The Effects of Living in a Foreign Country

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The Effects of Living in a Foreign Country

As a result of globalization, it is no longer a unaffordable choice for many people to live in a foreign country. They go abroad to venture beyond the borders of those countries in search of different things. Some have an interest in expanding perspectives and other want to learning about different cultures. However, the effects of living in a foreign country are somewhat similar: homesick, cultural shock and independence.

From the emotional part, the very common effect is that one is deadly missing everything that related to his home when the novelty of the new surrounding is wore off. This fact doesn't mean that you are unhappy but that you are aware of being on your own and can't meet your family and friends for a long time. One will always feel forlorn and miss their mother country, where they have left their beloved relatives. What's more, it is also completely acceptable to miss all the little things one never noticed when he was home, like the cactus in the balcony and the decorative pattern on the bowl. It's obvious then that you have started to appreciate everything you had back where you belong.

The second main effect for people living overseas would be receiving cultural shock, which is the difficulty people have adjusting to a new culture that differs markedly from their own. They will go through honeymoon phase, negotiation phase, adjustment phase and mastery phase. Some people will find it impossible to accept the foreign culture and integrate, others integrate fully and take on all parts of the host culture while losing their original identity, still others manage to adapt the aspects of the host culture they see as positive, while keeping some of their own and creating their unique blend.

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