Why many foreigners eventually return home.
Lots of people dream of living in a foreign country where their dollar is worth more and life is seemingly better. But eventually the “cultural differences” convince many people to return to the country they had left. To return home: To bow ones head in shame as your friends back home cackle behind your back. “You should of listened to us and worked at that job you hated and got your little pension. Be miserable like the rest of us.”
But life was better in your foreign dream land! What happened?
You got stuck in the “gringo scheme.” A gringo is a foreigner.
It's like this... and you have to accept this as a matter of fact if you want to survive. No matter how long you live in Central and South America (or any foreign land) you will be the “Gringo.” And what really is a gringo? It is the person that always pays more than the locals or labeled the wealthy one. You may ride the same bus and eat at the same market stand as them. But the locals have already decided you are the rich foreigner. We have been stereotyped, “Rich.” Welcome to the “gringo scheme.”
The money might be trivial, but you want to be treated like everyone else. So lets say you pay an extra 25 cents more for a moto-taxi ride or you are constantly haggling for a lower price just to get the regular fair. Not much money, but it has a psychological effect.
So how do we deal with this problem. Well usually after the locals see that you are actually just a regular schmuck struggling through life, you will usually get treated the same in your neighborhood. But stray to another neighborhood and you are back to square one. A command of the local language and the knowledge of the going rates will be your ticket to paying the fair rate.
Language barriers can make you feel alone and cause people to move back home. But I also find if I don't speak the language well, it can be rather relaxing. You can avoid the everyday bullshit and just stick to the basic must need information.
The only way you are going to learn a foreign language is by the desire of wanting to speak the language.
But before you sell the dog and house. Better go and travel for a year and see how you like living in a foreign land. Sometimes there is no place like home.
