Meaningful relationships

Choosing the right people to spend time with is an important part of adjusting to a new life abroad.

Although most expats try to socialize, the relationships they form are superficial. We would like to believe that we are part of something bigger, but are we really?

At first we are happy to have found someone to be with, someone who understands how it feels to be away from home. People pass their time with one another and try not to attach themselves too much, because nothing is certain when living abroad.

To find a meaningful friendship or relationship is very important, and yet it may feel unsafe as relationships which are formed abroad could be unstable. It takes time to get to know someone well enough to trust them. Therefore, living abroad feels extremely lonely for most people.

As with most problems, it can become overwhelming not to have a person whom we could rely on. After getting hurt over and over again, we realize that the closest relationships we have are with the people back home.

The reality of not being able to form meaningful relationships and friendships stays with us. It could result in us building a defence mechanism to protect ourselves from getting hurt; later, however, that mechanism will be blocking us from forming meaningful attachments.

Talking to a therapist can help to understand our situation and can help to move on with our life abroad.

17. 9. 2016
Lenka Collins
Counsellor, Therapist, Life Coach
working with adults in Prague
Mobile Phone: +420 774 223 515
Email: info@lenkacollins.cz
Web: http://www.lenkacollins.cz