14.11.2013

Expat Life: a new way of looking at things

14.11.2013

Expat Life: a new way of looking at things

The Expat View

Moving abroad can guarantee you one of two reactions: that of the Wow, lucky you! I wish I was moving abroad; and that of the You’re so brave! I don’t know if I’d ever have the courage. The Expat is the modern version of, and definitely more attractive term for, the migrant worker or expatriate. There are those who decide to leave their country in order to find work, others do it to keep a family together, and still others do it purely for the experience of living abroad. There are some who decide, in the end, to return, and others who leave and never go back.
Maybe it’s easier to move in your twenties than in your forties, especially if you have children to think about. Without a doubt, moving abroad is, for anyone, a leap into the unknown.

I clearly remember the very first days, beyond the Alps, in the beginning of a very wet November, in a petit village in the South of France. I recall the feeling of being utterly lost, the question mark above my head, asking: What on earth am I doing here? Couldn’t I just have stayed in Rome? In my own home? What do I know about the French?
Finding yourself in a house that isn’t yours, amidst piles of boxes, searching for familiar objects and realising that you’ve forgotten to pack any towels; it can all be a bit traumatic.

Living in a country different from your own is an all-consuming experience, certainly difficult at first, yet equally enriching at the same time, both for adults and for children. In the end, you get on just fine, particularly if you aren’t too worried about sticking too much to stereotypes and stock up well on pasta, coffee, olive oil and Parmesan. You adjust when you get over the trauma of living without those habits that you have to leave behind, if you overcome the frustrations of only speaking the language to the level of an eight year-old. And, if you are ready to embrace and enjoy the infinite cultural differences, the rest should be fairly plain sailing; indeed, you might even be happier than before.

I didn’t travel very far, yet just crossing the Alps gave me a new lease on life that was completely unexpected and unhoped-for. A lease on life that is often accompanied by a new, more observant and curious way of looking at things. I dusted off my eyes, put on a pair of coloured glasses and opened wide the big window that I had before me. Once I was standing there, looking out, I started to search.
Because, if you let your eyes guide you, you will realise that it is a unique opportunity to gather an abundance of beautiful things.
Beauty is right there before you.
You find it in the town square, which is constantly animated by people, street performers, bicycles, colourful trams and an ever-turning carousel.

The Expat View 01

You find it whilst sitting on that which I call the thought-reconciling bench, with a view of the old Cinematographe

The Expat View 2

You find it in the little coloured flags, which force you to lift your chin and look towards the sky

The Expat View 3

You find it when you look up to catch sight of the window sills inhabited by flowers and curious cats

The Expat View 4

The Expat View 5

You find it in an unexpected message inviting you to smile

The Expat View 6

You find it on a stroll around the harbour, where a boat named ‘Friendship’ makes you want to call a friend

The Expat View 7

I’ll be back in one week’s time for the second episode of Expat Life.

Bianca Spina

My name is Bianca Spina; I’m from Naples but I live in Rome. I have just come back to Italy after a period living as an Expat in France, an intense and amazing time. Mother to two little girls, I wear big, red glasses; I love to walk looking up, to observe, photograph and tell stories. I try to keep in a good mood and I am always won over by the inescapable charm of kindness and a smile.
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