Nine Years Living Abroad, Then Back To The U.S.

What is it like living back in the U.S. like after being a wandering, nomadic live abroad family for over nine years? Yikes, that’s a question probably worthy of a book, but I’ll keep it short and sweet, share our experiences as we usually do in hopes it helps others in similar situations.

Update: I actually did write a book about our adventures in South America, and you can download it free here: Cheap Places in South America & Budget Travel tips.

Get back, get back, back to the U.S.S.R – remember that Beatles tune? That was from memory… here are some of the correct lyrics:

“Yeah, yeah, yeah
I’m back in the USSR
You don’t know how lucky you are, boys
Back in the USSR”

Well we’ve gotten back to the U.S.A., and I do think we are lucky.

Lucky in that simply not only was it an option, as we are U.S. citizens, but that we had friends from years past come out of the wooodwork to help us with the transition (thank you Shannon, Charlie et al!).

It hasn’t been easy, of course, and just like the romance of moving to a new location abroad wears off after awhile and life stresses return, the high I felt during our first weeks, months wore off pretty quickly as well.

Why? Lots of reasons. But mainly to do with money and back dealing with some of the things that prompted me to move our life in another direction in the first place.

More poignantly… bullshit. Lots of the same old bs. Being misled into an apartment that I had to leave (not in a great location, not comfortable, not safe for the kid, no other kids around) and forfeit our pet deposits… losing $500 to a rental company for three weeks of living. Yes, I paid for the cleaning too.

New apartment, better situation but still after six months I was ready to move. Why? We didn’t have a car at the time so could not get around very well and I really didn’t like the area all that much; Boise, Idaho.

So we moved. And we’ve moved more, and we’ve made new friends, and now we have a car, and then a friend helped us move this summer to a new area and then had more rental issues… life back in the U.S.A.

Same as it always was in many respects, but also good in many ways.

I love having access to whatever food items we may desire, and discount shopping to fulfill the basic needs of living; clothing, footwear (try finding decent shoes in South America!), camping stuff when we camped out this summer.

Other things that are positive are schooling for the awesome teen. We’ve changed some things, but there are always many options for him to choose from and will most likely graduate from high school on time, or possibly get his GED early to do other study in a community college.

And not only schooling, but sports and activities – he is now a snowboarding fanatic, loves the sport.

Options, options, options. If there is one thing the U.S. is good for it is giving its citizens many options for living, for schooling, for making money, etc. We value being able to do what we want as Americans, and it shows in the social structures we’ve created.

And I don’t have to speak my awful Spanish, that is huge. I’ve probably had more adult conversations in the last two years than all of our nine years living abroad!

Did we morn leaving our expat life? Yes, and that was harder on the awesome teen unfortunately, with a few tears shed by a child who rarely cries. Once he had more time here, more time with new friends, it got better.

The biggest struggle, and why I want to live abroad again for a period of time, though not as a never-ending nomad like before… is money. The constant struggle and need for more of it, just to have our basic needs met plus a little enjoyment in our lives.

And that, I will end this little ‘reflections on our life’ with, as I’m going to be doing all I can in my power, with illness issues I deal with, to give the awesome teen a good life and more opportunities. Just like I did when we lived abroad.

The Blog: “I like being back in the U.S.”

Me: “Good for you, but I never knew you had left.”

The Blog: “I didn’t. I like being back in the U.S.S.R too.”

Me: “Oh, you’re just playing with the song.”

The Blog: “No, I’m just playing with you.”

Me: “Ha ha, ok, ya got me.”

The Blog: “Don’t know how lucky you are boy…”

Me: “Cute blog, very cute.”