How often do you visit your parents in your home country?
Posted by Bubbly_Swan_2369@reddit | expats | View on Reddit | 30 comments
Just asking around like how often some people will visit their family to their home country?? The travel time is quite far like around 15-16hrs and the ticket its not that cheap, i can probably get a round trip ticket for 1,500$.
SingaporCaine@reddit
Once a year. Stay for 3 weeks. Taiwan - USA. Dad's 88. Gotta do it.
Actual-Thought-8315@reddit
How would you compare taiwan to the us living?
SingaporCaine@reddit
Taiwan feels much safer (except traffic). Health care is drastically better and cheaper. Services are much cheaper. Food rocks.
Housing is expensive. Wages are low (idgaf because I'm retired).
There's an obnoxious Pooh bear that keeps threatening to kick in the door and reeducate us.
Actual-Thought-8315@reddit
Is the wages like comfortable to pay for housing?
SingaporCaine@reddit
Retirement means I am not working. We are comfortably housed, but there is no way that we could have bought our flat on local wages working in our old professions. A median priced flat like we live in is around $10M NTD in Tainan.
Mysterious_Yard7921@reddit
2-3 times a year
Addme_animalcross@reddit
I usually go back to the US at Christmas time for a couple of weeks. This year I chose Thanksgiving. My family lives in Arizona and I am SOOOO depressed thinking about spending 18 hours flying to a Trump supporting state. 💔
meshyl@reddit
Every 3 months. Germany - Croatia
Womzicles@reddit
I try to go at least once a year for a month. Covid and this being the exception.
danimephistopholes@reddit
USA native living in Paris.
Was spending 2 weeks of my August back in the states with parents but after some recent unpleasantness looks like I will now be visiting them zero days per year.
If you are far away and can swing the time off I recommend 2 weeks for a visit. Long enough to get over the jet lag and spend quality time but (hopefully) not too long.
CompanionCone@reddit
Once a year in summer we go for 3-4 weeks. It's crazy hot where we live so it's always nice to have a break, and I'd like my kids to keep something of a bond with our home country even if they never want to live there.
fractalmom@reddit
Once a year for 5 weeks, it is a 24 hour trip with two layovers. It gets trickier with a baby. I used to go twice a year.
LuxRolo@reddit
Twice a year- Norway back to UK. Around 12 hours of travel from home to home due to 2 flights and the drive to/from airport.
guesswhat8@reddit
when I lived a 12h flight away it was once a year, now I am a 3h travel away its twice a year (for everyones birthday)
rodrigorigotti@reddit
Every year around Christmas time and, if the calendar allows, the New Year as well.
It's pretty expensive when you factor in flight tickets, car rental and Airbnb, but it's nice to have a 3-week break from the European winter every year.
CuriosTiger@reddit
About once a year, usually around Christmas. Earlier, I went less frequently, partially because I could afford less travel and partially because when they were younger and healthier, my parents also came to the United States and to Austria to visit me.
My mom passed away in 2018, and my dad's health is worsening. So now I visit as often as I can. I may even try to go twice next year.
Cueberry@reddit
Haven't been in 6 years. Will have to go next summer so would have been 7 by then. (Stress on the "have to" lol). If it were up to me I wouldn't at all.
All the family I actually cared and was close to already died the rest I would hardly call relatives, I have a more meaningful relationshipwith my neighbours than them. Friends I grew up are the same we might as well live in different planets.
It's a 15h flight (longer now thanks to various conflicts) which get extra tiring as I get older.
And it's costly not just the flight but then it's car rental and expenses while there that it's a 5k Euros easily gone every time and, it's basically a chore to go. I try not to think that if I spent the same money to go on holiday in my part of the world I could have a luxury holiday with half that money and have a actual holiday ‐sighs‐
postbox134@reddit
1-2 times a year - from NYC to the UK. It's only a 7 hour flight so not too bad really.
There was a 2 year gap during COVID though - I couldn't legally renter the US from the UK directly.
Borderedge@reddit
I live less than two hours by plane from all of my family... But I go at least once per year. More if there are particular circumstances. I do it also because they've never visited me in any of the places where I've lived.
BackgroundPrune1816@reddit
I visit my parents on average every 3-4 years.
kattehemel@reddit
I left 15 years ago and have been back 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 times, so every 3 years.
CarelessInevitable26@reddit
At least once per year, 24 h flight
Ok-Rutabaga-4177@reddit
Twice a year. Mom is 86, lives is Holland
Wranorel@reddit
I go back to Europe at least once a year for Christmas. Is quite expensive, usually close to 2000 for a round trip. Its a minimum of 16h one way, on back I have to sleep a Frankfurt as there is no connection on same day. Last year went twice, this year just one time in few weeks.
Is not really the money, although is not cheap, is the time and logistics that I hate.
Bubbly_Swan_2369@reddit (OP)
Christmas is still the best time to visit family
Wranorel@reddit
I’ll have death threats from my mom if I don’t show up in Christmas
Bubbly_Swan_2369@reddit (OP)
How many weeks do you usually stay?
Wranorel@reddit
Between 2 and 4. Varies every year.
carojp84@reddit
Once year, every Christmas for 3-4 weeks.
cyclicalfertility@reddit
Every few years. Flying for 24h isn't something to do often, unfortunately.