| It was only
after our airplane touched down at Prague's Ruzyne airport, starting
my family's life as expatriates in that far-off and beautiful city,
that my wife and I fully grasped the magnitude of what we had begun ...
we had rented out our home, put almost everything we owned in storage,
and left the U.S.A.
And we didn't
know a soul in Prague.
Sure, millions
of U.S. citizens live abroad. However, almost all of them fall into
one of two categories. First, there are single people getting a taste
of adventure while teaching English abroad. Second, there are career expatriates,
such as diplomatic, military, and corporate transfers. |
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| We fit
neither of these categories. What's more, we had no family ties and
no cultural ties to the Czech Republic. In fact, we had never even visited
the country. Because for close to a year we had studied, made arrangements,
sought job leads, and even learned a bit of the language, we thought we
were
pretty well prepared.
How wrong we
were. We learned the lessons below the hard way. If you've ever considered
living abroad with your family, here are some of the most important things
to keep in mind before you go, while you're there, and when you return.
Sell your
car before you go. By the time we returned, our car had depreciated
by thousands of dollars and needed significant repairs, which were fortunately
covered by the warranty. Before you leave, sell your car or cars and put
the money in a CD: you'll probably be able to buy the same type of car
on your return, and bank some money besides.
To ship or
not to ship? We left the U.S. with just the luggage our family of four
could take on the plane ... eight suitcases and four carry-ons. |
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| While this
was a terrific exercise in paring down our belongings, I sure got tired
of the same three outfits, week after week. If your employer is sending
you abroad, you'll probably have a generous shipping allowance.
If you're going
on your own, as we did, plan to rent a fully furnished apartment, and ship
bulky items, such as pots and pans, linens, sports equipment, and hobby
materials, as well as clothes that you won't need for your first couple
of months.
Get an apartment
close to school and work. For the first four months of our year in
Prague, the children had to take a taxi more than an hour each way to and
from school.
After we took
a new apartment closer to their school, they could at last have friends
over, and we could participate in many of the family activities offered
by the school. |
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Offshore
Resources Gallery
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| If you can't
find a place prior to arrival, plan to stay in a guesthouse or pension
for four to six weeks while you search. Bring a laptop computer, printer
and scanner.
E-mail alone
is worth lugging a laptop overseas. We also used computers to do freelance
work over the Internet, keep track of finances online, and send and
receive faxes. Okay, the kids and I played computer games, too. Most laptops
are compatible with overseas current, but be sure your peripheral devices
are, too.
Expect to suffer
from culture shock. For a couple of months, enchanted by the city, we thought
we'd escape the scourge of culture shock. Then, the inconvenience of living
in a tiny apartment, dealing with surly clerks and not having a car
ceased to be charming.
Culture shock
often hits the non-working spouse hardest. To fight it, get involved in
the children's school, or with a volunteer organization. Take the initiative
and set up social engagements, and spend time with expatriates who know
and understand the culture in which you're living. Expatriates are used
to making friends quickly, so if an offer is made, accept it and reciprocate! |
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| Get a car.
A car is often a nuisance in a big city, and Prague is no exception, and
for our first eight months, we did without. However, we finally got
tired of lugging grocery sacks home from the supermarket.
We rented an
old Czech Škoda, for just $11 per day. It was good enough to take the children
to school, go shopping, and take short trips. Best of all, though, we didn't
have to pay to maintain it, or to insure it, since we had used a credit
card to rent it.
Plan on traveling
as much as possible. For the first couple of months, you'll probably want
to remain in your new home and get acquainted. However, sooner or later,
the isolation will get to you, and one good way to fight it is to get out
to see and experience new things. We visited eight countries while we
were overseas, all with our children.
Plan to live
abroad for two to four years. Sure, at the outset, two years will seem
like an eternity. |
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Offshore
Resources Gallery
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| However, for
us and for many expatriates I contacted when writing my book, A Family
Year Abroad: How to Live Outside the Borders, it really takes a year
to adjust to life overseas.
For us, it
was very difficult to leave Prague. The children were very happy at the
International School of Prague. We had begun to make good friends, and
to enjoy visits from U.S. friends, because we felt we really knew the city.
We would have liked to spent another year and really take advantage of
our familiarity with the city.
Don't expect
coming home to be easy: In many ways, it was harder to return home than
it was to leave. Unconsciously, we expected everything to be the way
it was when we left, and that wasn't the case. Many expatriates feel
that the folks back home don't want to hear about their lives overseas,
as though they're bragging about what they've done, when in fact they're
just talking about their lives as they'd lived them. |
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