Expat life is filled with many ups and downs, where a sense of accomplishment one moment is followed by frustration the next moment. Among all of that, one sensation that is sure to affect just about every expat to some degree or another is loneliness. It happens when people are feeling far away from friends and loved ones, when they miss being in familiar surroundings, when they feel isolated because they do not speak the language well or have not found connecting with others to be very easy, or perhaps an expat feels like a stranger in a crowd, because she looks so different from the people around her.But there are some tactics that can help overcome this expat loneliness, beginning with the understanding that this is quite normal, as many other expats grapple with it, as well.Something else to keep in mind is that making new friends is not easy and will require a concerted effort. Even amongst an expat community, connecting with others can be difficult because it is a more diverse group than any community in one’s home country, where people have common cultural values and shared experiences. Also, networks of like minded individuals are well-established, and being connected with them comes naturally over a lifetime in this familiar setting. Meanwhile, the individuals in an expat community share only along with the expat experience, itself, along with the fact that everyone came from somewhere else. Making friends within the local community will take an even greater effort, especially if language is a barrier. But in either case, insecurities will need to be put aside, as will differences of all kinds, while opening the self to new possibilities of who a friend might be will offer up a valuable life lesson.Connecting with people in cyberspace can be helpful for many people, with such aids as expat forums and websites, social networking, and interaction via blogs. There is a wealth of expat forums, from country-specific sites to websites that inform and offer networking opportunities for expats the world over. There are sites aimed specifically at women as well as travel sites that emphasize the idea of the modern nomad who can work from anywhere in the world that provides an internet connection (a sampling of such sites are listed at the end of this article).One of my personal favorite therapies for expats is blogging, a topic that I have written about on this site on several occasions. The gist of it is that blogging serves several purposes, among which are keeping connected to loved ones at home who can see photos and read about adventures and observations, connecting with other expats and people who are interested in becoming expats, and being motivated to engage in a place by writing about it.Overcoming the urges that might cause one to perpetuate their isolation – fear of the unknown and insecurities about being different and not fitting in – can be a major challenge for many expats. This is yet another reason why language learning is such a big help. Expats dispensing advice commonly recommend studying the local language. This, of course, will facilitate engagement in the community, make taking care of tasks less frustrating, and help to alleviate those feelings of isolation.…and there are many more expat forums that can help you adjust…Julie R Butler is a traveler, blogger, freelance writer, editor, and author of several books that she self-published as eBooks, including Nine Months In Uruguay. See Julie’s socio-philosophical writing at her recently revived blog, Connectively Speaking.
See more expat articles at Expat Daily News Latin America
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