Going home - Keep Your Life, Family and Career Intact While Living Abroad - page 107

twenty, thirty or more years in a foreign country must face the decision of where to go when
they retire.
It is surprising how few long-term expatriates retire in the country in which they made
their home and career for so many years. This is a time of life when people face many
changes. Most would prefer to avoid risks or upheaval. For that reason, the decision about
where to retire should not be taken lightly.
“I always thought of retirement as a reward for people who've worked hard all their
lives,” George said. “I don't know why I'm not at all thrilled when it comes to my
turn. “
George, 63, has been living in Hong Kong with his family for the last 24 years and will
retire in six months. He is facing a great deal of anxiety about his retirement and especially
the idea of moving back home to Australia.
Retirement has different meanings to different individuals. Some people can't wait to
retire so that they can be free from responsibility and do what they want. But for others
retirement means “old age”, redundancy and uselessness.
People approaching retirement age face both emotional and identity changes. For expat-
riates it has an even greater impact, especially if they have lived abroad for some time and
are contemplating settling back in their home country. Returning “home” seems the natural
and logical step, but it can heighten the adjustment difficulties of retirement.
Retirement can signify a loss of identity for a career person. He or she has worked for
many years to reach where they are. Their position and achievement reinforce self-worth
and identity. Yet, when a person retires in a place halfway around the world from where
they have made their career and established their reputation, self-identity will be stripped
away and remain only a memory. This can be a big blow to the ego.
For George, the loss is being anticipated with a great deal of resistance. “I'll be just like
any old retiree with no clear sense of purpose in life anymore.” Another adjustment Ge-
orge faces is imminent change of environment. He expresses a vague fear of moving back
to Australia, even though he has planned the move for three years. He and his wife have
already bought a house there and begun shipping their goods. George's fear is legitimate.
After all, he will be relocating to a place they call “home”, but which he is no longer famil-
iar with. Though he realizes he will have to go through some adjustment and readaptation,
the whole idea is frightening and exhausting. “I'm at the age where I don't want to take
risks or make drastic changes,” he said.
The retirement will also call for changes in the marital relationship. George's wife Miri-
am is used to being actively involved with her own interests and social groups while Ge-
orge was at the office. With George no longer working they are bound to spend much more