Aussie Bloggers

For the last 8 years I’ve been living the expat life in North America and Europe. The expat friends I’ve met have been a varied bunch, all on their overseas adventure for different reasons. What’s interesting is how many of them complain about their home and wax lyrical about how much better life is in their adopted country. Some people fall in love with their new lifestyle so much they never go back.

Where we live (in the desert in Northwest Mexico) the weather is extreme. The first day of summer (1^st June) this year, the temperature hit 47C. By July and August, temps will be consistently over 40C, with several stretches of days on end over 45C. It is unrelenting and very difficult to do anything outdoors, specially with young children. But our expat friends don’t complain about the heat (much). They mostly come from the States, and Canada, from places where the winters regularly get to -20C, where they battle snow and sleet and ice on a daily basis and where the summers are mild and short. They extend their stays, putting off the day they have to return to the bitter weather of home.

Our expat travels, however, always had a finite ending. We may have stayed away longer than first intended, but we knew that eventually we would return home to Perth, where our families and friends live, and where the lifestyle is fantastic. So many people I know who’ve moved away from Perth – mostly to Sydney, Melbourne and London - talk about “when they move back to Perth”, like it’s a given. Everyone agrees, it’s a great place to live, and a great place to raise a family.

And the weather! Perth’s climate has to be one of the best in the world. The summers are warm, often hot, but not unbearably so and always with the promise of the Fremantle Doctor sweeping in to cool you down in the afternoon. The winters are mild and cosy. The seasons are defined and there’s no really extreme weather.

It’s a cliché, but in how I feel about home, absence has definitely made the heart grow fonder. As exciting as travel and the expat life can be, it really does bring the things you love and miss about home into sharper focus. Sure, I’ll miss the exotic foods, the challenge of learning another language, the excitement of experiencing another culture and the amazing sights I have seen, but in the end it’s just nice to come home.

So when my expat (and local) friends ask me how I feel about moving home in July, I tell them I’m excited. A little bit sad to go, but excited. I try not to be too enthusiastic about leaving Mexico and them behind, but the truth is, I can’t wait!

I can’t wait for rainy winters snuggled under the doona in front of the fire,

for walks along the beach or the river,

for vegemite toast in the mornings and hot chocolates in the evenings,

for an outdoor lifestyle in summer where my kids can ride their bikes and play in the park,

for family and old friends and familiarity.

I can’t wait to come home.