Expat Life

A friend recently asked me about expat life, and why I do it. She made me think. For me it happened by accident – I was transferred to another country way way back and long ago. And never looked back. It wasn't a conscious choice at first. It just happened. Now its probably too late. A bit like pilots doing crop dusting. Once you do that, they won't hire you for anything else. Although it sounds glamorous, expat life is not for everyone. The theory is simple. You go live in another country for a while, gain some experiences, make some money, spend some money, go back home.

There are dangers involved. In the flashy places like Dubai, you get caught in a golden cage very easily. You don't pay taxes, prices are cheap – so with your disposable income you buy a Landcruiser or a Merc, a boat, stop cooking at home and eating out..and one day you suddenly find that you cannot afford to leave. Your standard of living is so high that you spend the rest of your life trying to maintain it. The more adventurous souls that venture into the the developing countries, face other dangers. In Tanzania I knew a few people who had definitely been there for far too long. They start refusing to go on leave, swear at head office people, come to work barefoot, start drinking more than a bottle of whisky a day....and end up living in a hut or somewhere next to a lake. Actually, come to think of it, that sounds like a perfectly sane idea.

Then you get career expat. A much rarer, tougher breed. I'm not talking about people that move to another country, and then settle there. They decided to do this for a living, moving from country to country as the demand for their particular skill set moves. They tend to be oil people, engineers, miners, soldiers, and as countries become more settled, finance people. There is a high demand for people who have international experience. And the rewards are there. But you have to manage the rewards (international travel, good holidays, buckets of money) with the downside (3rd culture kids, diseases, extreme climates, lack of friends, language problems, getting thrown in jail for having a “kiss my ass” bumper sticker). The divorce rate is sky high – for exploration geologists for instance its around 83%. The trick is to find a hugely understanding wife. One that likes moving too. Like me. It's becoming more common now – people even write books about it – Raising Global Nomads, A Moveable Marriage, and the classic Third Culture Kids are just a few.

The moment the cons outweigh the pros, you need to get thew hell out of Dodge. If you don't – better not bitch too loud. Its all your own fault anyway..