I lived in Europe for 7 years before returning to the US. Here are 3 things I did right and 3 I wish I'd done differently.

"When it came time to pack, I slowly deconstructed my apartment over the course of a month. I made endless trips to the thrift store, posted on Facebook Marketplace, and even hosted a move-out party where I made snacks for my friends while they raided my closet. After all that, I still found myself frantically sitting on my suitcase, trying to zip it right up until my ride to the airport arrived."

"From Hungarian tax forms to old leases, I'm glad I had the foresight to keep all my paperwork from my time abroad. Since much of my work was international, I didn't have as extensive a paper trail here in the States. I feel relieved that I have all my documents, so I don't appear to have been a "ghost" for all that time. Plus, keeping them helped me sort out my finances when I got home."

"After seven wonderful years in Budapest, I had to move back to the US in early 2025 because of visa issues. Packing up my life and saying goodbye to my community, network, and home was an emotional whirlwind - to say the least. Looking back, there are things I'm grateful I did, and others I would have done differently to make the transition easier."

I returned to the US after seven years in Budapest because of visa issues. I gave myself a month to deconstruct my apartment, sold items, donated, posted on Facebook Marketplace, and held a move-out party, which reduced stress though I still rushed at the end. I kept and digitized Hungarian tax forms, leases, and other paperwork, which prevented appearing as a 'ghost' and helped sort finances. Reviewing past tax and income records revealed shaky financial habits in my early twenties and motivated a clearer financial plan. I wish I had begun job hunting sooner and had more realistic expectations about restarting my career.

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