Are you curious about living overseas? I was before spending extended time in Costa Rica, Mexico and Japan. Check out these tips and helpful information from our guest writer Kristine Esser:
Full Immersion: The Expat Life or a Happy Tourist?
There are profound differences between traveling to a country as a tourist and living there as an expat, but it’s easy to become enamored of a country after only a short stay, leaving you with the impression that you could, in fact, reshuffle your life and become fully immersed in a new culture. This is one of the most misleading things about traveling.
For example, if you’re on vacation, sitting on a beach in the Caribbean, of course you’d think you could stay; the reality of it is, however, jobs are scarce, food is expensive because it’s imported, and accommodations and quality of life are probably less than what you’re used to. The difference between traveling to a country as a tourist or living there as an expat is like the difference between an all-inclusive resort and a boutique hotel: At the boutique hotel, you’re going to have to plan and purchase all the amenities.
Should You Stay or Should You Go?
Many people come to study abroad in the United States. Some stay for a semester, love it, soak up the culture like a sponge, but still return to their native lands. There are others, however, who stay longer; one year turns into three, then a decade, and the next thing they know they’re more American than they are French, German or wherever they once called home.
In the end, whether you stay in the United States for a semester or decide to put down roots depends on the type of person you are. Some people love America, while others find it crass and hectic, too big and boisterous to get a handle on. One thing’s for sure: In order to get an honest and true American experience, you’re going to have to step outside the all-inclusive study abroad package to see how things really work. It’s a culture and system that might take some getting used to.
Total Immersion
Adapting to the U.S. can be difficult, but total immersion is something else entirely. From chain restaurants and processed food to Americans’ obsession with work and football (no, not soccer—football), it’s a busy and fast-paced lifestyle that not everyone’s cut out for. Do you remember that month-long vacation you used to take with your family every summer? It’s not going to happen in America. Most employees get two weeks off a year if they’re lucky, and many don’t even cash in those weeks.
Shopping is a different experience as well. There are megamalls in America as big as European villages. Strip malls dominate suburban areas. Everyone in America is dependent on cars to get anywhere, and driving on big city freeways is a hair-raising, white-knuckle experience, to say the least. These are just a few of the many quirks you’ll find in the U.S.A.
There are advantages and disadvantages to being both a tourist or an expat in America. It’s important to get the full lay of the land before you make any type of life-altering decision. The grass might look greener on the other side, but sometimes that’s just because you’re in vacation mode.
