Why is it that I have met so many Ex-pats who say that although they love their “home” country, it is now a place to visit vs a place to live in again? Most of my friends here (from many different Countries) say that they don’t think they can return home to live. In doing a quick search on the Internet, it appears that my local findings mirror a global trend – over 60% of British Ex-pats do not want to return home (sources: Daily Telegraph survey October 2010 and Lloyds TSB survey November 2011). 69% of the estimated 5.5 million Brits living in other Countries have no plans to return “home”.
‘Expats have an enlightening view of the UK, having experienced life both home and away, so it’s worrying that life in Britain appears so bleak when viewed through their eyes,’ said Lloyds TSB’s Expatriate Banking Managing Director Tony Wilcox.
Having left the UK for the first time in 1995 and extending what was then a 2 year assignment into 15 years, returning “home” in 2010 was a difficult transition for me and my family. The Britain we returned to was vastly different from the Britain we left, and in my humble opinion, not for the better. Everything is so expensive, taxes are high, crime (and violent crime) is up (or maybe it is reported more sensationally) and the sense of hopelessness I felt in the younger generation was depressing. Even the brilliant British TV seemed to have sunk to the lowest levels of society. When did British comedy have to be so crass, rude and mind numbing to be funny? We could only find QI to save us!
The problem was that living in America we had found ourselves split in 2 and torn between 2 worlds. We often said that we wished we could “import” our family and friends and then we never would have left. People become Ex-pats for many reasons – work, a fresh start, a new experience, or in a bid to leave something behind; and although you miss home, the longer you are away, the more your mind creates a memory. Home in that sense becomes something that it isn’t.
So, in 2012 when I was presented with the chance of a brilliant professional challenge as well as a huge cultural learning opportunity in China, the whole family jumped at it. 1 year on and it has been a roller coaster ride and one that I would not change. 1 year to go and we have no idea what is next.
So, what is next for me and my family? I believe that we are all now “Global Citizens”. As such, we no longer fit in anywhere 100%. We are jigsaw puzzles with pieces that are coloured in so many different shades. My children have friends from different Countries around the world and could tell you about the traditions and culture in at least 4 or 5 of them. Diversity is valued and celebrated at their school. Their passports have more stamps in them in 7 short years than in the first 30 years of my life. They have seen and experienced more than their peers in either UK and USA. Will “normal” life seem boring and bleak to them after this experience? Will their beginning grasp of Mandarin fade into a distant memory? What do we do with our careers? Where is the next BIG opportunity for either of us?
So many questions with many possible answers. And none of them will be right or wrong. Such is the life of an Ex Pat, such is the life of a Global Citizen.
osiochina 