…effect your life. Or how has it effected you? Has it changed you? Do you regret moving to another country? J in his ‘Germany doesn’t suck, or does it?’ blog wrote a great post where he raised this question. This is the time of the year when many people head back to their passport countries. I find myself going through hundreds of questions… Am I really happy in Thailand? Do I want to keep living here? How will I fit in back with my friends in Switzerland? Will find I’ve become too Asian in the way I handle certain situations? I’ll let you know when we go back to Switzerland in July. Notice I didn’t say home. I never think of going to Switzerland as home… then I would have to go back to Papua New Guinea which isn’t home anymore either. Home right now is Chiang Mai 
. ANYWAY.. here’s what I wrote on Js blog…
”I’m a nomad too so I feel I’m used to different cultures.. but being in Thailand has made me much more accepting and tolerant. I’m much more open minded. I’m very much aware that there is no ‘right or wrong’ way of doing things. Just different. Being who I am I don’t miss Switzerland. In-fact I find alot of Swiss things very very annoying.. Actually I’ve become less tolerant towards the prototype Swiss person.. that’s not positive hmmmmm
My kids grow up cross culturally and find alot of things natural that their cousins might have to learn at a later age.. eg accepting and being friends with someone from a different religion.
Negatives, I’m used to getting away with bad manners, and maybe rude behaviour under the excuse.. I’m in a different culture, I’m farang..
As much as I sometimes misuse my being a foreigner position to my advantage , I also hate it. I get treated better than my Thai friends, simply because of my white skin.
another negative is that I can’t work a regular job as a nurse..
J, its hard being so honest. Maybe we should do a questionnaire and ask our friends and family back home how much we have changed?
Moving countries changes you. There is absolutely no doubt about that. Of-course you change as you grow older BUT moving countries does something different to you. Maybe speeds up the process? I don’t know..”
What do you , the reader think?
This is a tough time of year. In addition to being tired from a long school year, you have to muster up the energy to go back to your passport country and either tell everyone about your great adventures or deal with no one wanting to hear about your great adventures. It can be exhausting even without any soul searching!
Actually, I do know a bit of how other people think I have changed, some of the things friends and family members are warrented and some I think are just personal growth things. I should have them make a list.