I’ve found living in another country has helped me to appreciate my own all that much more. I think the saying “You have to have a bit of take away to aprreciate home cooking” really stands true to traveling around the world and experiencing how others live. I think I’ve learned more about my own culture and country from living outside of it. It’s certainly helped me to understand it a little more and I love it to bits.
An exciting thing for me this year has been sharing my culture and country with my students at the school I teach at. For many of these students, life for them will never exist out of their own small town and I feel privileged to be able to share with them more of the world around them. Global education is so vital for the future of our planet and bringing us all together. Every morning I appear on the TV news broadcast to bring to the students a fact about Australia or teach them a word or two for the week. I love it. It’s my favorite time of the day and the kids seem to really enjoy it too.
I make a real effort to just be silly with it and have fun. I make silly jokes, scream and shout and be over crazy and dramatic, sing songs, make strange bird calls and animal noises and generally try to do whatever I can to make the kids laugh or shock them. The children now think I am a celebrity and shout out when they see me pass “Mrs. Makepeace, Mrs Makepeace we saw you on the TV this morning!” It is so joyful to know you are having an impact on the life of a child and how they view the world around them! My travels around the world have taught me how to be brave, confident and to just not care what others think. That is so liberating for me, because I can be so crazy on the TV without any fear or limitations. The kids learn a lot ( I hope not just about Australia but also about having fun and just being brave enough to be yourself) the staff comment on how much they have learned about my beautiful country and I also have learned a lot about my home and America as well.
I’m incredibly grateful to have lived my expat life around the world, out of the box. I’m from an amazing country and I love having the opportunity to share it with others. I’m also so very lucky as I live in countries other than my own that are also so equally amazing. I truly live a full and abundant life!
