Moving for Love: Should You Relocate for a Significant Other

If you're considering relocating for the person you love, here are a few things you should do before taking the leap. Moving for love can be a grand gesture but are you sure that you're ready to make it? Consider the following before deciding to pack up your bags. 

Discuss your future with this person

You might be in love with your significant other for the moment and your relationship might be very new at this point, but ask yourself: Do you see a long-term future with this person? If you do then you should discuss your feelings with this person to make sure they feel the same way. There's no point in rearranging your entire life if this person doesn't intend on dating you six months down the road. 

Decide on living arrangements in the new city
If you already live together this might be an easier decision, but what if you don't? What if the person you're dating is not only asking you to move across the country, but is also asking you to move in with them? Are you ready for that? Even then, do you want to buy a house together or maybe a condo? Will you live in the city close to the downtown areas or will you live in the suburbs? Not only do you have to plan out the move, but you'll also need to plan out the logistics of living once you're there. 

Have a back-up plan
Sometimes relationships don't work out. People can lose jobs. People can get sick. Things aren't always rainbows and sunshine and that's not pessimism talking - that's realism. The saying to hope for the best but plan for the worst is entirely appropriate here. For example, if you agree to change cities or even countries to be with your significant other, maybe you should only plan on packing a few suitcases and essential items and store the rest of your belongings in your home state. That way, you won't have to pay to ship your items back and forth if the relationship doesn't work out.

Take the time to make sure moving is the right call for you and plan accordingly. Moving across the world to be with the person you love is a huge decision that shouldn't be taken so lightly, so it's important that if you do make the leap, you're being smart about it.