Changed

I have read several articles about what people have learned after living overseas, so I thought I would make a personal list! My perspectives, my opinions, my comfort zone, and the way I do things have all been impacted by our life outside of the United States. I realize that several of the following can be learned in the States, but they are things I learned about myself and the world over the last nine years as an expat.

1. The friends you make mean all the difference in the world. This applies to life in general, but I realized, overseas especially, that the people I welcomed into my life affected all aspects of HOW I lived overseas. Was I going to stay at home or take my kids out into the city/world? I am so grateful for the friends I made who showed me that kids are to be taken out and not used as an excuse to stay in and not travel or explore. And these are people who were placed into my life... my sponsors and my neighbors specifically. If we had been put in a house other than the one we were put in, in each of our three posts, my life could have ended up much differently. God is good.

2. I am a lot more open to living in various places. This has to be looked at from the perspective of where I was 10 years ago. I didn't have the desire to live anywhere outside of the United States. When Brent first told me we were moving to Berlin, I was extremely hesitant. Who wanted to live in that dark, depressing, war torn place with Nazis and the Berlin Wall? Of course, now I can say that was one of the best places ever to live! As we have moved further and further east, I have experienced a variety of cultures and while I definitely have my preferences, I know I can survive almost anywhere. Whether I want to survive there is something separate, but I know I can.

3. I crave exploring and moving. This is something that I'm not sure would have been so exemplified had we not moved every three years over the past nine years. I grew up in the military, so we moved around quite a bit, and I'm positive that experience had made me more comfortable with this foreign service life. But I do not remember having the desire to SEE and DO as much when living in the States. In fact, near the end of our honeymoon in Italy, which was only 10 days long, I was ready to come home! You can imagine how Brent, who wanted to live overseas, felt when hearing that. But we made the leap to leave the States (for much longer than 10 days) and in turn I have grown to appreciate the opportunity to travel. So much so, when several months go by without going somewhere, I get extremely antsy. I am looking forward to exploring our home nation with the kids!

4. I can make things from scratch. Before living overseas, I was very much of an "easy" cook. Whatever was pre-packaged and easy to make was how I cooked. After moving to Europe, I discovered that there were several things I had to do for myself because that "ease" was not available anymore. Again, this is something I could have discovered about myself without living overseas, but dealing with foreign grocery stores forced me to do this whether I wanted to or not. Who would have thunk I could make crescent rolls and pop-tarts from scratch? And, on a related but not related note, who would have thought that I would have to explain what "from scratch" means (which I had to do for my German language teacher)? ;)

5. The United States does not have a monopoly on jerk personalities. All I heard before living overseas was that Americans were obnoxious and foreign countries hated us. While traveling, I have definitely encountered some Americans who are disrespectful and ignorant, but living in foreign countries has given me a broad experience of many different people from many different countries and believe me, Americans are not the only ones who can be rude. There's a difference in culture that can attribute to this, which is something you just have to get used to (like the fact that most Thai drivers do not seem to know how to go through traffic circles), but personality types are abundant and you will find the kindest people in the world from each and every country as well as the most annoying people in the world from each and every country. So, I get a little frustrated when people bash Americans in general without any regard for individual characteristics. Conversely, I no longer allow preconceived notions affect how I look at other countries either. When we traveled to France, we did not encounter the rudeness I expected from the locals. I'm not saying nobody has, I'm just saying that we shouldn't make rash generalities about a country and its citizens. We should just travel and appreciate the differences and deal with each situation as it comes with patience and understanding. If you want to enjoy someplace, you will enjoy it more with an open outlook than a biased view.

6. I am a lot less of a food snob. My comfort zone in terms of where and what I eat has been expanded, especially with the establishments we have frequented here in Asia. And I have actually purchased raw cut-up chicken from a pile on top of a table.

7. I hope to never complain about customer service again. When it comes to customer service, we have it so good in the States. My favorite "service" story took place in Warsaw... I wanted to buy some chicken at the grocery store, but it didn't scan so the cashier lady just set it aside without a word and then rolled her eyes at me when I asked for a price check. And that happened more than once. If the service still starts to annoy you, just imagine you don't speak the same language as the person providing the service to you. Speaking of, I will also have more sympathy for the Spanish speaking workers in the States. I have lived in countries where English is not the first language spoken and I have tried to speak English to try and get things done because I know no other way. I am also extremely thankful for the "For English, Press 2" option. I know how it feels on both sides. I agree that if you live in a country, you should attempt to learn the language of that country (which I did in Germany, but not Poland or Thailand). But I also know that it's not an easy thing to do, so I want to be a little understanding and hope that they are at least trying.

8. I need all four seasons. Every time I complain about the heat in Bangkok, Brent laughs at me because while we were suffering through the long winters of Warsaw, all I could do is complain about the cold. I couldn't wait to get to a place where I didn't have to deal with snowsuits and freezing temperatures. But after living in a city where the seasons are hot, hotter, and freakin' hot, I realize that change is good. I need to experience the winter in order to appreciate the summer and vice versa.

9. I will always be an advocate for travel! I understand there is an apprehension to travel sometimes, especially with children. But you will never hear me recommend to anyone not to go anywhere. Traveling as a family has given us such reward that I can only encourage others to do the same. Getting to and fro and dealing with details can be stressful, but the experience is completely worth it. I could not be happier that my children have such a rich history of travel in their young lives.

10. America is pretty awesome. This is something I've known my whole life, but now I have practical experience in other countries for comparison. There are some things other countries do better than we do and we are definitely not perfect, but all in all, America is a great package. I love living overseas, but in the end, America is where I'm proud to be from. America is home.