Sometimes Being An Expat Is Frustrating

Moving abroad is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The last year has been ridiculously exciting, full of new people, new experiences, and a chance to experience more facets of Istanbul than I ever dreamed about.

But living life as an expat is not always lollipops and rainbows.

Recently, while a lot of amazing things have been happening in my online life—winning HostelWorld’s Storyteller of the Year award being the (unexpected) highlight—my real life has been full of stressful, frustrating incidents. None of them alone are really that big, but together they snowball into a huge mass of aggravation.

It’s these times when I think, WHY DO I DO THIS?

When work problems spring directly from illogical cultural norms—why can’t this be done efficiently? When the post office says they’re holding my package, and then when I go to pick it up, they inform me that it’s not there—why can’t Turkish bureaucracy be straightforward? When I sit in traffic in an ugly stretch of this city for an hour—why can’t they develop Istanbul in a way that makes it more livable? Why is this so hard?

It’s important to breathe.

I’ve been living here for nearly a year, and I know the best way to deal with these cultural frustrations—you need to find a way to laugh about them. Living in Istanbul can be an absurd experience. (Sometimes it’s Kafka-esque kinds of absurd, but still.) I wouldn’t stay here if I didn’t love the challenge, and the immense satisfaction that comes from navigating this city. It’s hardest during times like this, when my sleep schedule and stress-management are screwed by last-minute work obligations, or when a package from my parents apparently disappears (hopefully temporarily).

I try to cope. I go for a run. I spend riotous evenings with my friends. I allow myself to do nothing, for once. I plan excursions—a day exploring a new neighborhood, a weekend at a camel-wrestling festival. I look forward to my upcoming trip to Malaysia; I know sunshine and new scenery will allow me to put these frustrations into perspective.

I am naturally a positive person, but as I burn my onions and feel like bursting into tears, I have to remind myself—it will be okay. This is but a bump on the road. I’ve had so many amazing opportunities and adventures as an expat. It’s not always smooth sailing, but I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.