We safely arrived at the airport in Frankfurt with our kitties!
What is an expat?
Expat is the shortened version of expatriate. An expatriate is an individual who resides in another country different from their home country. It is unsure of how long they will stay.
For me, the word has a sense of adventure to it. It means someone who takes advantages and searches for something new or different. It is someone who takes chances and dreams a bigger dream, a dream of seeing and experiences other places. Someone who is willing to alter their landscape.
It could also have other connotations and associations for you depending on your personal life experiences.
It does not mean that I am not a non-believer in my home country, the USA. It is not political by any means. Unless of course you count the fact that the country you left and the country you reside in are politically determined. Then I suppose it is somewhat politically intended. But I don not mean political in the sense that I do not believe in our government or anything. Sometimes words can have a much different meaning than they intended.
So, you might ask, “I are you proud to be an expat?”
And what would I answer? Yes, 100%. I am proud to be an expat. I am proud of taking an opportunity to experience a new culture. I now see things with multiple lenses and have different perspectives that my fellow Americans do not have.
It makes me realize how good the life is in the United States, and how lucky we are to have what we have.
Life is short. An experience that can deepen your understanding of the world makes your everyday life that much more enriching. It is like the quality of your life has gone up, because you know the value of what you have.
„Don’t count the days, make the days count“ – Muhammad Ali