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Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor’s Life
The grass isn’t necessarily greener on the other side.
“I want your life.”
I heard and read that line many times during my 13 expat years, usually in response to my frequent travel and far-flung bases: Buenos Aires to Melbourne to Bangkok to Cape Town to Sydney to Eastern Europe, with short and extended layovers in so many amazing and not-so-amazing places in-between.
As exciting as my 2006-to-2019 adventure abroad may have sounded to folks back home, I never understood why anyone wanted to walk in my shoes full-time.
For one thing, my feet are big (size 12), flat, and bunion-ridden. My boots that were made for walking wouldn’t fit most people. More than that, despite what others might have perceived as endless travel and excitement, my life was no more extraordinary than anyone else’s. It was just unfolding in different settings.
Despite what others might have perceived as endless travel and excitement, my life was no more extraordinary than anyone else’s. It was just unfolding in different settings.
Look, India is a fascinating place. But when your head is throbbing in the sun and your stomach…
