+1Bao3niang wrote:I do agree with your post that the definition of happier abroad varies from person to person. As Marcos mentioned there are these non-stop travelers, the sex tourists that just bang p***y from one place to the next, the wife hunters, and the ones who are serious about romance and marriage and ACTUALLY staying abroad / settling down. There are also career expats who were indifferent or unwilling to move abroad but have to for their career. Most of these never break the expat bubble because it was not their intention to immerse themselves in the first place.
The non-stop traveling type normally ends up miserable and lonely in the end because they never find WHAT exactly they are looking for. The sex tourists get temporary physical gratification but will never get the sense of fulfillment and long term joy from having a real partner. The wife hunters are basically screwing themselves over because we all know what it means to bring a woman int the West. As someone said, you escape prison but as soon as you find an inmate you two go back and share a cell. The ONLY type that will truly be happier abroad are the men that have a true spirit of inquisitiveness, adventure, and passion. They realize the problems of the West / Anglo capitalism and genuinely want to get out, but what truly distinguishes them from the other kinds is that they actually want love and marriage.
There is no such thing as a perfect place. I'd like to travel and live in a few but eventually I will still hope to settle down and really get to know a place well. Too many just hop around.
When I was in China I lived like a local, eating at many small restaurants and got to know almost everyone within a few blocks of where I lived. I actually lived in an area of Beijing (Wangjing) which is the Korea Town of the city. On the other hand, another Chinese-Canadian who also lived in Beijing lived a much more Westernized / party lifestyle. Now he is in the USA for university and adapts to Western culture while I never will.
Excellent post.