Musings
Narratives about Expat-Life in the Haidian District of Beijing, China
Defining The Expat Experience
I knew who I was back home. I worked hard to create a definition around myself that I not only understood but found happiness in. Then I moved abroad. Suddenly, there was this word - “expat” - floating around. And while I literally fit the mold, I found through discussions with other expats that there seems to be a deeper definition we're searching for:
What does it mean to be an expat? Sure, we were all living abroad, but what did that mean? All bunched together into one foreign clump, how could we stand out as the individual? What made our personal experiences abroad special? What would we do here that would be different than those we left back in our “native country”? It's a lot to piece together. So I started to build a new definition. READ MORE ... |
Bucket List 2016: An Expat Living in the Haidian District of Beijing
I cannot remember the last year I let a new year arrive without having written a list of ways I plan to improve. ... Jan. 1, 2016, was much the same, but I found my list to be a lot different than before.I framed a new year built on self-promotion and adventure – and so far, it's been much easier to work toward them. This will be my first full year I'll live abroad for. I dove head-first into expat life in Beijing, following my friend around as we toured the city. ... And yet, I've barely skimmed the surface of what this city has to offer, let alone the possibilities in China and Asia.I've mapped out my plan for this year, and invite you all to join me as I knock out my 2016 Haidian District bucket list.
READ MORE ... |
Living an Unscheduled Life Abroad
Throughout high school and college, I toted around both literal and mental binders. Checklists and course requirements were as ubiquitous in my life as craft beer and movie nights. Pages and thoughts and personal goals, all leading me to graduation and the degrees of my choosing. But when Pomp and Circumstance faded out, I settled into four years of "real world" employment and a goal-less existence. I had no map for post graduate life, and so complacency set in. And then my Hangouts pinged.
My friend had a spot for me in his school in Beijing, China, and I had a strong desire to travel. Two months later, my bags were packed and I was jetting off into a world I knew nothing about. I'd left the binders behind in search of something less scheduled. This would be my new path, not found on any map. READ MORE ... |