This paper examines the meaning attributed to the practice of ‘going abroad’ from the perspective of youth transitions. It assumes that the growing prevalence of temporary moves abroad among middle‐class youth can be understood as spatial manifestations of, and responses to, both expanded opportunities for individual choice and increased demands for flexibility in the face of uncertainty. The paper is based on an analysis of in‐depth retrospective interviews with 14 thirty‐year‐old Swedes who had spent at least 1 year studying or working abroad in their early to mid twenties. The questions addressed concern the meanings attributed to temporary moves abroad in relation to (a) personal history and personal choice and (b) the management of opportunity and uncertainty. Although going abroad is fairly common among middle‐class Swedish youth, the results indicate that the decision to do so is typically described as highly personal, with reference to one's family history, childhood environment, personality, or desire to become someone different. The act of physical displacement is conceptualised as a way to accelerate progress towards independence and autonomy and to incorporate evidence of courage, flexibility, and ability to act into one's biography. However, mobility is also used to create ‘fail‐safe’ situations – to postpone and avoid the demands for long‐term planning and progress integral to the transition to adulthood. Whereas the pressure for success seems to be considerably relaxed in many temporary communities of mobile youth, it is clearly part of the social context at home. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.