Personal Development for Smart People Forums - View Single Post - Leaving "Home" and Living in different places or Countries: share your experiences

C33 · 12-23-2010, 10:59 PM

I spent most of my adult life living, studying, working in different countries::
France ( native country )
U.S.A
Canada
U.K
and travelling and studying in Spain.

This is not a lifestyle for the faint of heart. For one thing, leaving family and friends can be daunting. But you soon acquire the ability to make friends anywhere, and instant friends, at that...

The only negative sides, for me have been:
Not having a peer group
Being constantly asked about when I am going to settle down and get well - meaning people ( especially friends and family who stayed put ) to give me unsollicited advice
A resume that's a hard sell. ( But made me acquire top notch interview skills).
Constantly having to start over ( minor time and money loss).
Swiss cheese romantic life ( many people thinking I'm not there to stay, though I believe I don't want that lame excuse from someone )

Positives:
Feeling like I own the world, not like the world owns me.
Having met so many interesting characters.
Intensity of living: high stakes, risks. Putting myself in the situation where I have to find work and a place to stay within a few weeks.
Having the feeling I had more than one life.
Being fluent in 3 languages and socially mobile.
Trusting myself.
Being appreciated for who I really am:a gypsy.
Discovering what true appreciation of one's skills and personality means.
Becoming a citizen of the world and shedding limited cultural boundaries.
...

A few years ago, I visited the Toronto Islands, at a time where I was soul searching, and I came accross a vegetal labyrinth with the title:
It is solved by walking.
It has been my motto in life ever since.

12-23-2010, 10:59 PM	#13 (permalink)
C33 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 623	4 countries, 3 languages, 2 nationalities! I spent most of my adult life living, studying, working in different countries:: France ( native country ) U.S.A Canada U.K and travelling and studying in Spain. This is not a lifestyle for the faint of heart. For one thing, leaving family and friends can be daunting. But you soon acquire the ability to make friends anywhere, and instant friends, at that... The only negative sides, for me have been: Not having a peer group Being constantly asked about when I am going to settle down and get well - meaning people ( especially friends and family who stayed put ) to give me unsollicited advice A resume that's a hard sell. ( But made me acquire top notch interview skills). Constantly having to start over ( minor time and money loss). Swiss cheese romantic life ( many people thinking I'm not there to stay, though I believe I don't want that lame excuse from someone ) Positives: Feeling like I own the world, not like the world owns me. Having met so many interesting characters. Intensity of living: high stakes, risks. Putting myself in the situation where I have to find work and a place to stay within a few weeks. Having the feeling I had more than one life. Being fluent in 3 languages and socially mobile. Trusting myself. Being appreciated for who I really am:a gypsy. Discovering what true appreciation of one's skills and personality means. Becoming a citizen of the world and shedding limited cultural boundaries. ... A few years ago, I visited the Toronto Islands, at a time where I was soul searching, and I came accross a vegetal labyrinth with the title: It is solved by walking. It has been my motto in life ever since.