2. Learning the language is absolutely key. Period. I tried but didn’t learn enough Czech (if it had been Spanish, for example, I would have been practically fluent, but Czech? Way too hard without proper classes). Without the language, you will always feel like an outsider. I was lucky because I had English-speaking friends and my roommate spoke Czech well, but not speaking the language well was a barrier to complete assimilation.
3. Go with a set plan to return to your native country. If not, you probably won’t. I almost didn’t and was left with regrets of not staying for some time after.
4. Simple is beautiful. Life need not include a TV, computer, car, or even a bike. I had none of those and immediately fell in love with this lifestyle of simplicity. I walked everywhere and loved it. I took public transportation. I wrote letters and lesson plans on paper. I spent most of my free time either reading books or hanging out with friends. Simple and lovely.
A long evening among friends at a local wine cellar
5. On a related but more personal note: a deeper sense of what life is. Somehow, the experience will change you and will make you examine your life and the lives of others. For me, I realized a life without any semblance of a fast-moving lifestyle is possible and allows for much more time to fully live.
This reminds me of a photo I saw in the New York Times “Why We Travel” photo series. It mentions the Czech word pohoda, which the author describes as “a cross between ‘contentment’ and ‘the simple pleasures’, and represents for most Czechs the goal of life.” I see that in my Czech friends. They enjoy long evenings chatting, bonfires, singing, drinking beer (again, with friends), sipping tea, taking hikes, weekends with loved ones in their cottage in the forest… You Americans may be thinking, “Well, we do those things, too.” Yeah, some of us, but not really. Most of us live too far away from friends and family to do those things regularly, and we’re usually maneuvering our way through life to pay the bills and squeeze in time for errands. Some of us may share that pohoda, that life goal of contentment and the simple pleasures, but very few of us really know how to get there. It’s just not really the Western way. Plus, when we do reserve time for the simple pleasures, something is always conspiring against us. It’s not natural for most of us the way it is for the Czechs, especially the Moravians. So when my heart aches thinking about my brief life in the Czech Republic, it’s not just a nostalgic yearning for the tea-sipping, beer-drinking, Prague-strolling, town square-roaming, friend-filled days of my youth. It’s also this pohoda that actually is natural for me.
Have you lived abroad? If so, what did you learn?
Agreed! These are all things I learned as well while living abroad. I love the Czech pohoda idea. I haven’t been, but in Italy, enjoying life is practically a requirement. The whole “riposo” (nap) in the middle of the day so people can go home to their families and rest should be implemented in the United States. I could not stress number 1 to more people. Living abroad should also be a requirement in the US.
I absolutely love this! One of my favorite things that you have written! It amazes me how much I learn and slow down when I travel. Taking the time to observe and learn from other cultures can teach Americans a lot about the value of slowing down and living with less.
It is these lessons that have taught me that Americans have a lot to learn from other countries and cultures. We don’t have the perfect life here. While there are so many things I value here in America, there is so much that my travels have taught me about learning to enjoy life – slow down and simplify.
Suzy, Thanks for your comment! It’s actually my dream to live in Italy (permanently), partly because of the reason you mentioned. I don’t think enjoying life is as obvious in the Czech Republic since there isn’t the idea of riposo/siesta, and they don’t always come across as being warm when you first meet them. But when you spend some time there, you see that they really value those simpler things in life, even if it’s just a quick capuccino stop with friends. And yes, I agree, everyone in the U.S. should lived abroad for a while!
Jeremy, Thanks for the feedback! I totally agree– we learn so much from spending time in other countries, and it really makes us reflect on our own as well. There are many good things about life in the U.S., but I miss the slower, simpler life that can be found in many other places. I’m fortunate because I get a hint of that having a work schedule like mine, but culturally the U.S. is not in that mindset at all.
Jenna, these lessons are so right on. I especially love #1. When we moved to Prague without jobs, everyone thought we had lost it. But, the hardest step is just the decision to actually take the plunge. After that, things fall into place and your realize you don’t need to win the lottery. I also love #5. Each time we return to the States to visit family, it feels like everyone is so busy and things move at a frenzied pace that even “fun time” is planned instead of just part of regular life. Some of our best experiences from Prague were just spending the day in a beer garden playing with dogs and enjoying spending time with friends coming and going throughout the day.
Great post! Oh how I wish everyone would adopt #1.
I’m at the point where I feel like living abroad should be part of life’s curriculum. It teaches you so much about yourself and your own country.
I agree with number 2. I didn’t learn Portuguese well when we were in Brazil. I had big plans and ambitions but when it came down to it, it never clicked for me. You do always feel like an outsider. However, at the same time I think trying is key. You may not be successful at learning it, but people who try deserve the credit. I know many who lived abroad and never even tried. That is something I just can’t understand. Gotta step out of that comfort zone.