve never felt at home where you’re from, you’re not alone.

73.

“I believe that all of our lives we’re looking for home and if we’re really lucky, we find it in someone’s loving arms. I think that’s what life is – coming home.”

– Anita Krizzan

Coming home can be to a person, not just a place, and it’s a good reminder that in living abroad, it’s also about who we meet and the connections we make.

Quotes About Living Abroad in a Foreign Land 

74.

quotes about moving abroad; text overlaid on image of Tower Bridge in London

There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.”

– Robert Louis Stevenson

You may feel out of your element, and that’s what it’s all about!

75.

“A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.”

– Gandhi

Gandhi speaks to the deep connection between a country’s culture and its people, something one can fully appreciate when living abroad.

76.

The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.”

– Gilbert K. Chesterton

You’ll have such a different perspective on your home country by living abroad.

77.

Those who visit foreign nations, but who associate only with their own countrymen, change their climate, but not their customs.”

– Charles Caleb Colton

Colton points out that one does not truly experience a foreign land unless they engage with the local culture. This is so true, and a really important aspect of feeling at home in your new country.

78.

Life is a journey through a foreign land.

– O.R. Melling

Melling likens life itself to the experience of traveling through unknown territory. As an expat, it’s all unknown territory!

79.

biblical quote about living abroad: "I have been a stranger in a foreign land," Quote from Moses overlaid on image of hikers exploring the mountains

I have been a stranger in a foreign land.”

– Moses

This quote, attributed to Moses, speaks to the universal experience of feeling like an outsider. But you won’t always feel like an outsider if you give it time.

80.

“The most difficult task for anyone wandering through a foreign land with the hope of gaining some insight into it is the profound need to come to terms with the lives and thoughts of strangers.”

– Simon Winchester

Anyone moving abroad should read Simon Winchester – he has a huge catalogue of books that speak to your homeland, your nation, and feeling like a speck in a huge sea of humanity.

Quotes About Living Abroad & Returning Home

Here are the best quotes about living abroad and the reality of returning home after a long time away. It’s a rough transition, like grieving.

81.

quotes about studying abroad: text overlaid on image of plane flying over water

You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart will always be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place.”

– Miriam Adeney

Adeney beautifully captures the bittersweet feeling of having homes in multiple places.

82.

Our homes are not defined by geography or one particular location, but by memories, events, people, and places that span the globe.”

– Marilyn Gardner

Gardner speaks to the idea that home is a collection of experiences and relationships rather than a single physical place.

83.

Where we love is home – home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.”

– Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

Even if you have to go home and you don’t want to, your heart will stay abroad. And that’s okay.

84.

The thrill of coming home has never changed.

– Guy Pearce

Coming home is thrilling, sure, but it’s also really hard as an expat.

85.

“There is no greater happiness for a man than approaching a door at the end of a day knowing someone on the other side of that door is waiting for the sound of his footsteps.”

– Ronald Reagan

Reagan touches on the deep joy of being expected and welcomed at home. It helps to be welcomed “home,” no matter where that is.

86.

quotes about living abroad and returning home, text overlaid on image of passport holder at airport

I’m ready to accept the challenge. I’m coming home.”

– LeBron James

This quote by LeBron James reflects a sense of readiness and determination to return to familiar grounds. We’re not returning to basketball, but we’re equipping ourselves for the challenge of returning to the familiar. Because it IS a challenge.

87.

“The most important thing in life is your family. There are days you love them, and others you don’t. But, in the end, they’re the people you always come home to. Sometimes it’s the family you’re born into and sometimes it’s the one you make for yourself.”

– Candice Bergen

Bergen reflects on the central role of family as the ultimate homecoming, whether by blood or by bond.

88.

“We should come home from adventures, and perils, and discoveries every day with new experience and character.”

– Henry David Thoreau

Thoreau suggests that every day should bring new growth that we bring back to our place of origin.

89.

“Maybe that’s the best part of going away for a vacation—coming home again.”

– Madeleine L’Engle

L’Engle proposes that the joy of travel is amplified by the return to the comforts of home. As an expat, you’ll come home with a totally new perspective on what’s important, who is important, and a renewed sense of purpose.

90.

quotes about leaving home from James Baldwin, text overlaid on image of a cozy entryway

“Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition.”

– James Baldwin

I thought I couldn’t love James Baldwin more, and then I read this quote. It makes my little expat heart flutter, because he speaks so much truth to the reality that home is where you make it.

91.

“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.”

– Lin Yutang

Your metaphorical “pillow” is all the comforts of home. But what’s familiar will have changed dramatically.

92.

“Leaving home always means leaving with your feet, never with your heart.”

– Unknown

No matter where you live, all the places and faces that feel like home to you are always with you.

Taylor Swift Quotes for Moving Abroad

Okay, we all know what the songs are really about (or we can theorize). But Taylor is so full of widsom in every area of life!

These are some lyrics that make great quotes for moving abroad: coming or going, happy or heartbroken.

93.

taylor swift quote from "happiness" overlaid on an image of a plane taking off at sunset

“There’ll be happiness after you but there was happiness because of you.”

-Taylor Swift, “Happiness”

This Taylor Swift lyric tugs at the heartstrings of all of us who have moved and lived abroad. It speaks to the immense happiness and sorrow that can come with moving and returning home again, and the huge life change it brings.

94.

taylor swift lyrics from blank space over image of seagulls flying

 “It’ll leave you breathless or with a nasty scar.”

-Taylor Swift, “Blank Space”

Those who have lived or moved abroad know it can go one of two ways: amazing, or terrible. And sometimes both simultaneously.

95.

taylor swift quote from this love over image of the statue of liberty in nyc

 “This love left a permanent mark.”

-Taylor Swift, “This Love”

Once you’ve fallen in love with a place, it stays with you forever. And it will always be a part of you, whether it’s your home or not. I like to think that Taylor herself still has part of her heart in the UK, even though she’s not as connected to London as she once was.

96.

taylor swift lyrics from happiness over an image of an airplane flying in a blue sky

“Leave it all behind, and there is happiness.”

-Taylor Swift, “Happiness” 

These Taylor Swift lyrics hit hard if you’ve moved abroad after a hard time at home. There CAN be happiness if you leave it all behind and start fresh. Maybe not immediately, but it will happen.

97.

taylor swift lyrics from exile over image of the nyc skyline at twilight

“You were my town, Now I’m in exile, seein’ you out.”

-Taylor Swift & Justin Vernon, “Exile”

Is there a sadder, more emotional song than Exile? When you’re moving abroad or leaving home, thinking of these lyrics literally really pulls at your heart.

98.

taylor swift lyrics from exile over image of a plane taking off at sunset

“So step right out, there is no amount of crying I can do for you.”

-Taylor Swift & Justin Vernon, Exile

Another great Exile lyric quote for moving abroad or living abroad; this reminds us that we’ll always long for home, but that leaving was the right choice, and we’re better because of it.

99.

taylor swift lyrics from "you're on your own kid" over image of a plane taking off

“You’re on your own, kid. You always have been.”

-Taylor Swift, “You’re on Your Own, Kid”

Especially if you’re studying abroad, this lyric hits hard. You’re on your own, but in moving abroad you realize that it’s always been you, and you’re just now meeting the powerful person you are.

100.

taylor swift lyrics from "this love" over image of plane landing at twilight

“When you’re young you just run, but you come back to what you need.”

-Taylor Swift, “This Love”

If you’ve studied abroad or lived abroad and are coming back home, this Taylor Swift lyric is for you. You may have moved impulsively, or maybe it wasn’t the right fit, or maybe it’s just time to come home. But you’ll always return to what you need.

101.

taylor swift lyrics from "clean" overlaid on image of airplane winging soaring through purple skies and fluffy clouds

Rain came pouring down, When I was drowning, that’s when I could finally breathe.

-Taylor Swift, “Clean”

If you’ve ever moved abroad and felt relief, this Taylor Swift lyric is for you. You know the feeling she’s talking about: starting over, starting fresh, starting anew. It’s life-changing.

Quotes for Moving Abroad: Final Thoughts

Whew, that was a long list!

Did I miss your favorite? Email me at Jen (at) London in Real Life (dot) com and I’ll add your favorite moving abroad quotes.

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