I moved from Texas to Europe 11 years ago. Here are my 5 biggest pros and cons of living abroad.

Leah Young always dreamed of moving to Europe, but when the opportunity finally came, taking the leap was terrifying.

It was 2015, and she was moving to Spain, a country worlds away from Texas, to work as a teaching assistant. It didn't matter that she had never been there or worked as a teacher before or that the $700 a month she would earn might not cover all her living expenses. For her, it was a chance to finally live abroad.

What was meant to be only a year away from home turned into another year, then another, and more. During that time, she lived in Spain and traveled through Germany, Argentina, and Brazil. Last year, she moved to Lyon, France, a place she says finally "feels like home."

Growing up in Texas, Young's worldview was shaped by the people and places around her. But after 11 years of living abroad, she has a completely different understanding of how the world works and how people live in it.

Being surrounded by new people has challenged the way Young thinks about planning her life, from earning money, building her career, and planning for retirement.

Adapting to a new culture can take time — and a lot of trial and error.

Manners can be especially hard to understand. "It's the little things that can be the most confusing, like who serves themselves first at the table, who opens the door for someone, or all those small social rules," she added.

One of the biggest questions Young had to answer when she moved abroad was what she wanted for her life. Having the freedom to choose a path different from the one she was born into has meant everything to her.

Young moved abroad without knowing anyone. Each time she has relocated to a new country or city, she has had to figure out where to live, find work, and make friends all on her own. For her, the experience has been both a "blessing and a curse."

While the experience has made her feel more competent and "tough," she still wishes she had someone she could rely on.

Young's family and many of her closest friends still live in Texas, more than 5,000 miles away and in a different time zone.

For Young, spontaneous hangouts or nights out with loved ones have been replaced by phone calls, video chats, and messages. While she still visits them in the US when she can, the trips never seem long enough.