Chinese turn out for distant World Cup

Discovering Beijing through bicycling

In China, I have been pleasantly surprised by the reactions to the jumble of answers I give to my least favorite question. People here get it. They understand the baggage that is part and parcel of expat life and seem generally more open-minded.

I think for these reasons during my short time in Beijing I have been made to feel very much at home and perhaps it will always be easier for me to live abroad than in my "home" country.

I am often asked about my experience growing up in foreign countries by expat parents, whose voices are tinged with angst, guilt and worry over their decision to uproot their family and bring up their children in a foreign country.

In my mind the positives far outweigh the negatives. I just warn parents that their children are likely to have caught the travel bug for life, and their itchy feet could see them follow in their parents' footsteps in years to come.