Expat? Trailing Spouse? Immigrant? – An identity Crisis

Expats, trailing spouses, and immigrants, in my opinion, all have one thing in common: they are willing to relocate to another country. According to wiki (pardon my source), the only difference between expats and immigrants is socioeconomic status. This means that expats are skilled professionals who work in a country other than their home country, whereas immigrants move to another country in search of a better way of life. I believe I understand. Trailing spouses, on the other hand, relocate to another country to support their partner's (usually expat) career.

I am obviously a Belgian immigrant on the way. I, like any other research junkie, did my research, wentogled various sites, bombarded Belgian residents with questions, and even Skyped with a couple to find out why they were planning to move back to their home country from BE. So, why do I identify more with the label trailing spouse or as an expat than as an immigrant?

During my research on life in Belgium, Jeff from expatyourself.com introduced me to cheeseweb.eu, a site run by Alison Cornford-Matheson for Belgian expats. Cheeseweb has now become my go-to resource for resolving any concerns I have about our move to BE. Her perspective on being a trailing spouse piqued my interest. I quickly identified with the article because I anticipate my husband beginning work while I wait for my work permit to be processed in BE. I can also see how my difficulties as an immigrant would be similar to those of a trailing spouse. Later, I was delighted to discover almostfearless.com, a blog written by an avid traveler and her super cute son Cole. Her website provided reassurance that I would be fine as long as I maintained a positive attitude in the face of diverse cultural and environmental experiences.

So, thanks to the amazing blogs available to expats and travelers, I've learned one thing: many of us, regardless of our label, whether immigrant, expat, or trailing spouse, face similar dilemmas. So go ahead and read these informative and personal blogs that delve deep into any mover's struggle!