The ex pat life. So glamourous. So filled with adventure. So fun all the time. It is like a permanent vacation.
While at times some of those sentiments may be true, in reality, the ex pat life is not for the faint of heart. It is fun. It is stimulating. But it is also difficult, lonely and can be very hard on you marriage, your friendships and your children. Ex pat kids even have a syndrome named for them – third culture kids.
In this blog, I aim to offer the good, the bad and the ugly parts of ex pat life in all its glory. And there is good. There is bad. And there is ugly.
The expat life means getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. It means learning to adapt and like it without always comparing to your native culture. And that is hard to do. It is only natural to compare. The trick is to accept where you are.
And like with all things in life, the good, bad and ugly are intertwined. But in the ex pat scenario the 3 are intertwined in a way that is right in your face. The 3 are combined in an ever moving confluence of beautiful chaos.
For example, you make a new friend. You learn all sorts of new and interesting things about them, their culture, their beliefs. And just when you are getting really comfortable, you must say goodbye when that friend is moved to another location. But then, you also enjoy that you have friends all over the world. You have learned about a new culture. And I mean really learned not just vacation learning.
I say that I am an American gypsy learning to live with all the strife of life in another country – and loving it!
Niche Travel Design 