My So-Called Expat Life
I have been in our current location of Bath, England for the past two years and a couple of months. Only one more year and a few months to go until we have been here as long as we lived in Hawaii, which would be the longest I have lived anywhere in one time. This highly nomadic life of mine that has spanned over two continents (I am not including my travels), seven US states, and three countries in Europe has impacted my life and world view.
How Much Longer in Bath, England?
This is one of many questions I get asked regularly as I have a job that involves personal introductions on a daily basis. In the past I at least had a rough estimate if not an exact date. If my husband were still in the military, we would already know where we would be stationed next. However, that is no longer a factor in the equation, nor is schooling or any job searching in general. For the first time in my life, I do not have to move anywhere in the near future. We could actually stay here in Bath for the forseeable future, if not indefinitely.
Already my brain is coming up with lists and thinking of the pros and cons of staying or going.
Pro: My children can keep the same friends for a longer period of time and continue their education in the UK.
Con: My children are not forced on a daily basis to use another language beside English in their day to day life.
Pro: My entire family has been involved in eight different productions with four different theatre groups in Bath over the last two years and we will be in our first one all together as a family this summer.
Con: We no longer live near a beach, have beach days, and rarely have a warm sunshine day.
Pro: We can buy all our food from local farms and have it delievered to the house more affordably than shopping in a supermarket.
Con: In the UK, we live a bit isolated from mainland Europe where bordering countries with different cultures awaits.
Pro: We do not have to have a car in England and can walk 45 minutes to the boys school and 70 minutes into work.
Con: We do not have a car and have to walk roughly 45-70 minutes one way on cold and rain days (though I’m not really complaining…we live in England and I love it here)
To be fair any of us could make lists like this ‘until the cows come home’, but finding a state of happiness in your current life is a better feat. All it takes is looking at our current location with the awe filled eyes of a traveler, with the expat soul, and a heart filled up with love from my husband and sons.
Two years later and I continue my so-called expat life in England as the British American girl who moved back for ‘a proper cup of tea’.