The challenges are different for different people in different countries, depending on the culture from which you come. Some may be confronted with different food cultures, so they must adapt their bodies. In contrast, others have to get used to the punctuality and organization of the locals' daily schedule, or on the contrary to their tranquillity. How people drive or travel can also be a challenge for some, as well as understanding administrative and healthcare systems. In this article, expats around the world talk to us about their daily challenges and how they have overcome them or intend to do so.
Overcome the language barrier
For Oli, a Dominican expat in Eindhoven, the biggest challenge in the Netherlands currently is the local language, Dutch. "As I speak English everywhere, with my husband or at work with my friends, I don't really have the opportunity to use this language. I really want to speak it, which is quite a challenge after two and a half years in this country. Besides, it's one of my good resolutions for 2024. I want to practice as much as possible and feel comfortable speaking Dutch with the locals."
Facing the healthcare system
Laura, an expat in Amsterdam, believes that it's very difficult to find a real challenge in Amsterdam because the quality of life is excellent and the city is very well organized and welcoming for everyone. "But one of the things is that the health system is not as efficient as the one in Spain. It's quite challenging. You have to subscribe to private health insurance because social security doesn't cover everything, and it's very expensive. Also, in case of health issues, you have to consult a General Practitioner first before getting access to a specialist suited to your problem, which is much simpler in Spain."
Complex bureacracy and transportation
For Alexandra, an expat in Rome, one of the fundamental challenges was the bureaucracy, especially in applying for a residence permit in Italy. "Everyone knows that Italy is not the best country in terms of administrative simplicity. Although things have improved over the last 8 or 10 years, there has been little to no digitalization. So you had to know which office to go to and how to ask the right questions. And even if you knew all that, no one had the same information." When talking to other ex-pats who were facing the same problems, Alexandra realized that one person had to bring in a particular document and another hadn't. "For me, the challenge was to know in what order to do things. Basically, to get my residence and access to Italian social security, they told me I must have a work contract. Still, in my job at the time, to have an actual contract and be able to renew it, they asked me for a permanent residence address with a certificate."
Another personal challenge Alexandra is trying to overcome is driving a car. "I've been the holder of a driving license from France since I was 18 years old. I learned to drive there in a quiet little town in Normandy. But the driving style of the Italians, and more specifically, the Romans, scares me a lot." In 8 years, she still hasn't dared to drive a car here. "Many have taken up the challenge and succeeded; others have had a few more or less serious accidents. It's true that I don't really need one, even if public transport isn't perfect either (another daily challenge that deserves a dedicated article), I always find a way to travel from A to B more or less easily. It's the same with cycling because the city lacks cycling lanes and motorists aren't used to having bikes on the road, which can be dangerous. In 2024, I'd like to find the courage to overcome this and learn to drive like a true Roman!"
Proper eating
For Riccardo, an expat in Dublin, one of the main challenges is eating well. "It may sound funny to outsiders, but in Ireland, the quality of the food in general and what you can find in the supermarkets is different from what I was used to in Italy. I've been fortunate because I have good taste and can recognize good quality fruit and vegetables. In fact, when I arrived in Ireland, one of the first things other expats said to me was that I'd put on weight." Riccardo didn't quite understand it until a few weeks later. "Good restaurants are very expensive, there's a lot of fast food, gastronomic culture isn't really a priority for the Irish and you can feel it. So I've developed techniques like ordering good products online, going to organic markets even if they're far from home, and, above all, cooking at home as much as possible. It's difficult because I work a lot, but I stick to it!"
