Do Expats Ever Stop Comparing?

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.

Expats Yucca
Yucca here is typically imported from India. Just does not taste the same to me, though.
Expats at Kite Beach
Kite Beach is lovely, but lacks trees for shade. I miss our island trees.

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 homeor 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.

Dubai McDonalds. Expats
VIP Program at Mickey Dee’s. Really??

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?

1 Comment

  1. ? Nice!

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