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Every. single. time. I take a trip, I think about what it would be like to live full-time in the place I'm visiting. Truth be told, I always thought I would expatriate to some island in the Caribbean, and then I went to Paris and of course think that I could live there too. This year, I'm going to Brazil for the first time and I just betcha that I'll want to call Brazil home as well. For those of you keen on cultural immersion, I'm sure you know exactly where I'm coming from.
My personal truth, however, is that I'd prefer a travel lifestyle where I get to live in various places for three months at a time...starting with Paris. This year, I will spend six weeks in the City of Light (last year it was four weeks) and I'm extending the trip every year while working towards my three-month goal. And while a six-week stint does not an official expat make, I am encouraged by advice from Paris expat Monique Wells in this very post: Do it, even if it is only for a few months. And yes indeed, I wholeheartedly agree.
Welcome to Part VI of Black Women Expatriates where you will hear from three more travelistas who have done both short and long term sojourns overseas. Like you, I am inspired by them all...
CHILE: Heather Gayle
STATS: From Brooklyn, New York, Heather is a Black Caribbean Latina with family that hails from Panama and Honduras. Single with no children, Heather lives with her adorable Shih-Tzu Desi in Copiapó, (northern) Chile, in the Atacama Desert Region. She lived in Madrid, Spain (for one year) and did month-long stints in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, and Panama. In Chile for 3 months, Heather works in the mining industry, managing the implementation and development of a program that provides women the opportunity to learn business skills to own or expand their own micro enterprises and small businesses.
Blog: Dreaming Barefoot in Paradise
1. What made you decide to leave your home to become an expat: I studied International Business in college, because the thought of living only in the United States for the rest of my life terrified me more than going into the unknown. Due to my undergrad program, I lived, attended university and worked in Madrid, Spain for a year. This was not a study-abroad program, it was a complete immersion with no hand holding from my university. That was the first time I'd lived abroad, and knew it wouldn't be the last.
2. What you love about being an expat: I love the random happenstances that go along with traveling; encountering the unexpected, whether it be good or bad, has a way of giving me perspective.
3. What you don't love about being an expat: It can be very lonely, and your personal life can suffer from it; especially when you live in a place where you aren't attracted to the male population.
4. Advice for women considering the expat life: Bring hair/cosmetic/body products that make you feel and look your best AND know how to do your own hair. If you move to a place that doesn't have people that look like you, they most likely will not have products that cater to you or people that can do your hair. How we present ourselves is important to our self-esteem and confidence. Becoming accustomed to a new life in a different country has its ups and downs; you'll feel better and do better if you can face those challenges knowing you're looking as pretty as you want to be.
5. How often your friends come to visit and how often you get back to the US: I live in a small mining town, so there really isn't much to do or see. I have plans to meet friends and family in different countries throughout South America. I went back to New York last month for a surprise visit for a special family event. Barring unforeseen circumstances, I won't be returning to the United States for at least a year.
PARIS: Monique Y. Wells
STATS: Monique is an African-American woman from Houston, TX and is a 20-year resident of Paris, France. Married with no children, Monique has also lived in Philadelphia, PA; Columbus, OH; and the San Francisco Bay Area, CA. She works as a veterinary pathologist and toxicologist, is co-founder of the travel planning service Discover Paris!, is a writer and editor, and a time management trainer and mentor.
Blog: Entrée to Black Paris
1. What made you decide to leave your home to become an expat: I searched for a job in France for two years and moved here as soon as one became available. It was a dream job and I was blessed to find it!
2. What you love about being an expat: I love the beauty, culture, and diversity of Paris! I love the food, the art, the architecture, and the proximity to other places in Europe and Africa.
3. What you don't love about being an expat: I don’t like the way people automatically reply “no” to almost any request before having considered it thoroughly. I’ve adjusted to pretty much everything else that I once found negative about being here!
4. Advice for women considering the expat life: Do it, even if it is only for a few months. You will learn more about yourself when living abroad than most people ever learn about themselves when they stay at home. You will learn just how “American” you really are, even if you feel that you are not fully embraced as a citizen at home. And you will have new respect for tolerating difference, whether it concerns language, cuisine, or simple matters of etiquette. It is something to be embraced, whether temporarily or permanently, as an experience that can only make you grow as a person.
5. How often your friends come to visit and how often you get back to the US: I go to the U.S. at least twice a year on business. One of the business trips is always combined with a visit to my hometown of Houston to see my family. Friends visit occasionally, but not nearly as often as you might imagine they would.
JAPAN: Rachelle Jean-Baptiste
STATS: Rachelle was born into a Haitian and Black-American family and raised in Manhattan, NY. Traveling since the age of 8, Rachelle has lived in Gifu-City, Japan for six months, having moved there from Seoul, South Korea and having previously lived in Budapest and Debrecen, Hungary; Salamanca, Spain; and Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Rachelle works as an English teacher.
Blog: NA
1. What made you decide to leave your home to become an expat: I decided to leave the moment opportunity met availability. I had just reached my goal of completing a year of teaching in New York and was in search of a bigger and better opportunity and there it was: a job offer in Korea waiting in my mailbox! I packed two bags and had about $200. I set out to South Korea without even telling most of my family.
2. What you love about being an expat: I am fascinated by etymology, the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time. As an expat, having the opportunity to be immersed into the culture of another country and learn the language is divine!
3. What you don't love about being an expat: Being an expat for so long in various countries has limited my ability to share in special moments with my growing family. I am a hardcore family woman, but I believe in living my dreams, not only seeing them while asleep.
4. Advice for women considering the expat life: Set goals for yourself. Remain open-minded and kind because stereotypes are worldwide and you may be the only foreign encounter to that native, so leave a positive, lasting impression! Allow yourself to grow and learn from every single experience so that you are richer in spirit and soul after paying for that expensive plane ticket!
5. How often your friends come to visit and how often you get back to the US: The only person to ever visit me abroad is my best friend and lifetime partner. Because of her dedication and flexibility, I have rarely returned home. I can only recount two times I returned to visit family. Otherwise, I take the opportunity to add stamps to my passport!
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PART I: Jo in China, Lola in Sweden, Dori in England, Nicole in South Korea – 5/1/12
PART II: Carolyn in Switzerland, Davette in Barbados, Tatiana in Germany and Lily the serial expat – 5/14/12
PART III: Maureen in France, Sheryll in South Korea, Adrienne in Sweden, Arielle in Brazil – 5/21/12
PART IV: April in Jamaica, Nicole in Germany, Monique in The Netherlands, Oneika in London – 5/28/12
PART V: Natasha in Abu Dhabi, Margaret in Peru, Diana in Indonesia – 6/4/12
PART VII: Joia in Barbados, Shirley in Bordeaux, Adria in Colombia – 6/25/12
PART VIII: Carolyn in The Netherlands, Terra in Brussels, Robin in Denmark – 7/16/12
PART IX: Are you an expat? Know an expat? Email Tracey@OneBrownGirl.com and join in on the celebration as Black women expatriates blow off stereotypes and #TravelByExample.
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