It’s been almost four years since I moved over to Glasgow from America, which is cah-ray-zee.
Living in a new country is exciting and terrifying at the same time. Being an expat has its ups and downs as well. I moved to Scotland for love, and there’s plenty of that in my life, but I still have many days when I wonder if I’ll ever really feel at home over here.
It’s the little things that make being an expat so tough. Like, you know, everyday things that you learn to take for granted as part of your life that are missed once you are without them. The other day I got to thinking after having to add 90 minutes to my travels — because I had missed the train I needed by one fucking minute — that being an expat is pretty much like being 15 years old again.
I don’t know how being 15 worked out for you, but I’d have to say, without ANY hesitation, that my version of 15 sucked pretty hard.
Am I dramatic? Of course, I am. That’s what I sometimes do, though. It’s how I cope. So, you might be wondering specifically in what ways being an expat is like being 15 years old again.
Three Ways Being an Expat is Like Being 15 Again
You have to learn how to drive, take lessons, and pass a test and shit. I have to learn how to drive on the opposite side of the car and the opposite side of the road. Every time I’m even a passenger in a car over here, I find myself in a panic about how ass-backwards the whole Scottish driving experience is. This country is full of rotaries (roundabouts) and chaos.
Also, and this could be a category of its own, I am at the mercy of train schedules and other people who own cars. Either that or I walk everywhere; which is fine, but, not always the most convenient option when it comes to the weather.
You have no credit history. Trying to get anything that requires any credit reference without having a viable credit history doesn’t happen. The computer will say no. Always.
You have to make new friends, and it’s super tough as an adult. Remember your first day of school? How much easier it was to make friends amongst your peers? Being in your thirties and moving to a new country makes it super challenging to meet people.
Call me a crybaby, but feeling like I’m 15 again can mess with my head. At least I don’t have to worry about dating.
If I had to worry about dating in a new country, I would be a whole other level of mess. Dating sucks enough on your home turf, am I right?
Don’t get me wrong, being an expat is super fun in many ways, but it’s not exactly all rainbows and unicorns (despite the national animal of Scotland being a unicorn, yes, not joking.)
Somedays you feel like a lost 15-year-old, and sometimes you even need the Clearasil to go with it. Also, remember when Mark Ruffalo was the face of acne-free skin?
Now I am showing my age.
Ever wondered what moving to a new country really feels like? Read my post on the three ways being an expat is like being 15 again. Click To TweetWould you move to another country for love, work, or just for the hell of it?
Am I the only adult who finds it difficult making friends later in life?
