You must love Rome!

This week we have visitors from the US and Germany at work. While we enjoy seeing people from other countries, it always brings an awkward situation. We usually are approached with one of two statements by people who hear about us being Americans in Rome: "How do you like living in Rome?" or "You must love Rome!" Seems like easy things to respond to, but it isn't always simple.

Being an expat is a little like being on a roller coaster...sometimes you are at the top of the hill and sometimes you are at the bottom of the hill...and it can change in seconds.

There is this thing called "culture shock". According to our cultural training, this is the term used to describe "the anxiety and stress that you feel when living in a new cultural/social environment". It is an amazing thing that can be set off by the stupidest thing. It comes in the form of anger, sadness, or any other behavior that is different than normal.

We were told about these ups and downs and this culture shock thing. We thought we were ready for it, but it isn't something you can prepare for. It is completely different than I expected.

Someone said to me that you will never understand how difficult being an expat is until you experience it. I realize now how true that is. One minute you are having the time of your life, and the next minute you are falling apart. It is full of ups and downs...you just have to learn to love the ups and cruise through the downs.

Whether it is a good day or a bad day, we realize that we are having the experience of a lifetime. We appreciate the life we are living, and we understand that our lives will never be the same after we leave. We are fortunate to be able to live in Rome and see so many wonderful places in Europe. We will probably never have the opportunity to visit Venice, Switzerland, Ireland, or any of the other quick trips that we take.

As frustrating as life here can be sometimes, it's all a matter of perspective. We are lucky to be in Rome, and I wouldn't change it for anything...so if you ask and even if I don't admit to it, yes, I do love Rome!