I’m about to embark on my own journey as an expat. I’ll be living in Paris with my EU husband.
I speak good French and having lived in France twice before for 9-mo stints each, I am familiar enough with French culture to empathize with the negative and positive critiques that people share on this subreddit. In other words, I know what to expect.
Nonetheless I am still nervous about the move; fitting in, finding a community, finding my tribe. I’m nervous about feeling like I’ve made a colossal mistake to sell everything and move here.
The truth is is that reading this subreddit does not make me féel very optimistic. I read posts lamenting the move abroad, the regrets you have, the challenge adapting, and none of which are unwarranted! I get it Expat life is difficult!
……But my question is…is there anyone here who is happy with their decision to have moved abroad?
I lived in London, Paris and Hong Kong for many years and I was usually very unhappy the first few months but after finding friends through hobbies or school that feeling would mostly go away. Looking back I am grateful for the experience and the memories!
I have learned that social life is like 90% of my happiness. Weather, luxury, architecture lr even money dont matter if you dont have friends and girls, or a girl. And looking back its always been like that. Toys,videogames and cool cars were only fun if you had people around you to share it with.