Here's What I Learned After Living Abroad Seven Years (Ten Shots From The Dome)
Notes for the next traveler about life abroad, beyond the hype.
Seven years my ninjas! It started with the City of God, then the Empire of the Sun, followed by significant time in The Kingdom, dodging sniper fire in Vietnam, a year in Hong Kong—which included time in a foreign prison—building in the motherland, and my time with the Mayans.
While traveling, I learned some things along the way. Let me be the old man in the rocking chair and drop science.
You don’t escape your problems—they come with you. You might think that the problems you’re having with your family or love life will wither away on the other side of the planet. In reality, they will linger and add to any dysfunction you may already have.
Your insecurities and flaws will be amplified. Before you think about living abroad, know that whatever flaws you have will only become more pronounced on the other side of the globe. I remember being in Rio de Janeiro and having someone tell me that I was too paranoid—this hit home because I had heard the same thing back in the States.
You’ll experience tremendous growth. When you travel, you grow—not physically, but mentally and spiritually. The difficulties you face during your journey are almost as if they’re meant for your evolution. When you come back home, it won’t be the same. The world you left is much smaller and plain.
Tourism isn’t serious travel. Once you start living abroad, you won’t take the concept of vacations or tourism seriously when it comes to travel. There’s nothing wrong with tourism, but you’ll realize that with a bit more effort, you can live abroad. Very few people who travel manage to escape the comforts of tourism.
Americans are self-absorbed. Most Americans think the world revolves around them and their culture. Once you live abroad, you’ll realize that, beyond movies and certain types of music, the USA has very little influence." In addition, the United States is a comfort zone.
You don’t need to master a foreign language—You just need to grasp the basics or essential parts of it to get by. I’ve met people who’ve lived abroad for years and still don’t know more than a few words. Learn how to count, greetings, basic sentences, and key nouns. Most of what you need can be covered in what’s known as 'survival' language learning. If you’re headed to a foreign country and plan to stay for several months, look for survival or emergency language classes. If you learn the basic in a foreign country, that will separate you from most foreigners.
As an expat, you’re a member of a unique club. All expats belong to this club of sorts, and experienced travelers will honor this membership. When you’re facing problems or difficulties in a new country, try to seek out foreigners who’ve lived there for a while. You can network by searching for groups on Facebook and attending social gatherings. These individuals tend to safeguard their information but will often open up to fellow travelers.
You’ll experience isolation and loneliness. Making friends and relationships abroad is a skill. Depending on what country you’re living in, there may be different levels of difficulty integrating into the foreign culture and developing relationships.
Shit will happen. You can plan everything out, have several backup plans, and then—out of nowhere—a tree will fall on you, or your laptop and backup laptop will get stolen. Your savings will get frozen.
What I’m trying to say is this: while you’re on the road, things beyond your control will happen. When they do, you’ll have to work through the problems. Stay positive, and you’ll be surprised by who assists you on your journey.
It’s Worth it — Traveling isn’t for everyone. Definitely not for those who can’t go beyond their comfort zone. If you can muster up the courage to do so, you’ll provide yourself with invaluable life experience and some amazing stories.
Illmatical is a writer and director from Queens, New York.
He’s lived in Brazil, China, Taiwan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Tanzania, Mexico and Guatemala.
He’s the author of the book HOMEBOY AND THE PYRAMIDS: A TRAVEL GUIDE FOR THE SO-CALLED BLACK MAN, which will be available in 2025.