Every trip back home feels like stepping into both familiar and foreign territory. After years of living abroad, Iโve started to see my home country through a different lensโalmost like a tourist.
๐๐ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐, ๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ๐
โก๏ธ One where we immerse ourselves in new cultures, languages, and ways of life.
โก๏ธ Another where we hold onto the traditions, memories, and connections of our home country.
Recently, I visited Prague with a friend from my second home.
While walking the Krรกlovskรก cesta (Royal Route) and enjoying a traditional trdelnรญk, I was yet again thinking about the lives of expats.
๐ There are ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฌ ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ผ๐ป expatsย ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ (UN statistics)…
There is a growing acknowledgement in the research literature that ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ณ๐๐น ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ and that psychological support in the host country may alleviate distress for expatriates and facilitate their initial transition.
Additionally, ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ฌ% ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ต๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐๐น๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ.
๐ค๏ธ Many expats, however, claim that living abroad as an expat family has been a rewarding journey, BUT it often comes with challenges:
๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ
Mastering a new language as an adult isnโt easy. It takes patience to embrace imperfections in speaking and writing. Even after years in Germany and over 25 years as an expat, I still feel a twinge of frustration when people correct my English, German, or meanwhile Czech๐คทโโ๏ธ
๐๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐น๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐
Raising children while adapting to a new culture is complex. Kids expect clear guidance, and we need to avoid the โus vs. themโ mindset. Curiosity and an โobserverโs mindโ can open doors, but it takes time and energy to cultivate.
๐๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ ๐๐น๐๐ถ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐
The need to belong is universal. Without it, feelings of loneliness or even depression can arise. Balancing two, three, or even four cultural identities takes intentional effort.
๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐
Holidays can be particularly hard, especially for first-time expats who are still adjusting.
I love my home visits; they remind me of my journey and how much Iโve grown. But they also raise a big question:
๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ โ๐ต๐ผ๐บ๐ฒโ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ผ๐ณย ๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐บ๐๐น๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐น๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐?