Expats: From Neither Here Nor There

Ottawa is known as a government town.  It is predominantly middle-class, not obviously flash or sexy.  I don’t say these things as a criticism.  We chose to live here for the past thirteen years and continue to make that choice for a variety of reasons.  But unlike Montreal or Vancouver, with their more obvious charms, it takes a bit of digging to reveal its treasures.

One of Ottawa’s gems is the size and variety of its expat population, people who come to Ottawa from other countries to attend school, live and work (often with the government or related enterprises), bringing a wealth of international culture to the city.  While I’ve always been curious about the expat presence, I really didn’t know how to hook into this diverse group of people.  But through the miracle that is Twitter I discovered a great expat blog from Judy Rickatson (@wifeinasuitcase), and emailed her asking that very question.  Judy kindly replied with an invitation to join a group called InterNations.

InterNations is an interactive website aimed at connecting expats around the world.  You create a profile, identify what you’re looking for (friends, information, specific activities), what you’re willing to offer (local information, contacts, friendship, business relationships) and then hook into one (or several) of the 322 international communities.

I signed up and attended my first InterNations event in Ottawa last night, in the company of ninety perfect strangers in a restaurant on Elgin Street.  In less than a minute I was deep in a fascinating conversation about aging, moving away and coming home, energy retrofits, and embracing the priceless bits of life.  People repeatedly walked straight up to me, introduced themselves, and launched into warm, interesting, personal conversations.  When it was time for dinner I did what I was told to do by our charming InterNations host, Peter.  I grabbed a chair and pulled it up to a packed table filled with more people I didn’t know.

Almost everyone I spoke with said the same thing:  they feel most comfortable hanging with others from a multi-cultural background, who come from elsewhere, or who are warm and open to new experiences and diverse people.  A few mentioned that their closest friendships have formed out of this group.  Living overseas or travelling extensively creates a Third Culture of people who are neither from here nor there, but who belong in a unique space in between.  Pragmatically, if you move frequently, being open to new people is not optional.  It is a critical mechanism for survival.

Three hours later I headed home, elated and personally satisfied, looking forward to the next group event in May and eager to organize a paddling trip out here on the Rideau.

I know that so much in life is about timing, but I can’t help asking the question: “Where have these people been for the past thirteen years of my life?” Perhaps the more relevant question is: “Where the heck have I been?”