Two Types of Expatriates Which One Are You?
I have been living as an expatriate for four years and find that I meet two types of expatriates.
The first type is looking to live abroad and love living overseas. Their goal is never to go home and they enjoy either living in one place for extended periods of time or being nomadic and moving around to different regions, countries and cultures.
The second type of expatriate is a reluctant expatriate. This expatriate is moving overseas because of a spouse or because of their job. They have no real desire to live in another culture and have no desire to stay overseas. Although both expatriates are different, they do share one thing in common. If they go home to their mother country, they end up having a difficult time returning. Christmas seems to also make this transition difficult. Two expatriates that I know are going through this experience right now.
The first is an expatriate who decided to live in Germany by choice and loves the idea of living overseas. She has spent four years working in Germany and went home for the holidays. Upon returning, she did a drastic about face and decided that although she loves living overseas, she needs to go home. She is fed up with learning a new language and with having to deal with the German culture. She has had enough.
The second expatriate is here in Germany for a short stay. Her husband is studying and she is just treading water. The experience is difficult for her because she is not really here long enough to put down roots. She does not know the language nor does she want to invest time into learning a language she has no intention of using once they leave. This expatriate is highly intelligent woman and after going home for the holidays, is having a hard time dealing with Germany, a place she has no desire to be.
I have lived in Europe for four years and have not had either of those feelings. I attribute this lack of homesickness with the fact that I refuse to return to the United States until I am ready to return to the United States for Good. What purpose is there to go home and enjoy how easy it is to communicate with the neighbors, clients and complete strangers. Why remind myself that stores are open twenty four hours and that I can get everything delivered to my doorstep within a few hours. Why expose myself to the ease which Americans start businesses and that the hard work they put into their projects actually leads them somewhere. Why?
By remaining immersed in the German culture, I am not lured away by America and I am not depressed upon returning and realizing that it is HARD to live here. If you do it everyday, you forget that it is difficult. you forget that there is a country across the ocean where people will invite you to their house the same day they meet you and that the people you work with are your friends not just people you work with.
These two women, both of them so different in their attitudes towards being an expatriate, are experiencing homesickness. Homesickness brought about by visiting their home country. If you want to avoid experiencing homesickness to the degree that these women are experiencing the emotion, stay away from your home country until you are really ready to go home. Be an expatriate not a tourist.
The first type is looking to live abroad and love living overseas. Their goal is never to go home and they enjoy either living in one place for extended periods of time or being nomadic and moving around to different regions, countries and cultures.
The second type of expatriate is a reluctant expatriate. This expatriate is moving overseas because of a spouse or because of their job. They have no real desire to live in another culture and have no desire to stay overseas. Although both expatriates are different, they do share one thing in common. If they go home to their mother country, they end up having a difficult time returning. Christmas seems to also make this transition difficult. Two expatriates that I know are going through this experience right now.
The first is an expatriate who decided to live in Germany by choice and loves the idea of living overseas. She has spent four years working in Germany and went home for the holidays. Upon returning, she did a drastic about face and decided that although she loves living overseas, she needs to go home. She is fed up with learning a new language and with having to deal with the German culture. She has had enough.
The second expatriate is here in Germany for a short stay. Her husband is studying and she is just treading water. The experience is difficult for her because she is not really here long enough to put down roots. She does not know the language nor does she want to invest time into learning a language she has no intention of using once they leave. This expatriate is highly intelligent woman and after going home for the holidays, is having a hard time dealing with Germany, a place she has no desire to be.
I have lived in Europe for four years and have not had either of those feelings. I attribute this lack of homesickness with the fact that I refuse to return to the United States until I am ready to return to the United States for Good. What purpose is there to go home and enjoy how easy it is to communicate with the neighbors, clients and complete strangers. Why remind myself that stores are open twenty four hours and that I can get everything delivered to my doorstep within a few hours. Why expose myself to the ease which Americans start businesses and that the hard work they put into their projects actually leads them somewhere. Why?
By remaining immersed in the German culture, I am not lured away by America and I am not depressed upon returning and realizing that it is HARD to live here. If you do it everyday, you forget that it is difficult. you forget that there is a country across the ocean where people will invite you to their house the same day they meet you and that the people you work with are your friends not just people you work with.
These two women, both of them so different in their attitudes towards being an expatriate, are experiencing homesickness. Homesickness brought about by visiting their home country. If you want to avoid experiencing homesickness to the degree that these women are experiencing the emotion, stay away from your home country until you are really ready to go home. Be an expatriate not a tourist.
Comments