Packing your entire life into a suitcase and saying goodbye to everything that is familiar and comfortable to become an expat in a foreign country is certainly not easy. But what is it really like?
In this new monthly series, expats reveal all! If you’re contemplating the big move abroad, here’s an insight into what life as an expat is really like. Every month, I’ll be putting the call out to expats past and present from all over the world to respond to a simple question about the realities of expat life. This month, expats are sharing with us the biggest lesson expat life has taught them. You can read the answers to last month’s question here. All of the expats featured this month also have blogs, which means that you can follow along on their adventures abroad with them!
This month: The biggest lesson expat life has taught me
Jasmine Mah of Questa Dolce Vita
From: Alberta, Canada
Moved to: Italy
The biggest lesson expat life has taught me: Expat life has taught me the power of perseverance. I may have thought I had this quality before, or understood it well, but that all changes if you live in Italy. Being an expat here requires that you take on the habits of locals and the Italians can certainly persevere; it is a requirement to survive here, not a recommended quality. You need it to get through the bureaucracy, the back and forth nature of public services, the lack of lining up, and the struggles of a new language. But once you have perseverance, you have Italy wrapped around your finger!
Follow along with Jasmine on Twitter and Facebook
Weronika Czekaj of Not At Her Desk
From: Poland / UK
Moved to: Spain
The biggest lesson expat life has taught me: Moving to Barcelona from London and not speaking any Spanish or Catalan was challenging to say the least. I never expected that I would need to chase el butanero down the street to buy a gas bottle or that it would take me six weeks to get the internet connection in my flat. The beginnings are never easy and often it is about embracing the imperfection. My main lesson comes from the next stage though. Once the relocation adrenaline rush drops and everything folds into place, it is very important to keep exploring! Although occasionally I miss what is familiar or comfortable, I try to make the most of my expat experience. I love discovering places around me, from neighbourhoods, cities to regions, and Spain is certainly a great country to do it. I cannot complain about the weather.
Follow along with Weronika on Twitter and Instagram
Jessica Emili of Library Girl Abroad
From: USA
Moved to: Berlin, Germany
The biggest lesson expat life has taught me: The biggest lesson expat life has taught me is to be less fearful. I had been in a rut at home and it felt like the universe was telling me to take a leap of faith. I never thought I could move to a new country alone. I didn’t know a soul in Berlin and I spoke zero German. This year’s been hard and I’ve been homesick, but I’ve seen so many beautiful places, made lovely friends, and never wake up wondering ‘what if?’ Whenever I face a challenge now, I remind myself that it took guts to come here, and I can handle anything on my own.
Kathi Baxter of Der Panierte Passierschein
From: Salzburg, Austria
Moved to: Melbourne, Australia
The biggest lesson expat life has taught me: Maybe it wasn’t so much a lesson, but rather something that finally sunk in when I stepped out into the world: I will be fine. Whatever happens, I can handle it. If I’m unhappy, it’s in my power to change that. I’ve had people tell me how brave I am to move to the other side of the world. There is nothing brave about it. I am incredibly fortunate to be in a position where I can do that. I have the most supportive family and friends, I have an education. But most importantly, I know with absolute certainty that I will be just fine in this world.
Follow along with Kathi on Twitter and Instagram
Cherrie Kishazy of Europalust
From: Kent, United Kingdom
Moved to: Berlin, Germany (after a year in Salzburg, Austria)
The biggest lesson expat life has taught me: As cheesy as it sounds, the more you put in really is the more you get out, even if it means leaving your comfort zone and heading into unfamiliar territory. I learned early on that saying yes, be it to hiking up an Austrian mountain or going to a party full of strangers, really pays off, not only in terms of meeting new people, but also boosting confidence and having as rich and as varied an expat experience as possible. Even if I head back to the UK one day, this is a lesson I will never forget!
25th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall
Follow along with Cherrie on Twitter
Patrícia Pečnerová of The Journey Journal
From: Slovakia
Moved to: Sweden
The biggest lesson expat life has taught me: Living in any country in the world has pros and cons, but the important thing is to collect all the good experiences, habits, character traits, songs, recipes and anything that makes life better. I’ve learnt to get rid of my expectations and wait for what a country has to offer. After all, we don’t travel to find what we have at home but to find new worlds. I always try to learn and remember the best of every country to take it with me wherever I go afterwards.
Follow along with Patrícia on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook
Anne-Laure of Violet Abroad
From: Toulouse, France
Moved to: Saarbrücken, Germany
The biggest lesson expat life has taught me: If moving abroad taught me only one thing it would have to be confidence. I’m very prone to worry. But the truth is, the world won’t end just because things didn’t go as planned. Being an expat is stepping out of your comfort zone and I have no other choice but to embrace the unexpected and trust my ability to handle issues as they arise. Whether it is fearing not being understood, feeling inadequate or whatever it is I may be afraid of, the only way is to go out there and have faith, because somehow it’s going to work out just fine.
Follow along with Anne-Laure on Twitter and Instagram
And me!
From: Melbourne, Australia
Moved to: Berlin, Germany
The biggest lesson expat life has taught me: Expat life has taught me how important it is to be open to change. For many people, change is scary; it used to scare me too. We all get comfortable in our lives and become afraid of taking risks, but if we don’t explore new things, we stop learning and stagnate. Moving overseas has taught me that we shouldn’t be afraid of change. In fact, it is healthy. Change makes us more adaptable, resilient and flexible and I know that I am much stronger and more independent as a result of moving abroad. Now, instead of change scaring me, the prospect of staying still does instead!
Follow along with me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook
Want to know more about my expat experience? Check out these posts on expat life:
Berlin Like a Local With Expat Rachel Bale, World of Wanderlust
If you’re an expat or have been in the past and are interested in sharing your experiences in next month’s ‘Expats share’ post, get in touch!
What’s your opinion on this month’s question? Do any of these expat responses resonate with you? Join in the discussion and share your perspective in the comments below!
Great idea for a post! Would love to be featured next time ?
//www.adventurousappetite.com
Sounds great Jennifer! I’ll be in touch next month ?
It is great to read all the different perspectives! Thanks Rachel. It is a very insightful series.
Thanks for being part of this month’s feature Weronika! I loved your response to the question. I still feel like I have so much still to see in Berlin and I love discovering new places every single week! x
Hi Rachel, thanks for your great blog and instagram that I love to follow and read. I also enjoy your posts on WOW! I featured you in my post today on my blog – I hope you like it! x Caroline
Thanks so much for your lovely comment and for the link love, Caroline! So happy that you are enjoying the content! Can’t wait to get more out soon. Great blog btw! x
Great thoughts! I feel really inspired! Thumbs up!
So glad to hear Angela! Are you thinking of moving abroad?
It is so interesting to read about other expat’s ideas and what being an expat has taught them. Personally I’ve learned that we all have thing inkling about living the expat life – and for some reason, almost everyone of us don’t want to go ‘back to where we came from’ no matter how many other expats have moved from where we now live to where we are from!
It’s like house swapping, on a bigger level ?
Nice perspectives, couldn’t agree more! I stepped out of comfort zone when I moved to Berlin from Toronto and it’s been tough but so rewarding! Something that I found helped me the most actually was finding a good language school. I took beginning through B2 at Speakeasy Sprachzeug and it was awesome! (their site is //www.speakeasysprachzeug.de if you’re in Berlin) I gained so much confidence, met lots of nice people and even found work now cause my German’s finally up to par. Happy adventures everyone! ?
I’m so glad to hear that you’re having a great experience in Berlin, Sara! I definitely agree that learning the language makes EVERYTHING easier. Good on you for reaching B2 level — that’s not easy! All the best on your expat adventure ?