| Yup, I didn't nomad. Been more or less in the same (non-Western) place for fifteen plus years. Few spells elsewhere, but this has been my center of gravity. I have meaningful, long-term connections with the place I live, it's people, culture and bureaucratic peculiarities. I've got lifelong friends here, local and foreign. Not going to pretend my language skills are great, it's a tough language, but they're good enough. It's a good life and I still love it, though I recognise I'll have to move home at some point for various reasons largely (but not exclusively) unrelated to where I am. On the economic front, I've seen my host country follow the opposite trajectory of my home country. It's grown whilst home has stagnated. Both countries are turning authoritarian, but please do let me know of any country that isn't descending into shit on the political front right now. Data points: - Married, but to someone from my OG country. Met out here, married out here, been together since about year one. - No kids, one dog. - Large enough family at home to not need to be around for elders. - Multiple careers, started of in the aid biz and transitioned to dev work. - Early doors, I was often in an office, working directly with locals. Did a lot of side gigs, mostly local. These days I barely work here, haven't for about a decade. |