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Living Abroad
© Julie Thompson
Jun 1, 2001
Perhaps the two greatest challenges facing a person who wants to live abroad are 1) adaptation to the thinking, culture and manners of the new country and 2) learning a new language. Both of these situations can be dealt with successfully, and in the process, enrich your life.
Let’s talk about adaptation first. Whether you’re moving from a First World country to a Third World country, or from a big country to a small country, or from a uniracial to a mult-racial country, it’s your attitude towards your new country of residence that’s going to help you or hinder you. Motives aside, (which I’ll talk about in the next article) how do you feel about moving? What do you know about the country that you’re going to? Do you have any pre-conceived ideas about your new home? For example, in the country that I live, many assume that all Americans (I mean, from the United States) eat only canned foods. So, if someone were planning to move to my country from this one, he would be thinking,” Can I get used to eating only canned food for every meal, every day?” Of course, when he arrived, he would find out differently! But, he would have wasted time and mental and emotional energy worrying over his pre-conceived idea. So, along with your research, an open mind will be one of your most valuable assets in the adaptation process.
Another needed quality is humility. Can you learn? Do you mind being corrected, put straight, even chastised? It’s going to happen. You’re going to make mistakes, commit social and linguistic faux pas, and be embarrassed, especially if you decide to interrelate with the natives of your new home. (When I say “native”, I simply mean born and or raised in that particular place. For instance, I consider myself a native of New York City. Just to prevent misunderstandings!) Are you thin-skinned? Are you impatient? Do you get easily frustrated? If so, you will have a tougher time adapting than someone who is patient with himself and with others, persevering, and whose self-esteem is not a barrier between himself and others. It helps to remember that there is no perfect nation, race or culture, so we can and should learn from others. And, you can always learn something from anyone, whether he or she be a beggar, a burgher or a bourgeoisie. In a future article, I’ll discuss adaptation in depth.
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