Would You Rather: COVID Edition
For some expats, COVID has forced us to face fears, challenges, and goals that we would joke about during our travels or stints abroad. Scenarios that were sometimes “fun topics” for game night, or part of a drunken heart to heart with a stranger about time spent abroad, are now decisions that many expats still living abroad have to make in the “now” and can no longer be put off till later.
Would You Rather: Be trapped in one place, and if so, where? Most expats I’ve encountered over the past few years conducted a lot of research before deciding to pack up their lives and move to another part of the world. An experience very different from myself, having relocated over a decade ago with no more than a pamphlet and well-wishes from my family. With the decision to move, you’re ultimately choosing to remain in one place for quite some time with the option of coming and going as you please.
With COVID, that option for many expats is no more. Take Taiwan for example. A country that will now only allow foreign nationals to return only if they meet certain resident requirements. Meaning those who have chosen to remain in Taiwan, are having to choose to remain for the long haul, or return to their home countries until what appears to be the very distant future. Entering Taiwan without any residency or special permits is nearly mission impossible altogether. Hopefully, the place an expat chose to relocate to and may possibly feel “trapped” in currently, has and continues to treat them well.
Would You Rather: Live in a big city, on an island, or in the middle of nowhere? While it’s not impossible to leave the country you reside in to either become or remain an expat, choices are limited and being selective during these times is of even more importance. Island life may seem like a desirable choice, but it may not be the same daily dose of sun baked bliss if every shop, small business, and entertainment area aren’t up and operating due to COVID.
While the isolation of islands or the middle of nowhere may still be suitable for some, choosing to live in a bustling city comes with different costs and benefits. Densely populated yet mildly functioning areas can still have the things you need for a fulfilling life, but the ever present threat of contracting the virus in heavily populated areas is a bit of a turn off. It’s hard to truly be comfortable if everything around you is going through an adjustment period thus leaving you in a constant state of feeling uncomfortable.
Would You Rather: Work from home online, or in an office? I’m sure I’m not the only one that has expat friends that would often wish for the days where they could simply work from home. Many of them now sing a very different tune as it is no longer a choice, but a requirement of their current careers. For some expats making a living online has been the norm for quite some time as a means to fund life abroad and the flexibility of travel. With many companies looking to make remote work more permanent, the option we once had to work our way back into a career that has daily human interaction is quickly fading. Socially distanced co-working spaces can fill that void for only so long.
Would You Rather: Settle down or be a backpacker for the remainder of your life? This is something that has crossed the minds of many expats, mainly in secret, as COVID has been with us for nearly a year. Some expats have had to end romances abroad to return home, others returned home to be faced with challenges of dating simply because “distance” is quite literally the issue, while a select few battle internally on whether to stay put, or head back on the road to face the aforementioned challenges with love and more abroad
. The nomadic lifestyle, at least for the time being, may be the safest choice to avoid all the psychological worries that come with having to not only face but inevitably plan for meeting a significant other. Settling down isn’t as easy as before due to the world having to rapidly adjust to new work and lifestyle requirements that the pandemic has presented.
The fun game of “Would you rather” has transformed into real life problems for real life people. Luckily, if you’ve played a round or two during your time as an expat, many of the issues and decisions you’re currently faced with isn’t the first time you’re facing them; making you that much more prepared to thrive through them.
