Steven Page

First trip abroad in my late 40s. 10 yrs in Germany, now the UK. Helping everyday Americans travel and live abroad. Free weekly newsletter: The Expat Playbook

[Steven Page @Aefense]

@noahmenez Everyone looks like that on their first one, me included. Keep your passport and boarding pass together, follow the crowd after landing, and ask staff when unsure. They help people like us all day. Enjoy it!

[Steven Page @Aefense]

@_Shantee4 Smart order: passport first, destination second. Once it's in your hand, the trip stops being someday. I didn't get my first one until my late 40s. Apply as early in December as you can, since processing can take weeks, and the whole year opens up.

[Steven Page @Aefense]

@TruthSeekingDi Love this! I lived in Stuttgart for 10 years, so a few tips: dress warmer than you think (standing still outside in December gets cold), carry some cash for the small stalls, and don't skip the smaller town markets. They're often the nicest. Have a wonderful trip!

[Steven Page @Aefense]

@CNTraveler Small thing that earned a permanent spot in my bag: a little zip pouch with a plug adapter, a short charging cable, and a pen for forms. Living in Europe, that pouch has saved me more often than any gadget.

[Steven Page @Aefense]

@RossHunneds The time difference is the sneakiest part of moving to the UK. Family texts land while you sleep and the big games end before breakfast. A strict no-scores-until-coffee rule is the only way to survive it.

[Steven Page @Aefense]

@lonelyplanet After 10 years in Stuttgart, my Christmas market advice: go on a weekday afternoon, not Saturday night, so you can actually see the stalls. The mulled wine comes in a mug with a deposit. Hand it back for your money or keep it as a cheap souvenir.

[Steven Page @Aefense]

@MonkeDAO @SolanaEvents @solana @SolanaMBS Two things that make a first London trip easier: use the same contactless card or phone for every Tube and bus ride so the daily cap works for you, and stand on the right on escalators. Bring a warm layer too. It's dark a little after 4 this time of year.

[Steven Page @Aefense]

@GlobalMoveHub The line people will skip is "the employer applies, not you." When I moved to Germany, the job opened the door and the paperwork followed. If Italy is the goal, spend the next few weeks on employers, not forms.

[Steven Page @Aefense]

Nobody warned me about German grocery checkouts. In Stuttgart the cashier scans at full speed and the next person's shopping is already sliding toward yours. Took me months to learn the trick: toss it all back in the cart and pack at the shelf by the door like everyone else.

[Steven Page @Aefense]

@GlobalMoveHub Good one to know. Nomad visas are the easiest door for remote workers, but check the income threshold and whether you'll owe local tax once you stay past 183 days. And Americans still file a US return wherever they live, so line up a tax pro who knows both sides.

[Steven Page @Aefense]

Leaving the US isn't surrender, and staying isn't the only way to love it. I moved abroad in my late 40s: 10 years in Germany, now the UK. It didn't make me any less American. It made me appreciate home more, and see it more clearly.

[Steven Page @Aefense]

@Dmirakle1 This is so real. Once the excitement wears off, the quiet can hit hard. What helped me in Germany was saying yes to every small invite and picking one regular spot, like a class or a cafe. Familiar faces take a few months, but they do come.

[Steven Page @Aefense]

@OmnionPrime Good luck at the appointment! Small tip from someone who's been through it: bring a spare copy of everything and double check the photo rules. Once it's in your hands the fun part starts. Where's the first trip going to be?

[Steven Page @Aefense]

@softbitching @kemimarie 30 is nothing. I didn't leave the US until my late 40s and ended up living in Germany for 10 years. Step one is just the passport. Once that's in the drawer, the first trip gets a lot easier to say yes to.

[Steven Page @Aefense]

@morganjingram That's the part of a first trip abroad nobody tells you about: people are usually happy to help once you admit you got it wrong. I didn't leave the US until my late 40s, and my first months in Germany were one long lesson in that.

[Steven Page @Aefense]

@abviokbest @moonwalkfitness Same thing happened to me in Germany. In the US I drove everywhere. In Stuttgart the walk to the bakery, the train and the shops just added up without me trying. Best fitness plan I never signed up for.

[Steven Page @Aefense]

@Sacredxo A year in as an American, I get it. It's dark by 4:30, everyone says cheers for everything, and a cup of tea is the answer to every problem. Somehow I've stopped questioning all three.

[Steven Page @Aefense]

@GlobalMoveHub Good list. One thing I'd add from 10 years in Stuttgart: start German before you land, even just A1. The visa gets you in the door, but the language is what makes appointments, landlords and coworkers so much easier. A little goes a long way.

[Steven Page @Aefense]

@lonelyplanet Guilty on my first few trips. I planned every day like a checklist and flew home wiped out. Now I pick one or two big things a day and leave the afternoons loose. Fewer photos, better memories, and I actually feel rested on the flight home.

[Steven Page @Aefense]

People assume moving abroad was one big brave leap. Mine was a pile of small, slightly nervous steps. Get the passport. Take one trip. Take another. Say yes when the chance came. If you're waiting to feel brave first, you might be waiting a while.