In August of 1990 my husband, Paul, and I moved along with our 5 month old daughter from Michigan to Graz, Austria and so it began. Since that time, we have lived on 4 continents in 5 countries and in 7 cities including the USA.
Apart from the obvious adventures, cultural beauties and learning experiences, our most valued asset from these travels is our EXPAT friendships. When I think about all of the wonderful people we would never have met throughout the past 25 years had we stayed in Michigan, I am even more grateful for having had this opportunity.
After Austria, we lived in Caracas and Valencia, Venezuela, for about seven years. In between beach travel and Spanish lessons I joined the International Women’s club. We were a group from all over the world sharing a new friendship while working to serve the people of Venezuela and help finance several orphanages. From there we were able to walk the Great Wall of China.
Living in Beijing was a wonderful experience with tons of travel. Again the EXPAT friendships were abundant. In our compound there were over 100 European, Australian, Canadian, American and Asian families. We met at the bus stop each day and after the children pulled away we drank coffee, went for bike rides, helped with the PTA, attended the women’s club of Beijing or took Mandarin lessons. Some of my closest friends at this time were from Australia. We spent many hours speaking of our “homelands” as I had not yet had the opportunity to travel to Australia nor they to the USA. Sometimes I felt like these EXPATS were becoming family!
After several years back in Michigan we moved to Turin, Italy. What’s not to love about Italy? The food, the culture, the travel and, oh, the wine! However, after a move to Modena many of these things took a backseat to what I felt leaving my friends in Turin and making new ones here. I say you can live anywhere in the world if you have at least one friend to help you through all the change.
This past September, that 5 month old little girl who moved to Austria got married. We had EXPAT friends fly in from Australia, China, Canada and Italy. People came from 17 different states. There was at least one family from every country and city we have ever lived in in attendance. Before the wedding I looked out over the balcony at the 250 friends and family below and thought… how lucky are we? As tears ran down my face I realized almost everyone that I cared about was sitting together as one, about to witness the marriage of my daughter. So many of these people were EXPAT friends.
I would like you all to embrace this wonderful club you have formed! Hug each other! Reach out to one another! Be true EXPAT friends! Good luck to all as Paul and I continue our journey with a move to Shanghai, China in December. I will miss you all… but remember we are EXPAT friends forever.
Fondly, Sarah Alcala