As the summer draws near it's end I am left with a rather large hole in my social circle. I am one of those rather unique expats who has lived here for five years now and has no plans to return home, or anywhere else for that matter. I am here for the foreseeable future. Like many of the clients that I work with in therapy, I do not really fit into either the expat community or the local community, as I have a foot in both camps. I am not even entirely comfortable with the term “expat” any longer as it suggests certain privileges and a lifestyle to which I am no longer privy. But that is how many continue to refer to me, it is just that my expat status is slightly longer term.