7 Signs That You’re Truly an Expat

by Srinivas Rao
on July 6th, 2011
8 Comments

After 4 months of being on the road in one country, I’ve realized I’m not really a tourist or traveler any more, but I’m an expat. While there are moments that I think I’ve lost my mind and wish for all the things we take for granted in the USA, I know that living any other way would make me feel like I’m missing out on all that life has to offer. There’s just far too to much of the world to see to spend the majority of my life in one country. But in no particular order here are my own personal signs that you’ve become an expat:

1. You see your friends as a potential cargo plane when they visit

When a friend of mine recently told me that he was coming to visit, after my initial excitement wore off I realized he was coming from the US so I asked if he could bring me a few things that are kind of expensive or unavailable here in Costa Rica. The list I gave him was kind of ridiculous. The first thing I asked for was a toaster given that I’ve been spending 5 bucks a day on breakfast. Then I asked for sunscreen, peanut butter, and earplugs. I know it’s a weird list of things to ask for, but all these things cost more in Costa Rica than they do in the US.

2. Everyday items like peanut butter give you sticker shock

Walk into a grocery store anywhere in Costa Rica and everyday items will give you sticker shock. When you want to save money, usually PB&J is a great option. The only problem is that it cost 6 dollars for a little jar here. I told my friend to bring me the biggest jar of peanut butter he could find that didn’t come from Costco. Many other everyday items in the grocery store will cause you to have the same reaction when you are living abroad.

3. You measure productivity by the week instead of the day

Internet outages, power outages, water outages and more are just par for the course when you live abroad. After a while you start to plan your work accordingly. People who have been expats for a while will tell you that you need measure your productivity by the week instead of by the day. In some cases you’re better of measuring it by the month. Just let it be known your day to day productivity will be far less than it was when you were back home.

4. You get a sense of comfort from eating at Mcdonald’s

Some of you might disagree with me. But I think Mcdonald’s is comfort food in many ways. I think I’ve eaten at Mcdonald’s in almost every country I’ve been to. They sell fried apple pies in most foreign countries so why not. I also don’t think I’m alone. I had friends from all over the world when I lived in Brazil and the amount of times we ended up at McDonald’s was shocking to me. The other thing is that no matter where you are in the world, Mcdonald’s tastes exactly the same.

5. You feel like punching people who tell you constantly that you’re living the dream

This is one of those double edged swords. As I sit here writing this I’m at a bar on the beach watching waves roll in. It actually kind of does feel like I’m living the dream. But what most people don’t realize is that living somewhere and being on vacation are two entirely different experiences. I live on a budget and I actually need to get things done. Some days “living the dream” makes it impossible to get anything done.

6. You avoid tourists in order to avoid difficult goodbyes

I love meeting new people whether they are tourists or long term travelers. But I’ve noticed that expats tend to look down up on tourists and don’t make any efforts to befriend them. They’ll often go out of their way to avoid interacting with tourists because they figure “they’ll be gone next week, so what’s the point?” I figure the more people you meet the more interesting your life will be. You never know who you are talking to.

7. You continually make lists of all the places in the world you want to live

As any true expat does, you have a list of all the countries in the world where you’d want to live. My list seems to change on a daily basis. I generally spend my time looking for coastal destinations with good waves, cheap food, and perfect weather. I usually will spend at least one day a week researching destinations that I want to live at.

Have you been an expat before? What else would you add to this list? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Srinivas Rao

Srinivas is an avid surfer and personal development blogger at The Skool of Life. He's also the host and co-founder of BlogcastFM, a podcast for bloggers.

8 Comments

7 months ago
Diane H.
Love this list! We just left the south of France after living there for 10 months and are driving around Europe for the summer before heading back to California. While (3) doesn’t apply here , the rest of the list is dead on. The food in Provence was AMAZING, but sometimes mac-and-cheese just tasted better because it was “normal”. Also really resonated with the “living the dream” thing. We ARE living the dream, it’s just that the dream is a whole lot more work than anybody realizes (including us before we started this adventure). Everything is strange and so nothing is easy – like the time we spent 4 hours buying a light bulb. One thing we did learn this year is that we can live anywhere in the world with internet access and make a living – so where do we live? Too many choices…

7 months ago
Srinivas Rao
Dianne,

I know what you mean about the food. Sometimes normal is amazing. I’m Indian and the biggest challenge I have with the food in Costa Rica where I live is that it’s bland. As far as living the dream, being work, I think people really underestimate that. They think it’s all sitting on a beach sipping margaritas and collecting money. If only it was that easy. But at the end of the day like you said we can live anywhere, which is amazing.

7 months ago
Joni Hardwick
i have been living in Nagoya, Japan for 18months with my husband and two boys. I found homesickness to be over rated and fleeting, once i go home to visit I long for Japan. We are hoping to be Italy bound soon. talk about sticker shock! prices are outrageous in Japan for anything western, or fruit, try $70 cantaloupes!
when we first arrived i would look at all the other foreigners and try to make eye contact, but now i just go about my business and hardly acknowledge seeing another Gikokojin (stranger). i ask anyone that is going back to the states to bring back Rice Krispies, or Tylenol. And i love to just go sit in Starbucks to feel a little like home. You’re list really hit home for us! made my husband and I laugh when we realized we really are ex-pats now!

7 months ago
Rachel
I heard fruit is really expensive in Japan but $70 is crazy!

7 months ago
Maria Brophy
I can totally relate to the not wanting to say difficult goodbyes. When I was traveling the world on my 4-month round-the-world trip, I got in the habit of not saying goodbye to people I camped with or spent time with. I would just sneak out and leave. Saying goodbye was hard.

Great post – really enjoyed it!

7 months ago
Rachel
These are so VERY true! Especially the long list of random requests from visiting friends! After over 5 years in Brazil I can say I have thought of every single item on this list. Great post!

7 months ago
Naomi
You hit the reasons square on the head. Except McDonalds. We are a family that seeks out McDonalds when we travel the world (we are based at the moment in Delhi, India) BUT it doesn’t all taste the same! The sauces with the nuggets in Hong Kong ?? The packaged caprese salads in Italy? The absence of beef in India? Still, we do love to see those golden arches!!

And yes — the one that stuck out the most was concerning the list of of where we would want to live. It’s long!

(That and #5 – re living the dream. There is SO much I want to say about that!)

3 months ago
Ciara
Great list! I spent a summer in Costa Rica so definitely get your list. Re: #4 McDonalds – Naomi is right, and McDonalds in Japan is waaay nicer than anywhere else! Definitely comfort food, especially living in southern Spain when (after falling in drunk at 7am) you wake up dying hungover at 2pm and all you want is a burger and all of Spain is enjoying a siesta so the only place open is McDonalds (with that amazing Euro-saver menu too).

Sticker shock is another one I can relate too, both in Japan and crazy expensive Sydney.

#1 is absolutely true also; I always ask visitors to bring me Barry’s Tea from Ireland, a true taste from home. Mmm.

And #7 of course. The list is always-changing and never-ending!!! My new home in less than 2 weeks: Dubai!

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