I lived in Sweden for three years followed by UAE for four years. I had the support of a US based company. It was an incredible life experience but definitely came with many hardships.
"Assimilation" into these particular countries was not necessarily difficult but you will always be held at an arms distance. My wife and I had a child in each country. That was a unique experience.
We were able to travel extensively. We found that to be very rewarding and offset the negative feelings/experiences of isolation or hardships. Taking small children on a 18+ hour flight back to the US to see family in friends is not for the faint of heart... Taking pets is not hard but definitely adds a layer of expense and complexity to the experience. Hunting overseas is an option but you probably will not be allowed to own a firearm in whatever country you move to without meeting certain residency or citizenship requirements
Eventually we plan on going again for more multi-year work assignments. If we find the right location we have talked about retiring overseas.
