International academic mobility enriches personal growth, fosters academic innovation, and opens doors to new career opportunities. It not only benefits the individual researcher but also contributes to the advancement of the academic community globally. Engaging with different cultures and perspectives makes research more robust, promotes cross-border collaboration, and enhances professional networks. For many, the experience of working internationally is a cornerstone of both academic and personal development. However, these advantages come with substantial costs, often borne by the researcher’s family. The partner may lose employment, children must adapt to new educational systems, and everyone faces the challenges of learning new languages, navigating different tax systems, and adjusting to life far from their cultural roots. Additionally, researchers may question whether their productivity would have been higher had less energy been spent on the complexities of international relocation and adaptation.