Excellent piece, we seldom hear about the practical, less exotic aspects of expat life. It's so overly romanticized. I married a local and never sought out fellow expats, which is just as well because we would have little in common. Americans I meet by chance usually don't really assimilate or stay for long either so I don't really relate. For me the hardest part now is having an aging parent living far away, and do I see myself growing old in a country that is not my homeland. It's more complicated as life goes on.