Honestly I think the main struggle of expatriation in a foreign country is the inevitable loneliness as time passes by. Anyone who's lived abroad should understand this to some degree, friends move, places close, nothing stays the same. And yes this is a fact of life, however; I feel the rate is in some ways accelerated as you constantly build new relationships as old ones change, or locations change for those of us who move around a bit more than those who stay in one place I suppose. The reason why it's accelerated I believe is affected by the links we have with our local communities and the types of friendships we build. Those are the most important, because as social creatures humans tend to thrive in welcoming warm social environments. It's in our nature to seek out each others company and while I'm no anthropologist I believe that's the only way we could survive. As we move around and restart in new locations we have to branch out, learn to make friends, trust in strangers, and know that eventually things will find a degree of normality again and you'll realize you've finally settled in. The store clerks recognize you, neighbors wave, or people lose interest all sure signs of becoming apart of the communities social fabric or canvas so to speak. But sometimes; it doesn't feel like home. I of course can't speak for everyone but I have no doubt that there are many of us who at times feel isolated in the maddening web of the world for whatever reason. and drifting along over seas like a rudderless boat floating in the chaos around us can have a maddening effect on the psyche. You learn to do with less, eat different things, and extend your social circles further in order to find the stability needed to survive. Still I see countless people fail to thrive in the new environments and eventually leave for home and greener pastures.
So what do we do?That answer really is up to you. Some people drink and become miserable and generally have nothing positive to say about the host country, I've found myself in this negativity once or twice admittedly miserable. But it doesn't help. Others just leave, which is where I've found myself recently. And others Branch out move to new locations meet new people and find a new niche or place where they feel happy. Which is what Have been trying. My current social network is better than most, yet I feel stagnant.Isolated. It's Japan everyone says and I don't think they're too far off the mark, perhaps my soul was meant to sing in a different key.Either way, rambling on down the road will get you somewhere but never in conversation.
