There’s no doubt that packing your life into a suitcase and moving to a new country is tough. It takes courage (a lot of it). Expat life is exhilarating, full of adventure, and life-changing. However, it can also be stressful, overwhelming, and downright exhausting. There are good days and there are bad days (mostly good). Nonetheless, expat life is definitely an emotional roller coaster ride.
Rundown
I have experienced life as an expat in two countries so far. I lived in South Korea for 2 years when I taught English abroad and I lived in New Zealand for 1 year on a working holiday.
When you first arrive to a new country it will indeed be hectic and chaotic. On top of recovering from jet lag and taking it all in there’s some logistics that need to be taken care of right away. That might include obtaining a sim card, setting up a bank account, applying for jobs, finding a flat; the list goes on.
Expat Burnout
It’s common to want to hit the ground running with your new life in a new country. There are so many opportunities, so much to see, and so much to do. In the process of making new friends it’s also tempting to say yes to every single invitation.
I personally wanted to make the most of every minute during my limited time abroad. From the get-go my schedule was jam-packed. Although it was manageable at first I eventually burned myself out. It was difficult to juggle a healthy work-life balance. I had to take a step back and allot myself sufficient time to recuperate.
Culture Shock
No matter how much research you’ve done and how prepared you are, you will inevitably experience some form of culture shock living abroad. According to Oberg the phenomenon consists of 4 stages: honeymoon, crisis, recovery, and adjustment. Each individual will undergo the stages at different times in unique ways and not everyone will hit all the stages.
Rainbows and Butterflies
In this initial stage everything is fascinating; all the sights, the smells, the people, the food, and the culture. Feelings are filled with euphoria and positivity; everything seems perfect. A typical tourist usually only reaches this stage.
Meltdown
What goes up must come down right? This stage is normally filled with frustrations and heightened irritability. Something as simple as ordering food can seem daunting.
One consistent pattern I’ve noticed is that I tend to have a mini breakdown pretty early on. In Korea it was super early only halfway through orientation. In New Zealand it was at my flat during the 2nd month. Both times I just started questioning my decision to move overseas. What was I doing with my life? Am I wasting my time? Am I just prolonging the “real world”? All my doubts just came rushing in at once.
Moreover, despite the fact that I was fortunate to have made some close friends abroad the occasional waves of loneliness would still occur.
Unfortunately, some people never make it pass this stage. In Korea there’s even a term within the ESL community known as the “midnight run”. This refers to foreign English teachers in Korea who suddenly pick up and leave (literally).
Roll with the Punches
At this stage you gradually adjust to your new environment. Frustrations begin to fade. You come to terms with the differences. You start to adopt the new customs.
Flourish
In this final stage you have finally gotten the hang of it. You feel like a local with your own little routines. You basically begin to put down roots. Despite things being different from your home country you manage to thrive in your new surroundings. Give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back!
Homesickness
Thank goodness for modern day technology because nowadays you can easily video call someone when you miss them. You only have to deal with the annoying time zone differences.
I usually got homesick around Lunar New Year’s because that’s the biggest holiday for my family. I frequently missed home-cooked meals. I really missed CHEAP Mexican food. I often found myself craving a good cheesecake which was nearly impossible to find in both Korea and New Zealand. Notice the trend with food here.
The good news is that feelings of homesickness will eventually fade so you just have to power through them.
Takeaway
At the end of the day, all the highlights of expat life are well worth the struggles. You will make extraordinary memories, build lifetime friendships, and grow tremendously as an individual.
My time living as an expat has been some of the best years of my life. I highly recommend living abroad at least once in your lifetime.
Read about the time I dropped everything in America and moved to South Korea or the time I embarked on a working holiday in New Zealand.
Have you been an expat somewhere? What kind of challenges did you face? Let me know in the comments!
