So the nomad is back only this time she's gone from a free ranger to an expat wife!
I've been fortunate to have travelled to a few places in the past 3 years that sort of compensated for not having travelled very often in 26 years of my life. Now that I have some time to spare I decided to come back to my first love - writing.
Today's post is about 5 things I've learned after living away from home:
1. You become more responsible: When you have to manage your expenses, do your groceries, cook, clean, drive (in a foreign land) and sometimes unlearn how to drive and a lot of other things that now seem too expensive or when time isn't your friend any more, you become more responsible (read someone you didn't know you could be).
2. You make new friends: Living away from family creates a void that sometimes get filled by friends you meet where you live or on your adventures. They act as an extended family (one that you can choose) and share your joys/sorrows with. You can't however risk fighting with them because you don't have much option (you don't have a backup plan right :P) and also because you're mature friends (can't throw a fit any more when they get a new best friend..ha ha).
3. You make frenemies too: Not everyone you know will like you because sometimes they will find you to be too brash, too bossy, too boisterous and sometimes too different. They will however never say it to your face (neither will you to them) and sometimes you will let nature take its course.
4. You will value relationships more: Maybe unintentionally but you will jump with joy even if you get to know that your mum's cousin's son's wife's nephew's daughter is in the same city as you and you will make an effort to meet them. Some family is better than no family right. Also, if you are fortunate to have close ones living near you, you feel blessed.
5. You will learn to live no strings attached: When you leave home, you become a traveller, you create new nests, meet fellow travellers, eat new food, drink new wines, save some dough (if you're lucky) and set up new tents when new shores beckon.
An expat is an expat is an expat but carrying humour along makes the journey more alive!
Cheers :)
I've been fortunate to have travelled to a few places in the past 3 years that sort of compensated for not having travelled very often in 26 years of my life. Now that I have some time to spare I decided to come back to my first love - writing.
Today's post is about 5 things I've learned after living away from home:
1. You become more responsible: When you have to manage your expenses, do your groceries, cook, clean, drive (in a foreign land) and sometimes unlearn how to drive and a lot of other things that now seem too expensive or when time isn't your friend any more, you become more responsible (read someone you didn't know you could be).
2. You make new friends: Living away from family creates a void that sometimes get filled by friends you meet where you live or on your adventures. They act as an extended family (one that you can choose) and share your joys/sorrows with. You can't however risk fighting with them because you don't have much option (you don't have a backup plan right :P) and also because you're mature friends (can't throw a fit any more when they get a new best friend..ha ha).
3. You make frenemies too: Not everyone you know will like you because sometimes they will find you to be too brash, too bossy, too boisterous and sometimes too different. They will however never say it to your face (neither will you to them) and sometimes you will let nature take its course.
4. You will value relationships more: Maybe unintentionally but you will jump with joy even if you get to know that your mum's cousin's son's wife's nephew's daughter is in the same city as you and you will make an effort to meet them. Some family is better than no family right. Also, if you are fortunate to have close ones living near you, you feel blessed.
5. You will learn to live no strings attached: When you leave home, you become a traveller, you create new nests, meet fellow travellers, eat new food, drink new wines, save some dough (if you're lucky) and set up new tents when new shores beckon.
An expat is an expat is an expat but carrying humour along makes the journey more alive!
Cheers :)
Yay!! Nice to see u girl! Well said and well done!!
ReplyDeleteThanks a ton Anu Di :)
ReplyDelete