How to Test a New Country Before You Move

Don't run headfirst into a bad situation.

This is the paid follow-up to Immigrating to a New Country? Test Before You Move! If you don’t have a paid subscription, don’t worry. The last post was free, and the next one will be too! This post is for the people who help me pay for grad school and adventures with paid subscriptions—and those who have appeared in my blog posts and videos over the years. Thank you!

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Brief Note on Weeks-Long Absence: I’d like to quickly share where I ran off to after my last post for July. As many of you might remember, my work was replaced by AI yet again in early June. In the last week of July, all my job searching finally paid off as I was bombarded with client work.

My PhD then officially began on August 1st…and so did my PhD kick-off trip in Ireland. I returned to Spain with all the best intentions to write, but then seem to have taken the flu back with me. I’m still not recovered yet, but I’m about 70% of the way there.

Needless to say, I have a lot to share in the next few weeks and will ensure there are 2 free and 2 paid posts this month, as usual. Just oddly timed. All that said, let’s get started!

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I moved to Spain in October 2024. My time here so far have been some of the most challenging few months of my life. Even small trials feel like big hurdles when you are a continent away from everyone you know and you’re still learning the language. Imagine being laid off—not once, but—twice and then having to bounce back before starting your PhD.

Yet, my time in Spain has also been some of my happiest months. I truly enjoy my life here and really think I made the perfect choice for me. Will I still be living in Madrid half a decade from now? It’s me we’re talking about here, so who knows? But for now, it’s home, and I love it.

Last time, I talked about the importance of testing a location before you move. I did speak in the context of moving to a new country or halfway around the world—like yours truly. But it matters even if you’re moving to a new state or city. The better prepared you are, the better your options for weathering the downsides and coming out on top.

Here’s how to test your next location before moving.

What You Need to Know Before You Move

Most people begin their search for a new home by considering what a location has to offer. I recommend starting with considering what’s most important to you and why you need it. You’ll also need to review many of the not-so-fun details like immigration policies, political leanings, and taxes.

1. Your Top Needs

What are the main things you need to keep you happy in a new location? When I took my first test trip to Joshua Tree (another of the many places I’ve lived), one thing I knew I needed was a Thai restaurant. This may sound ridiculous. After all, why not a Jamaican restaurant?

I always went to get Thai food once a week in Georgia and it wasn’t something I wanted to give up. Fast forward to the four years I was in and out of the area, and I ate my fair share of Thai food there!

I also wanted to have access to amazing hiking and camping spaces, and the Joshua Tree National Park certainly delivered. I never ran out of outdoor spaces to explore.

What will you need to be happy? Understand that this can change depending on where you are in life and what your current habits look like. Narrow it down to at least five things you must have in your new location to feel comfortable.

2. Your Dealbreakers

I’ve seen a lot of articles lately of Americans who moved to Europe and then fled back to the US because things weren’t as they imagined. You must get to know yourself and the things that:

a. You will miss too much if you don’t have them.

b. You will hate dealing with if you encounter them regularly (or at all!)

Every location you consider needs to tick zero items on your list of dealbreakers or you likely won’t be happy there long-term. Try to shortlist your pet peeves to just 3 or so things.

3. The Culture

Chances are you’re thinking of moving because you’ve already narrowed down your options to one or two areas. You need to get to know these new spots really well. Otherwise, you might miss perks you never thought to consider or encounter dealbreakers that would have never crossed your mind.

For example, Americans often struggle with the slower pace in Europe in the summer. I have to admit, as a Jamaican, I’m not known for my patience either and I’ve had to adjust whether I want to or not. Lucky for me, I knew this before I arrived because I did my research.

The fewer surprises you encounter, the better.

4. Laws and Logistics

This is one of the most important things to consider. I mention it last because it’s such a labor-intensive step that the location you choose needs to pass through the other levels first before you get to this.

That said, you might find that a location does meet your top needs and has way too many dealbreakers once you get into this heavy lifting. Here are the main things to consider: