I recently read articles about how social media can be toxic, and how it can make someone’s life look so wonderful when in reality it isn’t.  It inspired me to write this post, as I’m sure a lot of people look at us and think about how great this life as an expat must be.

Now let me start of by saying, yes, this life as an expat is great.  It has blessed us with many positive things: I get to stay home with my kids, we get to live in a beautiful country that many people wish they could visit, Ryan gets a LOT of vacation time, we get to travel and visit other cities and countries, and we get to experience another culture and way of life for a little while.  We have thoroughly enjoyed the food, the wine, the coffee, the pastries/breads/desserts, and the city life.   We love that we can walk everywhere, and that we have people/business owners that we pass everyday that we always stop to talk to.  We love that we are learning another language and that our daughter is bilingual.  We are so thankful for the amazing healthcare that we receive here and how much more affordable it is than in the US.  We enjoy a less stressful, less materialistic life here.  I could talk a lot about the positives.

Of course, most things in life have a negative aspect to it.  The biggest negative is being so far from family and friends.  We rarely see our family, our parents have come to visit once a year and we don’t see other family.  Trying to talk to friends can be difficult because there is a 6 hour time difference and we have young children that we try to keep on a schedule.  A lot of times we are out doing something or taking care of our kids or putting them to sleep when our friends are available to talk.  It breaks my heart that my mom and Ryan’s parents aren’t getting to see their grandchildren and experience all of their firsts and changes and holidays and birthday parties etc.  And sometimes it would be really nice to have family nearby to take the kids once in awhile so Ryan and I could have some time to ourselves.  There are times where parents just need a break and we don’t get that very often.

Because we are so far away, it is very expensive to travel back to the US.  It is also hard to take a long trip with 3 separate flights with 2 young kids.  We have decided not to make this trip until it is time for us to move home.  I have had 3 family members pass away since we have lived here and I haven’t been able to be there.  My grandmother passed away 2 weeks after Reese was born and I wasn’t able to say goodbye, to fully mourn and realize she was gone.

There is also the fact that we are foreigners.  There’s so much I could say about this and I will write a separate post about it.  But in summary, being different and speaking a different language can make a lot of things difficult and can test your patience,  confidence and morale.  There are many times we are stressed, confused, annoyed, frustrated etc because of the language barrier and the difference in cultures.

Many of us expats have a spouse who travels a lot.  This happens in the US too, but in general it can be tough on the worker and the spouse…and even the kids.  And when you throw living in a different country into the mix, it can sometimes make it that much worse.

Lastly, I have to mention the terrorism that Europe has experienced since we’ve lived here.  While awful things happen in the US too, it can be scary to live and travel in/near these areas have been affected by terrorism.  There have been times I’ve questioned whether we should move home, or if we should visit a certain city because maybe there could be a terrorist attack there.  But most times I try to think we must not live in fear and we need to live our lives.

This post isn’t meant to complain about things, but to shed some light on what the “full” expat experience is like for anyone who thinks it’s all glamorous.

But thank you God, and Michelin, for this amazing opportunity with all of its ups and downs!