forced friendships

[Davidglen77]

I would say you are right, rural Missouri and New York City are two different worlds for sure, as is Buenos Aires. However if you miss rural Missouri, take a trip to La Pampa. You will find certain similarities there.

 

[Hermes]

If you don't like it leave...you're a MORON...you;re the reason I am an expat

 

[Napoleon]

I only asked because I grew up in a town of less than 5,000 people in rural Missouri, so I figured we had different perspectives. This ain't rural Missouri! haha

Lexington?

Slater?

Pleasant Hill?

 

[cujodu]

Lexington?

Slater?

Pleasant Hill?

Yes, Lexington. Do you know it?

 

[Napoleon]

Yes, Lexington. Do you know it?

I know the Maid Rite. (Especially the chocolate soft serve.)

The old Piggly Wiggly and A&P. The Walmart (relatively new in town and OH is it popular.) I know the Pizza Hut & The Dairy Queen.

I know the Duck Pond. (or do they call it the Goose Pond?) The old middle school next to it (which really used to be the old high school).

I know Wentworth.

I know the Lions' Club, I know the public pool, I know 17th Street (especially way up north near the cul-de-sac and next door to the Highway Patrolman's house). I know Main Street, I know the Civil War battlefield and the house on that property.

I know that if you drive back and forth around the streets just south of Main Street, it's not too difficult to find the Stars & Bars flying in front of a house.

And I know that the population of Lexington is a hair over 5,000...

 

[cujodu]

I know the Maid Rite. (Especially the chocolate soft serve.)

The old Piggly Wiggly and A&P. The Walmart (relatively new in town and OH is it popular.) I know the Pizza Hut & The Dairy Queen.

I know the Duck Pond. (or do they call it the Goose Pond?) The old middle school next to it (which really used to be the old high school).

I know Wentworth.

I know the Lions' Club, I know the public pool, I know 17th Street (especially way up north near the cul-de-sac and next door to the Highway Patrolman's house). I know Main Street, I know the Civil War battlefield and the house on that property.

I know that if you drive back and forth around the streets just south of Main Street, it's not too difficult to find the Stars & Bars flying in front of a house.

And I know that the population of Lexington is a hair over 5,000...

Huh. Impressive.

But, I think the WalMart isn't built yet, still have to go to Richmond or Higginsville (though I haven't been there in over a year so it could be done by now), it's called the Goose Pond, and the middle school was demolished a couple of years ago, Anderson House is on the Battlefield, and as of the last census the population was right around 4,500.

But how do you know all that? Did you go to Wentworth? You remember the A&P so that was like 30 years ago when it closed. Interesting.

 

[buck1252]

I don't like being forced into new friendships either, I understand exactly what your saying here, but think it might apply more to people in prison who have to form friendships or risk getting sodomized.

I've met a lot of expats down here, and while some of them bore the shit out of me, others have surprised me, they all have something in common, and that's one of the reason I moved down here, they are new people. My advice is try to meet new people, maybe you'll find someone who you weren't expecting to be friends with, but still enjoy hanging out with them.

 

[Mitch]

So the other night in bed, Jennie and I were taking a break, I was eating a sandwich and she was smoking of course, but I asked her to blow it towards the window...

Anyway, she turned to me and said "You know, I don't think you're someone I'm going to be longterm friends with." And I thought for a second and replied "Meh, I'm ok with that."

My question to you is this: Had you considered her even a short term friend at that moment? Or did you consider her something less than that, albeit more exciting?

 

[charms]

Well, I will be here for the long-term and have been here for quite a while already but don't consider myself jaded - do I count?

Yes, it's natural for expats to gravitate towards one another and sometimes you form friendships with people that you wouldn't have at home. I'm not taking that as a bad thing however - it exposes you to different people.

Meeting people is easy to do here, forming friendships is more difficult and takes time.

And as syngirl said, it gets exhausting (sorry) to meet someone & then have them pack up and leave after a few months. I think most people of my expat friends that I met 18 months ago are gone and of the ones that remain, I only know of 1 or 2 that have intentions of staying long-term. It's sad...

I'm still relatively new to BA - six months here - and here for the long haul. A difficult question, but where do you meet the long term expats? I agree with the exhaustion of watching friends come and go, here to study Spanish for a couple of months. Someone else posted about the difference between budgets for the short-term and long-term expats being a difficulty. If I were here for a few months, I too would travel all over Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, etc. on the weekends, but when you're living here like it is really your home, you can't be on vacation all the time.

I came here w/ my Argy husband and his friends have all been great, but I still need to connect with expats and speak English. Where do you long termers meet other long termers?

 

[HowardinBA]

hey charms,where are you based?I am in San Isidro and often go to meet up with long term ex pats,regards Howard