Thoughts on Moving Out of the Expat Bubble

One of my closes friends here in China is leaving in a week and I wanted to write a brief post about how I am currently feeling about this. I hope I don't sound too mopey, I just find that writing about these experiences will help me to learn and grow from them.

It seems to happen that I will often meet someone and circumstances bring us closer together shortly before one of us has to leave. Maybe it is important for personal growth; to be reminded that whilst things may seem easier when you are supported by having someone close to you, it is vital to know how to be alone and to find strength in solitude.

Could it also be that the circumstance of being in a foreign country surrounded by uncertainty and unease, that I have found comfort in the closeness of someone who feels familiar, whom I share common interests with and reminds me of home?

Maybe it is therefore important to move on from this and be fully exposed to my surroundings, without a human safety net to protect me from experiences unknown. I’m not saying that having familiar company is always a bad thing- it has helped to ease me into my new life here- but I know I must push myself to unknown territory, to step away from the familiar and embrace change so I will stand confidently alone and hopefully move gradually away from the comfort of my expat bubble.