Living abroad is not the glamourous life people think it is. At least this is true when you have children. I was having this discussion with an American friend who is moving back home in a couple weeks and we both agreed that life is the same no matter where you live. Now grant you, that statement changes if the quality of life is vastly different than what you're used to you. I mean if we suddenly picked up and moved to a country in Africa, I'm pretty sure this conversation would be different. But comparing life in the UK to life back home in Canada, it's pretty much the same with a couple extra complications that being so far away from family induces.
We still have pretty much the same routines and do the same things, and try to get out and explore as much as we can. But at the end of the day, our lives haven't changed all that much. That was unexpected.
I think there was this expectation that somehow we would be living this whirlwind life where we got to travel and try lots of new things. But the reality isn't at all like that and you know what? That's okay with me.
I hate travelling with a young child. It stresses me out to no end. I know it will get better when she's older and I can't wait for those days and hope they coincide with our financial situation being better.
At the end of the day, home is exactly where you are and all you can do is make the most of your circumstances (whatever they are) and take comfort in the fact that wherever you go, some facets of life never change. There is something nice about that, despite the other challenges that may come your way.
"At the end of the day, home is exactly where you are"...I really like that.
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