There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about what has an expat entails especially on the long term day to day basis. These misconceptions can often find their way onto the blogsphere or articles which can often lead people to always thinking life is always a certain way. But I don't really like or have time for sugar coating life in general, so here are some of the myths I hear and see about life as, and about being an expat.
We're constantly traveling
And that we have the money to be constantly traveling around the new country we call home. nope. now some people might have the money, but sadly I have a mortgage and bills to pay, we have jobs, I still have to go food shopping, i have obligations and i don't have the money to be jet setting around every state. so no, life as an expat isn't one long holiday.
It's one big adventure
I've mentioned many times that while yes, living aboard in a new country is pretty awesome what with all the new places to eat and places to go. It comes at a price, there's the guilt, fears as an expat, homesickness, those you leave behind, not fitting in. it's not all fun and games we actually have to live and work.
The grass is always greener
the US has some awesome things going for it - prices tend to be lower, all the places to visit but there's things that I prefer doing and being done in the British way. There are British things I miss, the NHS, attitudes to certain things. people would have you think everything was better, the only way to do things in your new country, it's not often the case. The grass is just another shade of green, that's all.
It's "easy" if you move to a country that speaks your language
to a point, yes I would agree. but local ways of saying things (you'll find some great other regional words here) particular ways, cultural appropriation of certain words and their meaning can be a battle field. let's not mention all the cultural differences that I experience between the UK and the US - the role of politics, religion, the difference in healthcare, women's rights, working. the list is endless. speaking the language is a start, but culture as a whole is a minefield.
Are you an expat - what misconceptions annoy you? Or if you're not, how to you think us expats live?
