Advantages And Disadvantages Of Living Abroad Essay

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Good evening everyone. My name is Pia Illmann and tonight I would like to share with you some of my experiences with living abroad. I was born in Germany, moved to Greenville with my family when I was very young and after spending four years here in Greenville, moved back to Germany before moving to the UK. After three years in the UK, my family and I came back to Greenville for another five years.
The best way of finding out about another culture is by completely immersing yourself in it; by living in that culture. Living abroad, however, can be very stressful. Apart from the initial culture shock everyone experiences at the beginning, you will have to deal with getting accustomed to a new culture. Everything from the currency exchange rate to the customs and national holidays to the different landscapes will take some getting used to. You potentially will also have to learn another language. Language barriers can make even the simplest tasks such as grocery shopping a real challenge. Limited communication skills can cause confusion and frustration.
Settling in can be even more difficult when you experience homesickness or suffer from being separated from family and friends back home. You realize that you can no longer experience important life events or holidays with them. Judging from my own experiences, I would say that it takes at least two years to fully assimilate into a new culture.
However, the advantages to living in a foreign country definitely out-way the disadvantages. You broaden your horizon through being open to new knowledge and customs and you become more adaptable. You gain new perspectives. You learn new languages and skills that will always be beneficial as you grow as a person. You learn to tolerate differ...

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...at I can still speak German. Dr. Kirby's German class for native speakers as well as the German I speak at home have helped me keep up with my German. I have also taken French as my third language in school since 7th grade. Madame Mitchell has taught me so much in the last couple of years and I cannot believe how much my French has improved since my first day in her class in 9th grade. I have loved hearing about the French culture and her experiences with living abroad.
I myself no longer have a home. I have lost the feeling of belonging somewhere. MY home is the world. I am a citizen of the world.
I would like to end my speech with this quote from Miriam Adeney: “You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart always will be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place.” Thank you.

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