Who are we ex-pats?

Sally, an American lawyer, and Teresa, a Canadian lawyer newly assigned to Sarajevo, have been working overseas for years longer than me and their insights into the kind of people who opt to do that work were interesting.

For one thing, they say, ex-pats lose touch with friends and relatives. You can't relate after a while they say. For example, a conversation we had in the car driving to the lake about the worst airports in the world. We all were pitching examples into that discussion and got wrapped up in it. Her friends for whom a road trip from Ottawa to NYC was an event would see it as pretentious, Teresa said.

Ex-pats, Sally noted, have usually been missionaries, mercenaries and misfits. She would add one more category: middle-aged people looking for adventure.