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[HLJHLJ]

There's also a biological/genetic factor. DRD4-7r gets grossly oversimplified as 'the wanderlust gene', but while it's far more complicated than 'have gene will travel', it does seem to play a role.

A biological predisposition, or lack of, would go someway to explaining why some people find the idea of extended travel unfathomable, when others seem driven to keep moving.

[BadBeagleBad]

[HLJHLJ]

That's a good point BBB, and some researchers have argued that DRD4-7r is actually much more closely associated with curiosity and novelty-seeking than travel.

[scot47]

Certainly looking back on my teenage years and the beginnings of my "Wanderjahre", I remember that most of my agemates in that Scottish High School had ZERO interest in travel ! I was consumed by the desire to experience other societies, languages and cultures. And I did.

[Hod]

[HLJHLJ]

[scot47]

And there is the question of exogenous or endogenous relationships ! I have always gravitated to exotic women and avoided those from my own land !

[HLJHLJ]

[Kowloon]

Interesting discussion. I remember when I was visiting Russia on holdiay our tour guide, who split his time between Baikal in summer and Thailand in the winter, told me that "even before I lived in another country I knew I didn't want to live in Russia".

I felt much the same way. From the age of 15 or so I sort of yearned to live abroad and couldn't really imagine going back now unless it was for a very special job opportunity.

[scot47]

In the end I came back to my native land. A very different part of it !

[AmericanAmina]

I've wanted to see new places my whole life. I can enjoy going somewhere for a few days and doing the touristy thing, but I really prefer to stay somewhere for a month or a year or longer and really soak it in. For me, the short trips are like being hungry and having someone hand you a tiny appetizer. I want the full meal.

Apart from that need to travel and see and explore, I think part of what makes some people more suited to living and working abroad is a lack of fear and bias... which translates to being comfortable in new places and cultures that you may not understand. Once you actually live in their context, many of their habits and social constructs start to make more sense, and you can relate to them better. But if you're too scared of things you don't understand or if you have that conscious or unconscious belief that you are somehow superior to this other culture and are graciously lowering yourself to their level, you're not going to enjoy the experience. They aren't going to enjoy you much either.

[scot47]

Only recently have I become aware of the extent of xenophobia in my native Scotland. I had always assumed others were as I am - a xenophile. In fact my condition is pathological and bordering on a psychosis.

People here do not like outsiders. Especially the ones who speak in foreign tongues.

[cartago]

I guess I'm a bit unusual in that I had traveled abroad only a handful of times until the age of 25 and now I've lived abroad for about 10 years. I definitely don't have the genetic background for it. My mother has never left North America and my father just goes to resorts in the Caribbean. My grandparents rarely left their own state even.

I've been here for the past 3 years and know practically no other western people. All my friends here are local. I'm not trying to avoid westerners, I mean I jump at the chance to meet them just to have a conversation with someone else from abroad for awhile. I just don't seem to be able to meet other expats besides one-time occasions.

I think most of them are working in aid organizations or schools and I'm working in the media now and I'm the only westerner where I work. If I see them out somewhere they're with other people and it's awkward to approach them.

There are a lot of things I miss about home and it would be better to not work in such a culturally isolating place. I think I might go crazy without the internet but I can definitely tolerate working here and living long-term. When I visit home there are things I miss about here.

At the same time, I think about moving back sometimes. Ideally I'd like to split my time between both places but I don't know if that's really possible. It would be tough to get that to work.

[AmericanAmina]

[cartago]