By Rukiya McNair
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For instance, friendships have been formed in every place I have traveled to,
and I mean real friendships. So, moving away is hard when you realize years down
the road that the people who mean the most to you are often spread out across
the globe. On one hand, this great
because you always have people to go visit, but on a day-to-day basis this can
make things quite lonely. Although, I can
say that I am grateful for technology which makes it much easier to communicate
now-a-days. So I suppose I should be thankful right?
Something else I have realized, as I have packed up and moved
around more than most people I know, is that being attached to material
possessions is a waste of energy and time. You know that lovely broach your
grandmother gave you for your fifth birthday or that necklace that’s been
passed down in your family for generations? Leave it with someone you trust or simply
prepare yourself for the reality that it will get broken, stolen, or lost…or some
combination of the three. At this point,
I have managed to program myself to not become attached to anything that can’t
love me back. Be aware that luggage does get lost, delayed and stolen. Understand
that when you leave items at a hotel, they typically don’t call you to say they
have it, especially if it’s of value. Yes, people do pick-pocket, this is
something your typical American is not accustomed to, but it happens (in some
places, it happens rather often). Left your cell phone in a taxi after a fun
and long night out? Kiss it goodbye. Ipods,
purses, wallets…anything you can think of can and more than likely will turn up
missing if you travel enough. Just be thankful for your health and keep it
moving.
A bit of advice I do have is that when you take photos, upload them
to a website, internet storage, your email or somewhere you can find them in
the case that your camera and/or laptop breaks or disappears. I mean, one thing you don’t
want to lose is all of the beautiful photos you have taken along the way,
right?
Okay, so now that I've officially scared you off (I'm joking, if you're reading this I know it can't be that easy) let it be known that traveling and living abroad is not for the faint for heart. It will, however change your life for the better and you will belong to one of the best clubs around.
Okay, so now that I've officially scared you off (I'm joking, if you're reading this I know it can't be that easy) let it be known that traveling and living abroad is not for the faint for heart. It will, however change your life for the better and you will belong to one of the best clubs around.
Love it and so agree
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-Fellow expat
Thank you for reading!
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