I have been living abroad for the past 13 years. After a certain period of living in the new place of residence it can become like a second home. Having said that, most people still keep a fairly strong connection to their country of origin and visit it frequently. The following article will look at the challenges and advantages of living abroad.
After growing up in Switzerland I moved to Singapore, where I lived and worked for 5 years. Living in an Asian multi-cultural hub, where Chinese, Malay, Indians, Indonesians, Singaporeans and all sort of expats mix was a truly amazing learning experience.
After Singapore I moved to Australia, where I have been living for the past 8 years. Sydney is also a multi-cultural hub, with the majority being Caucasian people as opposed to Asian. Both countries of residence were and are significantly different to Switzerland and gave me an extensive and broad view of the expatriate life and cultural differences.
Advantages
Living in an extremely multi-cultural society like Sydney, many clients in my practice are first or second generation foreigners who immigrated into Australia. Here are some of the advantages they mention about living abroad:
New possibilities: They describe the excitement and possibilities of living overseas as some of the main reasons why they first came out here.
Leaving 'home' behind: Many people want to leave their personal, interpersonal and / or career challenges behind and start fresh.
Putting distance between them and their family: Frequently they hope to not have to deal with family issues when they are away, as the physical distance allows more than just space.
Better climate: Specifically Australia is known for its sunny and mild climate, which is a major draw for foreigners.
Political advantages: For some people it is challenging to live in their home country due to the political situation. Living in a freer country will improve their quality of live, especially their sense of freedom.
Challenges
Every medal has two sides: Where there are advantages, we will also often find challenges. Here are some of the challenges:
Cultural differences: Cultural differences are one of the main challenges, affecting both the person living abroad and the community they are, or are not, integrating into.
Missing out on family back home: Even though having less time with their family might alleviate certain problems, there are always nice things they miss out on. Personally, I miss seeing my niece grow up, being part of important family celebrations like birthdays, weddings or funerals. Another aspect of missing out on family is that, for example, parents get older and might need more support than a person living abroad can offer, which can cause guilt or grief.
Half/half: Even though they might become citizen of the country they live in, foreigners are always still part of their original country, their culture, language etc. I have noticed that I no longer feel that I totally belong to my home country, but also do not totally feel like an Australian citizen.
It is important to keep both challenges and advantages in mind and make informed decisions on when and if it is time to return to your original home.
Want to know more? Have a look at my blog.
Nathalie Himmelrich is the founder of 'Reach for the Sky Therapy' on Sydney's Northern Beaches and specialises in 'relationship related issues'. She is working with individuals and couples using techniques ranging from Counselling, Neuro Linguistic Programming to Journey Therapy. She supports clients in their personal growth in a supportive and professional environment.
Visit my website: [http://www.reachforthesky.com.au] or visit my blog: http://reachforthesky.wordpress.com and sign up for our newsletter today.
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