3 Life Lessons from My Decade Abroad
About 11 years ago, I packed two 20-kg-ish suitcases, hoped on a flight, and moved across the world, alone. From Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to Leysin, Switzerland, I was extremely excited to embark on what I thought would have been a short term adventure. After all, that’s what most people I knew did — they left Tanzania for a couple of years, eventually returning for good, with pockets or bags of experiences and stories to share.
I had lived abroad before, in Austria, with my family, but this was different. I truly didn’t understand the magnitude of what I signed up for when I hoped on that overnight Swiss flight in the summer of 2010. I fell asleep shortly after take off in Dar es Salaam and woke up in Zurich. Since then, a lot has happened: I have visited 2 other continents, met and lived with people from 100 different countries, and even learnt to make edible meals (yes, it took a decade!).
While these are all experiences I am extremely grateful to have made, in this post, I wanted to shed some light on 3 key lessons that came with these experiences. These lessons showed up unexpectedly on the move, as I was navigating cultures and cities but have continued to be with me ever since, even on days when I am completely still. They accompany me wherever I go whether it be at work, at school, or at home.
