Do Expats Ever Stop Comparing? Of course not. Why? Because that’s the fun in it. We all do it and for most of us, it’s in tongue-in-cheek. It’s only when we become obsessive with it and let existing differences make us miserable that it becomes a problem. But to me, it’s those differences — good or bad — that makes the experience valuable.
Anyone who has evinced an interest in travel from an early age can adapt easily to ex-pat life, in my opinion.
I so loved Barry’s write-up here. Especially this part:
“One of my sticklers is queue jumping, especially from the older generation. They seem to think that asking a ‘quick question’ to the bank cashier, or steaming in when a new till opens up in a supermarket is not putting anyone out. Back home there’s much more empathy.”
I thought we only had this problem in the UAE. Apparently not.
Our globalized world has made international moves a much more common thing. Throw in today’s unstable economies and it becomes a very real possibility for many. In a stroke of a moment, any of us could lose our jobs and be faced with the life-changing decision of accepting a job abroad. Some move for work, some for love, and some just for the adventure — or all three. Sometimes we end up staying longer than expected, but most eventually come home…or move to another exciting destination. 🙂
One thing for sure — it’s not easy assimilating to a new country. Often romanticized, it’s not all a bed of roses. There will good days and bad days. Things may not go as planned. You’ll need a Plan B, maybe a C and D. If you are single, you may have lonely days. If you have a family, there is a chance at least one of your family members may just hate their new home. There is often a trade-off to this kind of life abroad.
And it’s not like we are hard-wired with golden nuggets of wisdom on how to leave our lives as we know it into the unknown. It takes time, patience and resilience.
It is worth it? I think it is, but it certainly depends on the individual and their current circumstances.
One thing for sure is you develop a hunger for even more travel and new experiences — wondering what else is out there waiting for me?
Do you live abroad? What has it been like for you?
? Nice!