Life as an Expat Kid: A’s Story
Moving overseas can be a big adventure, especially when you’re an expat kid.
At just 10 years old, A has already lived in Korea, Australia, Peru, and now Malaysia. With four schools (three international, one local) under her belt, she knows what it’s like to adapt to new places, make new friends, and say her fair share of goodbyes.
The Reality of Being an Expat Kid
She says one of the best things about going to an international school is meeting people from all over the world. “When someone leaves, another person comes, so we get to meet lots of different people.”
But this transient lifestyle can also be one of the hardest things to get used to, because friends don’t always stay for long. “Even if I’ve only spent a little bit of time with someone, they can end up leaving. It makes me feel sad”, she says.
Different School Environments
Each school has been different. In her school on Jeju Island in South Korea, most of the students were Korean. This meant that she often felt left out when they spoke Korean in the playground.
Now, in Penang, her classmates come from all over, including China, Australia, Germany, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Japan, and Indonesia – so English is the common language used in class and the playground. Making friends in Penang was easy too. “I made friends by lunchtime. My teacher asked two Aussie girls in my class to play with me, and then we became friends.”
Annie’s favourite subject is PE, but not just because she loves sports. “In my last school, it was just football, then basketball, athletics and so on. But here, we play games that are fun and connected to our learning. We were learning about land mines in class, so we played a game where we had to figure out a safe path to avoid them.”
School in Penang has also given her some pretty cool opportunities she wouldn’t have had elsewhere, like trying rafting for the first time on school camp.
Outside of School
Outside of school, she loves living in Penang, which is popular with many expat families. “It’s hot, so it’s not cold and windy like Korea. And we live in a house now instead of an apartment, so we have more space – and our own pool!”
She’s also picked up new languages, learning both Malaysian and Mandarin, and has discovered a love for local food, especially roti canai with dahl.
Still, moving isn’t always easy. Leaving friends behind is tough, and giving up some belongings before each move can be frustrating. But Annie has a positive outlook: “It might be hard, but then you get new opportunities, and you can just make new friends and everything.”
For other kids moving overseas she says: “Moving isn’t always a bad thing. It can be exciting too. I love getting to a new place and unpacking and setting up my room!”
While there’s no perfect place, she’s open to wherever the future takes her. “Maybe back in Australia? But I’d also like to see Peru again because we didn’t have much time there because of COVID.”
Want to Raise an Expat Kid?
If you’re thinking of moving overseas with kids, Annie’s story highlights some of the ups and downs of being an expat kid.
While change can be challenging, it also brings lots of incredible experiences, unique friendships, and a global perspective that kids back home often don’t get.
