OpenTube

First Month In Europe | Brutally Honest Review (American POV)

Traveling with Kristin

157,035 views

Start speaking a new language in 3 weeks with Babbel 🎉. Get 20% OFF a Lifetime subscription with KRISTIN ➡️ Here: https://babbel.yt.link/4rTyCwo // Want my help moving abroad? Click here: https://geni.us/1stmontheurope

My first month living in Europe did not go the way I planned. I've been helping people move abroad since 2005, and I've traveled to more than 65 countries, and I still ended up with a delayed shipping container in Scotland and a realtor in Bucharest asking me whether I worked at OnlyFans. I'm sharing the honest version: why I used Scotland as a soft landing to protect my Schengen days, how that collided with Romania's 30-day paperwork window, and what the Bucharest housing market actually costs.

I came in with a €1,500 rent budget and found furnished long-term apartments listed at €2,500 to €3,000 a month, roughly double the average local salary, which is exactly why landlords started asking questions. I get into why I walked away from a place I loved and went to look at Brasov in the mountains instead, what learning Romanian is really like while working a full-time job, and why passing that language test matters for the citizenship I'm applying for through my Romanian and Hungarian ancestry. Plus the parts nobody films: the jet lag, the loneliness, and the kind of freedom that made all of it worth it anyway.

Mentioned videos:
Top 12 Things To Do In Edinburgh: Top 12 Things To Do In Edinburgh
I Left America to Start Over in Europe: I Left America to Start Over in Europe (He...
Moving to Europe Update from Costa Rica! 🌴: Moving to Europe Update from Costa Rica! 🌴
Arriving to Scotland for the First Time: ARRIVING in EUROPE for the FIRST TIME (Fir...
Moving to Europe Playlist: Moving to Europe - My Journey

Chapters:
0:00 Moving Abroad After 65 Countries
1:04 Why I Started in Scotland
2:02 What Scotland Was Really Like
3:41 Landing in Bucharest at 1AM
6:05 The Housing Search Begins
6:20 The OnlyFans Question
7:07 Why I Have Not Signed a Lease
8:35 Why I Chose Romania
9:09 Learning Romanian Is Hard
11:13 The Good Side of Living Here
12:00 Is Moving Abroad for You
14:30 Final Thoughts and Next Steps

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

👱🏻‍♀️ About Me: I'm Kristin Wilson, author of Digital Nomads For Dummies and Moving Abroad For Dummies. Since 2005, I've helped thousands of people relocate abroad (families, retirees, and professionals), and I've traveled to 65+ countries. As the creator of the top-rated Traveling with Kristin Podcast and YouTube channel, my mission is to provide honest, practical advice based on real expat experiences - not just tourist highlights.

If this video helped you, please give it a thumbs up 👍 and subscribe for more weekly videos on living, retiring, and traveling around the world!

❤️ Subscribe on YouTube: travelingwithkristin
📸 Follow on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TWKinstagram
🎙 Subscribe to the podcast: https://bit.ly/twkpodcast
💌 Stay in touch with my weekly travel newsletter: https://bit.ly/twktravel

DISCLAIMER: This video contains general information about travel and living abroad and is not intended as legal, financial, or immigration advice. This video is for entertainment purposes only. Costs, visa requirements, and local regulations can often change. Always consult with qualified professionals before making relocation decisions. Video descriptions may also contain affiliate or refer-a-friend links for products I use and recommend. Thank you for watching and supporting my channel.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#movingtoeurope #movingabroad #expatlife

20 Comments

@TravelingwithKristin Creator 3 weeks ago (edited) Pinned

Start speaking a new language in 3 weeks with Babbel 🎉. Get 20% OFF a Lifetime subscription with KRISTIN ➡ Here: https://babbel.yt.link/4rTyCwo // Want my help moving abroad? Click here: https://geni.us/1stmontheurope 🌎

@reneep.9075 3 weeks ago

I feel like this mistake of telling people what you'll pay upfront instead of just telling them what you're looking for in a home is what is driving up the prices. Many have no idea what foreigners will pay, start off at local prices, and then "rich" people come in and say they'll pay twice for it. I see local people in expat groups all the time admonishing want-to-be expats for saying what their top limit it is for housing. As soon as homeowners see what people are willing to pay, they simply meet them. It's not much different than overtipping everywhere because expats just can't believe how low the food prices are, feel "sorry" for the servers, and then set a whole new price point into play. Then everyone whines at how much the costs have gone up. We are looking to move too (might talk to you about it), but I would rather see what I can get for the local prices first.

@MassiZ8 2 weeks ago

For us Europeans it is quite amusing hearing Americans talking about "moving to Europe". I guess you already heard this, but think for a second what Portugal has to do with Finland or Scotland with Italy. It would be like going to Guam and talking about my experience in the United States. It doesn't make much sense.

@Globe255P 2 weeks ago

2000-2500 euros for any apartment or house is out of line. 1250 euros for a 3-room apartment is ok since it is furnished.

@mattjwayad9639 3 weeks ago

UK was not in the Schengen zone prior to Brexit.

@TomNook. 3 weeks ago

I find it wild that you left it until you arrived before you started finding a place to live!

@4700_Dk 3 weeks ago (edited)

Learning a foreign language is always a challenge, I’m in Denmark. 🇩🇰 what helped me the most was watching Netflix, everything here is in English with Danish subtitles, and Danish shows have English subtitles. It’s a great way to learn the pronunciations. Been here 15 years, I fly back to AZ 🌵to warm up and get some 🌞 sun during our long dark winters. You got this ! 💪

@BlissfulDee 3 weeks ago (edited)

One of the best tips I have for apartment- or house-hunting through a realtor is to never tell them what you upper limit is for budget. They will always show you properties that are at or slightly above whatever limit you tell them. So, if $1500/mo is your limit, tell them it's $900 or $1k and see what they show you. This applies no matter where you are in the world.

@TravelingwithKristin Creator 2 weeks ago

Hi everyone, thank you so much for the incredible discussions and warm tips on Romania in the comments! ❤I just wanted to quickly address a few common themes:
1. Language learning: Very few online platforms offer Romanian as an option. However, if you'd like to learn a more popular language online, such as Spanish, French, German, or Italian, Babbel is a great way to start. No textbooks or in-person classes required!
2. Apartment hunting: I hear your concern about navigating rental budgets and negotiation in Bucharest vs. other cities. Please rest assured that I've done thousands of property searches around the world, and I was able to find the perfect property below my budget (€1,250 per month). I've found it's important to provide a realistic budget when working with agents to respect everyone's time, as properties too far above or below my price range may not suit your needs. However, I never share my actual top-end budget. Although I planned my relocation well in advance, I didn't reserve a property because I wasn't sure which town or neighborhood I wanted to settle in. But it's also possible to view properties sufficiently with a video tour.
3. Brașov: So many of you recommended Brașov (and Cluj and Timișoara!). I'm in Brașov now for a few weeks with a rental car so I can explore more parts of the country. Thanks for all your lovely comments and feeback! What would you like to know about for my next video?

@scottman895 3 weeks ago

I'm glad that everything has generally gone well so far. I feel that since you are in Romania, being surrounded by the Romanian language will help make learning the language a little easier even with the full work schedule. Romania sounds like a spectacular place, and I hope everything continues to go well!

@emiliaweber7 3 weeks ago (edited)

Not just the airport but the entire city of Bucharest is under construction (including parks). It's crowded, polluted, expensive. Brasov is surrounded by mountains and forests, green and clean. You'll LOVE it.

@dugfriendly 3 weeks ago

This is nice “theory versus reality” video.

@RgnLothbrok 3 weeks ago

What other languages do you already speak? Immigrating without at least A2 language level is less than ideal. The fact that locals often speak English can be a curse because that applies less in private social circles and usually not at all with administrative procedures.

@press.the.ignition2257 3 weeks ago

I've been in Germany for the past 8 years now and my experience as an immigrant has been one of cycles or perhaps waves of highs and lows. Living here can be extremely rewarding, but once the novelty of living in Europe wears off (and it will), you're faced with the sobering realities of being a foreigner. In short, it's like living life on hard mode for a while (sometimes up to a few years - a timeframe in which some simply prefer returning home). Doing the basics (i.e. getting a job, finding a home, navigating healthcare, etc.) is not all that hard (though with bureaucracy it can be trying at times). On the other hand, really feeling like you fit in takes a whole load of persistence and hard work. Even once learning the language (which you really should do stat) and making some friends, you may still feel as if you're on the outside looking in. This isn't to say people are being exclusionary, but rather to say that you simply didn't grow up there. You're in a country with its own customs and traditions - ones that you did not grow up with - and while you may enjoy the new traditions you're experiencing, you have no connection to them as you would have had you grown up there (this is when you might start to miss home more than you thought). Eventually you'll build memories in your new home, but it'll take years to build a non-superficial sense of belonging. Once you start making those breakthroughs though, it is truly a great feeling.

Best of luck and don't hesitate to reach out if you want to talk shop!

@helixdq 3 weeks ago

Locals generally pay ~600 euro/month rent for a furnished one bedroom apartment in Bucharest. Even with higher expectations as an expat, your budget of 1500 euro/month should've been more than enough, and if your real estate agent was showing you properties that cost 2000 euro/month and more, that are not detached houses on their own land, I feel like they're not really working in your best interest. That said, take your time and visit Brasov, maybe even Cluj, Timisoara or Iasi for a few days before you settle anywhere. Brasov old city center is very cosy, but also small.

@sempreitaly 3 weeks ago

Best of luck. You’ll love Brasov. I go every year and now they have their own airport. It’s very beautiful in that area

@mikeklein4949 2 weeks ago

Isn't it satisfying to live you being you, not self-detering to meet other's expectations, just be you meeting your own expectations.

@Kant2112 3 weeks ago

It’s harder the older we get, being used to life in the States. Good luck in your next stage

@jcmuellner 3 weeks ago

Brasov is beautiful, smaller and less hectic than Bucharest I felt. The whole country was so fascinating to me.

@Vercixx 3 weeks ago

It depends on your social life. You like to go out, see different things, concerts, theater, opera etc stay in Bucharest. Brasov is very nice as a tourist, but not much happens there - but it is still fairly close to Bucharest to get to the events you want without much hassle. And the Bucharest airport is even closer. Mountains are close to Brasov, there's a nice ski resort near called Poiana Brasov (The Meadow Brasov), but I can get to the same mountains from Bucharest too, although with a bit of hassle (the road is very crowded in the weekends).

I do think that if I were to move out of Bucharest, but still in Romania, I would go to Brasov, followed by Timisoara, so Brasov is indeed a good choice if you don't mind spending 3h coming to Bicharest for an event you want and probably sleeping the night in a hotel.