jutheblog

Living abroad is a choice we make, but it can also happen unexpectedly.

Whether it is for better career opportunities, new relationships, improved living conditions, or even to escape past traumas, some of us end up in foreign countries.

For my family, leaving their home country was not a choice.

Fleeing from Cambodia due to war in the 1970s, they found their home in Germany, envisioning a brighter future. Despite securing jobs and speaking German, integrating into the local culture remained challenging. I still catch my mom listening to Cambodian music and cooking our traditional dishes from time to time. A hint of sadness appears when I ask if she will go back. She always tells me that she had been away too long and had grown accustomed to Germany’s safety and opportunities.

Living in expat cities like Dubai and now in Zurich, I have met many people facing the same challenges. The language barriers, missing their hometown food, craving the lifestyle they left behind, and especially longing for the people they love make it difficult to fully settle in the new place.

What about those hometown reunions? How does it feel to travel back home and reconnect with extended family and friends?

Home vs New Home

When living away from your hometown, settling into a new place is not as straightforward as it seems. One of my greatest challenges involves juggling the need to visit family with the desire to integrate and build a community in my current place entirely. Every time I go back home, I am hit with a mix of emotions – a sense of disconnection from current events and people’s lives.

Ongoing Internal Conflicts

As we try to adapt to our new home, we are reminded of pieces of ourselves that we left behind when we returned. The memories with childhood friends, mom’s secret recipe and the familiarity of streets we once roamed make us reflect and nostalgic.

The Dance of Long-Distance Relationships

Another major challenge of living abroad is dealing with the physical distance that separates us from our loved ones. The feeling of missing important occasions like birthdays and weddings is a constant reminder of how quickly time passes.

Parenting Abroad

As expat parents, raising our child far from family can be tough sometimes. Especially when our little one is still so young and reaching one milestone after another. Sadly, we cannot be there in person to celebrate these precious moments with our loved ones. (Explore the full story on this blog)

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Whenever I head back home and the departure date nears, a mix of emotions settles in. The joy of reuniting combines with the thought: when will we see each other again?

I consciously try to be present during each visit and enjoy the precious memories together.

Pause and reflect on these feelings, giving them the space they need. It is not about the quantity of moments but the quality.

In these moments, I am reminded of the reasons that set me on this expat path, the range of experiences I have gathered, and the ways I have grown.