Is the American Dream Going Global? Why More Families Are Moving Abroad
- Christianne Klein
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
When we first started traveling as a family- before Life Over Seas had a name, before I could have predicted how profoundly worldschooling would shape both our daughter’s education and our own understanding of it- we fell into a quiet ritual that followed us from place to place.
We would arrive somewhere new, ease into the rhythm of daily life just enough to feel its impact, and inevitably, one of us would ask the same question: What would it be like to live here?
For years, it felt more like a passing curiosity than a serious consideration, the kind of thought that surfaces over a long lunch or magical joy being in a place with warm locals, great food, and culture. But as the years went on- and as our travels became less about checking destinations off a list and more about truly experiencing them- that question began to shift. It became a real topic of conversation. It carried more weight. And eventually, it stopped feeling hypothetical.
It turns out we weren’t the only ones arriving at that realization.
A recent report from The Wall Street Journal highlighted a striking shift: for the first time in nearly a century, more people are leaving the United States than moving to it. While the reasons behind that trend are complex, what stands out is how personal they are. This isn’t a single narrative driven by one factor, but rather a convergence of lifestyle choices, economic realities, and a growing awareness that the way we live is far more flexible than it once was.
For our family, that awareness took shape most clearly during our time in Australia. What began as travel gradually took on the contours of something more rooted. We found ourselves returning to the same areas, navigating cities away from tourist spots, and watching our daughter adapt with an ease that was both reassuring and eye-opening. She wasn’t just observing a different way of life- she was participating in it. And somewhere along the way, I realized that the line between visiting and living had become surprisingly thin.
For decades, the structure of our lives was built around geography. Where you lived was largely determined by where you worked, and the idea of choosing a location based on lifestyle rather than logistics felt out of reach for most people. But remote work has quietly, and profoundly, altered that equation. It has created a world in which earning a living is no longer tied to a single place, allowing families to think differently about where they want to be- not just where they have to be.
What follows is not necessarily a desire to leave something behind, but rather the freedom to consider what might be gained elsewhere.
I was reminded of that recently in a conversation with a friend who has lived both in the United States and in Ireland. We were talking, as parents often do, about the everyday realities of raising children, and he said something that has stayed with me in a way I didn’t expect.
“In Ireland, the kids are safe. You don’t have the same worries.”
There was nothing dramatic in the way he said it- just a quiet certainty that spoke to a different lived experience. It’s a sentiment I’ve heard echoed, in various forms, by families across Europe, Australia, and beyond, and it reflects a broader shift in how people are evaluating quality of life. Increasingly, the conversation extends beyond career opportunities or financial upside and into something more intangible: how it feels to move through your day, how your children experience the world, and how much ease or tension exists in the background of everyday life.
None of this is to suggest that one place offers a perfect solution. The United States continues to provide extraordinary opportunities, particularly when it comes to career growth and earning potential, and for many families, it remains the best possible choice. But what is changing is the willingness to weigh those benefits against other considerations- healthcare, education, safety, community, and pace- in a way that feels more intentional and, perhaps, more holistic than it did in the past.
What surprised me most, as we spent time traveling abroad, was not simply that life could look different, but how quickly those differences began to feel natural. We can quickly build a new life in a new place, with new markets to visit, new favorite cafes and restaurants, and suddenly, unfamiliar faces become new friends. The rhythms of daily life shifted in subtle but meaningful ways, and over time, those shifts reshaped how we thought about everything from work to family time to what it means to feel settled.
Even now, no matter where we go, that original question still surfaces, but it carries a different kind of resonance.
What would it be like to live here?
It is no longer a question rooted in imagination alone, but one grounded in experience and possibility. Because once you have seen firsthand how many different ways life can be lived- and how viable those alternatives can be- it becomes impossible to view your own choices in quite the same way.
Perhaps that is the real story emerging at this moment. It is not simply that more Americans are leaving, but that more Americans are realizing they have the option to choose differently. The concept of home is expanding, becoming less fixed and more fluid, shaped as much by values and priorities as by geography.
In its 250th year, America remains a place of immense opportunity and influence, but it is no longer the sole center of gravity for those seeking a fulfilling life. For a growing number of families, including ours, the question is no longer whether life can exist beyond its borders, but how- and where- that life might unfold.
And once you begin asking that question, you may find that the answer is far more open-ended than you ever imagined.
Christianne Klein is an Emmy® and Edward R. Murrow Award-winning TV Host, journalist, travel and lifestyle expert, and founder of FoodFamilyTravel.com.
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