A lesson in life overseas, from expats in the know

What does living abroad teach you about yourself?

There are many reasons why some people choose to live abroad – the search of a better job, a more laidback lifestyle, the chance to experience a new culture – but if there is one thing that unites ALL expats it is the fact that living in another country teaches them something about themselves they never previously knew…

The Daily Telegraph’s Expat Life section rounded up the opinions of their expat writers and contributors to ask them what they had learnt from life overseas, and the answers were fascinating.

Toronto, Canada correspondent Daniel Rouse revealed that he feels more restless living in the Great White North, but in a good way. “I’ve learnt to be less regimented with my time and less inclined to waste it,” he wrote. “In Toronto things are more spur-of-the-moment than in the UK. For example, on a whim people will jump in the car and head out to the country, often to destinations that are three hours away.”

That notion of carefree freedom was echoed by Beijing-based expat Lu-Hai Liang, who said that life in the Chinese capital feels unshackled from duty and expectation. “I can eat out more and travel more, with the taken-for-granted attitude that I think expats enjoy,” she said.

However, fellow Chinese domiciled expat Sarah O’Meara bemoaned China’s lack of democratic principles, writing that the parameters governing everyday life in China are “arbitrary”, and that there is a lack of transparency of rules and regulations.

Amanda Barnes, meanwhile, has learnt to embrace the regular imperfections of life in Argentina. “It isn’t the end of the world when things don’t go to plan,” she wrote. “It takes a while to get used to everything running late, cancellations without warning and impossible red tape.” And how does she deal with this? “Do as the locals do: smile, laugh, move on to Plan B and remember that you can’t control everything.”

Instead of feeling lost, successful expats take the chance to explore new cities, cultures and languages

One of the most interesting perspectives came from Singapore expat Rosie Milne, who wrote that she has learnt never to trust a place’s bad press and, instead, to experience other places and cultures with an open mind. “Singapore is disparaged as clinical and efficient to the point of tedium, when in fact it must be one of the most interesting spots on the globe,” she said. “I have learnt to celebrate pluralism, to be open to new ideas and to welcome differences and debate.”

Helen Russell, who now lives in Denmark, took a slightly different approach. She spoke of how the UK had made her cynical and cantankerous, with Denmark opening her eyes to not caring about how she was perceived. “This was liberating,” she revealed, adding that this process allowed her to appreciate the things that make her happy.

Qatar-based expat Victoria Scott wrote of how living in a country with such extremes of rich and poor made her realise how privileged most Europeans are to come from such a fair, safe and stable society, while Annabel Kantaria, who lives in Dubai, felt that moving half way across the world has taught her to let go of possessions and people that she felt were weighing her down. “Being an expat has taught me to let go of people,” she wrote, rather dismissively.

As for Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey – a German who has lived in Australia and France and now resides in the UK – she has learnt never to turn down an invitation, challenge or offer. “By saying ‘yes’ I’ve seen places I’d never have visited otherwise, met people I would not normally have considered friend potential, and learnt so much more about the countries and cultures I’ve lived in.”

Which, in a nutshell, is what it is all about. VIVA would love to hear what British expats living in Spain have learnt about themselves since making the move – share your thoughts with us in the comment section below!