Living Abroad

I've been spending a lot of time on internet discussion forums. It's something I haven't done before, but for the time being I'm enjoying it. One of them is a wedding forum on TheKnot.com, and another board is on TheNest.com that is for people living outside of the US.

This question was posted today (slightly adapted): Has living abroad made you more certain of what you want in life or less certain?

Here's what I answered (slightly adapted):

That's a really fascinating question... For me, it's a mixed bag. Being away from the US has definitely shown me that the States is my home. I don't think I could retire anywhere else. I even question if I could have kids away from my family without the constant support and familiarity. On the other hand, I see very clearly the problems in the US with healthcare, retirement, family policy, etc. I worry for my future there. So I think being here has given me a different perspective.

Career wise, I think I know what I want to do - I just can't do it here. So I have this idea of what I'll do someday. On the other hand, I've always admired people who are "wanderers," who can go with the flow and go where life takes them. I am not that person (way too type A), but being here has forced me to work less, to give up productivity, to think about what really makes me happy day-in-day-out, to create a mini-family with my fiancé. I imagine it has been character-building for me. Who knows where it'll lead.

/end post

I realize I didn't really answer the question, but it's a hard one for me to pin down. It hasn't made me more or less certain, but it's complicated my future, given me a strong relationship, and provided me important experiences.