You’re at home in the world – at least the work world of international business: climate-controlled meeting rooms and airport lounges.
But what do you really know about the countries you've been to?
And what about the longing in your heart – the longing to arrive somewhere at some point.
You're doing well as an expat in Switzerland - after all, you're living in a country with one of the highest qualities of life in the world – but you live in a country which also happens to have the highest number of unwritten laws. If you're from the Anglo-Saxon world, you assume that everything that isn't outlawed or regulated is permissible. It's different in Switzerland: Many things are frowned upon if they are not explicitly permitted or do not fall under the categories of good form, decency, or “Swissness.” These are very ambiguous terms and lead to many people committing faux pas.
Aside from that, almost no one stays an expat forever. And anyone who returns home will often get a shock: Your turbo-career in a foreign country has fallen apart. Meanwhile, positions in your home country have been restructured. Personal networks have been neglected. The days when expatriates were able return home and make a career practically en passant are over.
Years abroad often pose serious risks with respect to careers and jobs. In addition, in times of crisis, expats are the first to go when it comes to cutting jobs and re-structuring.
All of this weighs on your shoulders, and yet your job is still rewarding. The pay is good, your quality of life is great, but sometimes Skype isn't enough: You miss having someone to talk to.
A good friend with whom you can converse in your own language, with whom you can discuss this unfamiliar place.
When I was small, I thought foreigners didn't have their own language at all;
they just acted as if they were speaking to one another.
Jean Cocteau
