At first, moving to the UK felt like a dream come true. Five years in, I realized it wasn't for me.

In some ways, the reality of living in the UK was different from what I imagined. Maria Polansky

I first fell in love with the idea of Europe when I was 14.

My mom and I went on a trip to Russia to visit relatives, and Moscow won me over with its grand boulevards and trendy cafés. We also stopped in London, where we explored the city's central neighborhoods and shopped in stores I'd only read about in fashion magazines back home.

I was amazed by everything. I was convinced Europe was better — more aesthetically pleasing, more interesting — than my hometown of Vancouver , and vowed to go back as often as I could.

By my early 20s, I was traveling to Europe almost every summer.…