Guest Post from an Expat

Part of the fun of becoming an active blogger is that you have the chance to “meet” other bloggers out there. The blogging community is pretty great and I’ve really enjoyed reading stories from others out in the world. And I’ve been quite amazed and surprised by how many people reply to emails and offer help/advice on your travels.

One of the bloggers I’ve been following is Kyle Hepp. She’s married a guy from Chile and is living down there now. I asked her to jot down some good and bad things about being an ex-pat and this is what she sent me to post here on my site.

Go check her site out also: http://www.kylehepp.com

3 of the most frustrating things about living abroad:

1. Life moves on without you. Yes, I know, I’m stating the obvious. But honestly, it’s one of the hardest parts of being an expat. Your grandparents die and older relatives get diseases as old people tend to do, you see your friends get married, have babies, all via Facebook, and you wish you could be there.

2. Friends move on. As an expat, lots of people you meet will also probably be in a constant stream of transition. It’s hard to put down roots places and it’s even harder to make long term friends with people for that very reason – you’re always leaving and they’re always leaving.

3. You’re never really home. Your adopted country may not accept you as an actual local but you no longer fit in in the place you came from. You’re an official nomad!

3 of the best things about living abroad:

1. You make a new life for yourself. And honestly, it’s so very rewarding to know that you’ve stared down a new country and culture in the eye and won! Relocate within a country – psshhh, anyone can do that. Relocate and learn a new language all while dealing with visa headaches that no non-expat can even imagine, now that’s a challenge.

2. The friendships you do make are the important ones. Because life as an expat is so fleeting you start to have a great people filter for knowing who you want to spend the time to get to know. The friendships you decide to invest time into become that much more meaningful. There’s an expat bond I think that will never go away, even when one you of moves away (yes, not if, when it eventually happens).

3. You’re always home. As someone who’s lived all over the world you know what matters – and I can tell you that what matter isn’t where you are. It’s the company you keep. It’s the experiences you allow yourself to be opened to. It’s the mind numbing awesomeness of knowing you are truly a citizen of the world. Cheesy yes, true yes – Home is where the heart is. That’s something you can never take away from an expat.

By Kyle Hepp
http://www.kylehepp.com/

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