Like you, I do the latter. And I find that if I think too much about the multiple aspects of my own identity (patched together from all the places I've lived and all the people and experiences in those places who have been part of my life), then it feels schizophrenic. But if I just live it, then it feels right-- it feels like the best of all worlds, because I get to tap into so many different feelings and experiences. And cheeses.
That's what adds to a fuller, richer life. That you have so many options when moving through various cultures and immersing in them all. The "new" life subconsciously builds itself based on those cultural experiences.
For me, I've been moving between two drastically different cultures for awhile - African and Scandinavian, with some American and British culture peppered in between.
This is a really interesting question. As a writer, you're always different anyway so I've never felt like I was totally a part of a particular group. I live as I travel, taking every experience for what it is and trying not to impose any preconceptions. Like you, I just become more diversified when I travel and it makes my life richer.
To answer your question: Yes! You can enjoy French cheeses and Velveeta at the same time. I know I do.
I think the best tactic is to simply adapt to whatever situation you find yourself in and find/use/partake in/enjoy the best (or at least the things that you, personally, like) that any given culture or country has to offer.
You hit on an issue that can have huge consequences, outside the French cheese vs. Velveeta debate, which is important in it's own right. This has actually caused societies to fail in history. The Greenland Norse colony being one good example. They tried to bring their animals to a land that wouldn't support them and refused to adapt to what the natives were doing to survive (hunting seals). Eventually, they gave up or died. Based on this, there is nothing wrong with adapting.
I had a similar conversation a few days ago with an American woman I used to work with in Prague who recently moved back to the States. It's difficult "coming back" at first.
I also do the latter. It's really difficult to do the former (like Julie wrote) and you miss out on a bit of both worlds that way. The reality is that some people are genuinely curious about where I've traveled and want to know about my experiences, but the majority of people (in the US and abroad) are most concerned about what's immediately around them, what affects them on a daily basis. There's nothing wrong with this and I can learn something from them. If I'm asked a question about where I've been, I'm more than happy to share...but I am quick to spot when eyes glaze over as stories get too long.
Bouncing between cultures, between bubbles, even between cliques or groups of people with ingrained, inflexible shared values and beliefs, is always tough.
Perhaps the only group we really "belong to" is that group of similar travelers...
Fida
· 1 year ago
To adapt is never easy. I’ve been immersed in different cultures, and I wouldn’t want to miss that experience for anything. But home became a little lonelier every time I returned home. Does that make sense? Finally, I left for good and immersed myself in the country with the highest net immigration rate per capita in the world. Being different here is a little more normal :-)
The trouble with 'coming home', especially if you live a long way away and don't visit often, is you tend to take an idealised view of the place and of the people, and are often disappointed.
When you live in many different places (sez the part time former expat) your idea of what counts as home becomes not very sustainable. You can't get Austrian brown bread AND awesome Chinese food in the Alps. If both those things taste like home, oh, it's a hard compromise to solve. And distanced observation of some place that used to be home and maybe isn't any more can be, well, obnoxious, right?
Existentialism seems like a good answer. I suck at that, for the record.
Walking Holiday
· 8 months ago
Great blog. Can't wait to see what you come up with next!
All Comments
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For me, I've been moving between two drastically different cultures for awhile - African and Scandinavian, with some American and British culture peppered in between.
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I think as you travel, you just get used to moving between cultures.
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I think the best tactic is to simply adapt to whatever situation you find yourself in and find/use/partake in/enjoy the best (or at least the things that you, personally, like) that any given culture or country has to offer.
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I also do the latter. It's really difficult to do the former (like Julie wrote) and you miss out on a bit of both worlds that way. The reality is that some people are genuinely curious about where I've traveled and want to know about my experiences, but the majority of people (in the US and abroad) are most concerned about what's immediately around them, what affects them on a daily basis. There's nothing wrong with this and I can learn something from them. If I'm asked a question about where I've been, I'm more than happy to share...but I am quick to spot when eyes glaze over as stories get too long.
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Perhaps the only group we really "belong to" is that group of similar travelers...
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I like what Julie wrote "...if I just live it, then it feels right– it feels like the best of all worlds."
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Existentialism seems like a good answer. I suck at that, for the record.