Tourist or lifer: what sort of expat are you?

The adventurous (or lost) souls who choose to start up life in another country come in all shapes and sizes, and relate to their home and adopted countries in different ways. See where on the spectrum you fit in.

Published: Thu 12 Feb 2015 16:06 CEST
Tourist or lifer: what sort of expat are you?

Are you a lifer or a tourist? Photo: Shutterstock

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There are some of us transplants who call mum every day, and others living abroad who only send a message when they need help with taxes or cooking. And we've likely all run across those who have two (or three) world clocks on their phones, or those who couldn't care what time of day it is back home (or anywhere else for that matter).

Our friends at Voca, a favourite calling app among growing legions of expats across the globe, have long recognized that different expats have different needs when it comes to communicating with new friends in their adopted country, or staying in touch with family back home.

So together we've pose the question: what sort of expat are you? 

The Master Planner


Luck is about preparation, right? Photo: IStock

We all know the type. Master Planners, to be tactful, see the world as their home – and need every detail of it in place. They plan out every trip, and indeed life abroad, thoroughly. They exhibit a meticulous attention to detail; are savvy and organized – bordering on paranoid. And they don’t like people looking over their shoulder or nosing around in their business.

The Master Planner is the sort of expat who really appreciates Voca’s encryption feature, which shields all Voca-to-Voca calls and messages from prying eyes.

The Lifer


Calling 'home' - 4,000 miles away. Photo: IStock

The Lifer isn't really an expat. Not anymore. She’s gone native, and is happy to never go ‘home’ again. This is home! The downside of course is that, with friends and family still far away, she spends a lot of time on calling apps.

As a result, The Lifer chooses Voca for the app’s exceptional sound quality. When you’re on the phone that long, it better be good.

The Tourist


It's just vacation. Photo: IStock

The Tourist may be living abroad, but he’s not planning on staying forever. This will always be a foreign country. You can spot The Tourist by the way he is constantly converting currencies and comparing prices and habits with those familiar from back home.

The Tourist’s favourite Voca feature are the amazingly low rates: just $1 will get you nearly three hours of talking with a friend in the US, for instance.

The Free Spirit


An expat at the Holi festival in India. Photo: IStock

The Free Spirit hasn't really decided why she’s in a new country, or how long she’s staying. It’s all about wandering, exploring, and enjoying life with no strings attached. She might be a progressive parent, a happy-go-lucky student, or simply an eternal optimist always in search of seemingly greener pastures.

Thus The Free Spirit really loves that she can use Voca with no subscription, no contract, and with a smartly-designed, personalized interface. After all, nothing is gonna hold her down.

The Global Citizen


The global citizen has friends around the world, and sees them often. Photo: IStock

The Global Citizen is constantly on the go, but not necessarily for business – mostly just because. Global Citizens relish eating breakfast in one place and having dinner in another, and dashing from one activity – and country – to the next. With contacts all over the world and a life full of fun, they are all about smooth transitions.

They choose Voca for the phone book that’s customizable by country (see in a glance how many friends you have in Brazil, Belgium or Bangladesh), not to mention the seamless WiFi to 3G handover. Because who has time for dropped calls?

This article was produced by The Local and sponsored by Voca - Cheap International Calls. 

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