It doesn’t sound like a word you want to be when written as expatriate. But let’s forget about the older meaning of ‘exile’ and go with today’s meaning – ‘a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country other than that of their upbringing’.
It’s a lucky traveller who finds a well-organized and active expat community in the city they relocate to!
Depending on whether it’s efficiently organized or just a website with a some handy links and a forum for questions, an expat community can make or break your longer-term visit.
Well, that may be an exaggeration, but a well-organized association can definitely help make a relocation a much easier adjustment.
Not that you’re looking to only associate with other foreigners!
The whole point of experiencing another country, especially with a longer visit, is to blend into its culture, learning some of the language and local customs as you appreciate a different perspective.
Nevertheless, it can be a welcome change to converse in a familiar language, to have information available on city areas and rentals, visa renewal options, to be clued in on local customs or where to get things you can’t easily find.
The value of an expat community varies widely, depending upon the efforts of the individuals who volunteer to advance its projects in any particular city.
An informative and up-to-date website is important, but the bonus that makes an expat community invaluable is when members devote their time to establish and schedule regular meet-ups, helping people make connections. That, of course, is a commitment by the organizers.
These insights came from visiting the Chiang Mai Expat club which appears to be uniquely evolved. In general, meetings happen twice a month. There’s an informal gathering at a restaurant and usually a monthly presentation with various guest speakers. The fee to attend is nominal, but the worth is at the other end of the scale…huge!
The Chiang Mai Expat club also has a well-organized Ladies Luncheon, looked forward to with anticipation after your initial attendance. A lot of effort is put into these gatherings, both monthly meetings and extra excursions.
Expat events permit the opportunity to meet new people who may fast-track your learning curve to understand and access the life of the city, or better yet, make endearing new friends you may know for the rest of your life!
The Ladies Luncheons is a unique event, a creation of Nancy, a dedicated Chiang Mai member who has contributed much to her expat community.
There are a number of websites worldwide that run forums where questions are asked and readers reply as a main form of contact. Even this can be quite helpful if it’s kept current.
So, for those who question the value of an expat community, you should see its worth from online searches for any location you plan an extended visit – but especially when considering retirement in a different country. I certainly appreciated the connection while in Chiang Mai and didn’t understand how rare a well-organized expat organization is until I travelled farther afield.
Hats off to the Chiang Mai team is right!
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