Anticipation of Expatriation

This was my first entry in my AIESEC-mandated blog (The Expatriate Chronicles) about my job and experiences in Arequipa, Peru. I am not there yet, but I want to detail my motivations, expectations, etc. before actually experiencing "the big experience."

Why do I want to leave home? My home is St. Louis, MO. It is a medium-sized, mostly suburban city in the heart of the midwest. I have moved away before (within the States) but always seem to come back. However, I didn't really want to come back last time so much as my circumstances dictated that I come back. It is no secret to anyone that knows me well that my distaste for St. Louis borders on hatred and that it's a foregone conclusion that I would leave as soon as I finished my MBA.

My life here feels so boring that I seem to have gotten back into the habit of getting in trouble. I know this sounds really corny and clichè, but I feel as if I'll be dead or in jail if I don't get out of here. Let me explain. At the downtown St. Patrick's Day Parade a few weeks ago, I punched three guys consecutively in a crowded bar. My cousin told me he thought one had a broken nose because of how much blood there was. I was so drunk I wouldn't have recognized them if I saw them later that night. Two days later at the Dogtown parade, my primary partner-in-crime, George, shot me with a BB gun. I hit him with a full beer. We almost traded blows. Then his Hennessy-drinking friend and I almost traded blows. Then George beat up his Hennessy-drinking friend while I held back the other Hennessy-drinkers so it would be "fair." And at Delmar Lounge after my going-away party, George punched somebody and my brother kicked him in the head. He and his friends waited for us outside but nothing happened because a cop was parked right there. I am not sharing this to be macho or because I think I'm cool. To the contrary, I hate my pathetic life here. I could think of the other interesting nights but they are the same immature, dickhead kind of stories. One time when talking about why we do what we do, George and I agreed that "at least we weren't bored." I hate waking up hung over virtually every day. Lately, it's a miracle if I can get some exercise in before I start drinking again. I love my friends but I don't see them enough to stay. This town is so average, boring, and conservative. There aren't enough interesting attitudes or ideas here to keep my mind occupied. As they say, "an idle mind is the devil's playground." I have a wild side and St. Louis just doesn't offer enough to fulfill my needs in a positive way. When I started grad school, I assumed that I would get a job in New York, Chicago, or some other big business hub.

Well, plans have changed. In August 2006, I left the country for the first time and got absolutely cracked-out addicted to it. The next summer I took two more international trips. Altogether, I spent five weeks in London, Amsterdam, Lithuania, and Brazil. I went to grad school at UMSL, which was ranked eighth in the nation for International Business (tied with Georgetown). I became very active in the International Business Club and AIESEC. I have friends all over most continents. Given the developments, a market research position in New York doesn't seem like it would take advantage of the international focus of my graduate school education. Furthermore, it wouldn't be as exciting as it would have two years ago. So, I have accepted a job outside the US to (A) fully leverage my education and pursue my interest in other countries and cultures, and (B) satisfy my need for adventure.

But why Peru? First of all, everyone has heard of globalization. The world economy of my lifetime will look much different than it did for generations before me. The traditionally "rich" countries' economies will be rivaled by traditionally third world countries. The fall on the Berlin Wall and the phenomenon of the Internet have allowed for an incredible dynamism in human potential. Three specific regions are projected to (and already do) experience explosive growth: Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. Given the state of the world, I want to ride the wave of this economically historic period in an emerging market. But where? Answer: I speak Spanish.

Living and working in any of those three regions would obviously fulfill my need for excitement and adventure. But I would not be telling the whole story if I implied that my fluency in Spanish was the only reason that I was only looking for work in South America and Mexico. I loved Europe but I fell in love with Brazil. Latin culture felt so right for me. The people, the food, the music, the passion! This is usually where someone makes a comment about the women. Yes, I have a track record of dating Latina women. It didn't hurt the case for South America but I am going for the whole package. The excitement is there! I loved Europe but never got the feeling that I wanted to live there. I did get that feeling in Brazil. I am probably very different from other AIESECers in that I don't intend to come back. I bought a one-way ticket. I don't know if I will be in Peru, but I hope to make a new life in Latin America. I even have a backup plan. In case I can't find work in business and need money, I have been certified to teach English. TESOL-certified English teachers are in high demand in every city of every non-English speaking country in the world.

Moving is hard. I do not underestimate the tough challenges and culture shock which lie ahead. There will be things I miss about America. I can guess what kinds of things they will be, but I don't know for sure. I am not forgetting that I had it pretty easy in Brazil with two Brazilian friends to cart me around. Each one had a car. Each one had a ton of educated, English-speaking friends. I didn't have to learn streets, take public transportation, communicate in Portuguese, make my own friends, find an apartment, or any of the difficulties of moving to a new city. I am not ignoring this. I am not unrealistic. And I am not afraid. I have a dream - an abstract dream of becoming a marketing professional who can facilitate international business in Latin America.