The challenges of expat life.
Anyone who knows me, knows that working abroad is a dream come true. I’ve constructed a full life in the country of my family’s roots – Italy. If you have visited Italy, you can appreciate people who are full of passion, a rich culture, traditions that vary from town to town, and a history that spans ancient times to the present. Living here has certainly influenced my thinking on how I should live my life. Italians are passionate people who work hard and enjoy life. With the best of food, wine, art, design, fashion, architecture, and a geographical position that appeals to cold- and warm-weather activity, it is easy to arrive in a place like Italy and fall into the trap that “la dolce vita” or “the good life” is something easily obtained.
The reality is that Italy can also be characterized as a country with a weak job market, corruption, high taxes, an inefficient government, public services that don’t work, and a lot of bureaucracy. While your early months of expat life might feel like a scene from Netflix’s original series Emily in Paris, the reality is that to maintain a full and satisfying life abroad, you have to really work at it…all the time.
“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” – Dolly Parton
As I reflect on my time in Italy, there are some tough challenges to cope with while working abroad.
Trading places.
The first challenge of expat life is working, legally, in your new home country. A hard but useful lesson, one that everyone who is an expat will experience, is being an immigrant. Even with the sponsorship of a globally-recognized Italian company, when I arrived in Italy from the USA there was no preferential treatment.
I was labeled an “extracomunitario” or a “non-EU citizen” like many others arriving from outside the European Union. Being called a “foreigner” or “outsider” is not exactly a warm and fuzzy feeling. Having those words stamped on all your documents isn’t a badge of honor. Going down to the immigration office to get my first “permesso di soggiorno” or “residence permit” is an experience that I will never forget. The learning here is to standup tall and be proud of who you are. Also, have compassion for those who are trying to create a better life somewhere else.
The bureaucracy.
I can’t speak for every country, but the paperwork that I needed to be admitted into the quota for my residence permit in Italy was insane, even when there was someone else doing the work for me. Once admitted, I had to return home to do more paperwork in my home country. Upon my return to Italy, it took even more time to have some of the basic services that one takes for granted at home – a form of identification, a checking account, access to healthcare, etc. Here, all I can say is that patience and determination will get you through this period. Before you head off to your expat assignment, try to get first-hand feedback on the process from others from your home country who have gone through the work-permit process.
Finding your place far from home.
Once you are settled and start working abroad, you’ll need to create a life in your new country. This isn’t spring break, so making meaningful connections may require more effort than usual. On the job, you may be seen as a threat. Integrating and finding your way will take time and will not happen overnight. You’ll need to put yourself out there and try many experiences to find the right balance that works for you. Join associations, volunteer and go out and meet people.
Maintain connections.
It is easy to lose touch. Staying connected can be difficult due to time zone differences and any other excuses that come to mind. Schedule time to connect with your family and friends. Make the effort to see one another when you are at home or nearby. Be sure to preserve the ties you created while you make new ones.
Stay relevant on the job.
While expat life can open the doors to new opportunities, sometimes being too far from the corporate headquarters can be a disadvantage. Even when the experience you are undertaking makes you better at your job and more qualified for promotion, you may be passed over and even forgotten. Here you’ll need to be assertive and vocal in order to keep yourself front and center. And, even after proving yourself, you still might be excluded because you are not in the right location. This is unfortunate.
However, if there is anything the pandemic has taught us is that we can be productive even when we are not physically together in the same room. Many companies are incorporating the learnings from the past year to create more flexible and dynamic work environments. However after all this, if you still feel that you are being put in the corner check out what you can do outside of your workday to advance your career.
Tax madness.
Something that many of us are dealing with in these days is the filing of our taxes. If you’re an American, like me, you are required to file taxes in the USA. Your worldwide income is subject to U.S. income tax no matter where you reside. This means that every year you are living and working abroad, you’ll be filing taxes in two places, most likely requiring the service of an accountant. Groups like American Citizens Abroad are advocating for tax reform. If you want to keep your American citizenship, you must continue to file your taxes in the USA. No matter where you’re from and where you’re going, you’ll want to understand your tax obligations.
Expat life is what you make it.
I went from the USA to Italy; you’ll probably be heading somewhere else. The point is that you’ll need to do your research on day-to-day expat life to understand the challenges of working abroad. These are only a few but there could be other challenges to expat life. How you choose to manage the obstacles you encounter will affect your wellbeing while you are living and working abroad. Like anything in life, you get what you put into it including “la dolce vita” or “the good life”.
