It doesn't really matter how you got here. Maybe you were itching to travel, have an adventure, get away from it all. Or maybe your job offered you a really great package that you just couldn't turn down. In any case, you're here, living in China. And you're planning on leaving… eventually. But as much as some would hate to admit it, the fact is that some expats who come to China "for a while" wind up staying, well, forever. There are some warning signals, however, that indicate your temporary move has become more permanent. Read on for five signs that, for better or for worse, you're probably never leaving China…

1) You own a pet
Pets are big commitments, no matter where you live. Of course, there is a spectrum of "commitment-ness" that depends on the type of pet you choose (hint: goldfish are somewhere near the bottom). But regardless, they're an investment. So if you find yourself having adopted a pet—namely a cat, dog, or anything else that requires you notice its presence more than once a week—chances are you've settled down enough to consider China "home." Yes, you could certainly take your pet back with you to your home country, but with all the fees, quarantines, and paperwork required to do this, a lot of people simply don't. Instead, adopting a pet here is usually a sign that you're in it for the long haul. Ah, doesn't it feel good to be domestic-ated?

2) Your friends back home no longer believe you
"I'm moving home sometime next year," you say (in)decisively. "Uh huh," is the universal reaction from your friends (in China or back home – it doesn't matter). Simply put, no one believes you anymore. Why? Because they've all heard you say this exact same thing before approximately 327 times. And every year something comes up that makes you want to stay in China "just one more year." It's an ongoing joke that this is the number one way people trick themselves into staying forever – if you promise yourself "just one more year," those years tend to bleed together and multiply until they've turned into the rest of your life. So next time your friends don't take your moving back plans seriously, take a second to figure out why.

3) Your boss keeps giving you more money
Another popular reason to stay in China comes from the fact that in certain cities and industries, the money is simply better in China than it would be back in your home country. Maybe your company still gives you extra "hardship pay" for living in China (although for those expats living in places like Beijing and Shanghai, the only "hardship" most tend to encounter is not being able to find a decent martini), or maybe you're just that good and your company would absolutely fall apart if you were to leave. Whatever the reason, some bosses tend to throw increasingly ridiculous amounts of money at expat workers who express interest in wanting to leave China. This results in fatter paychecks, which in turn results in China looking like a damn good place to live out the rest of your days.

4) You married a Chinese citizen
This one's pretty much a dead giveaway – unless, of course, your Chinese spouse just married you to get his/her citizenship in another country. The thing about Chinese families is that they tend to stay close. Very close. So close that the idea of a child living halfway around the world from his/her parents is pretty much unbearable to most (unless it's for university studies abroad, of course!). This means that if you've fallen in love with a Chinese citizen and taken the ultimate step of marriage, chances are you've officially become a resident of China for life. "But we discussed it and we're going to live for a few years here, then for a few years in my home country," you might say. And in response, I say: Good luck with that.

5) Your home country feels like a vacation destination
If you find yourself planning trips back to your home country based on all the fun things tourists like to do, you're a lifer. If you love "taking in the sights" and take more pictures in your home country than you do in China, you're a lifer. Basically, if your home country begins to resemble more of a vacation destination rather than a place in which you'll settle down, chances are it is a vacation destination – a place where you like to get away and take a break from the dull routine of your daily life at home… in China.

Whether you find yourself experiencing one, two, or all of these "warning" signs, becoming a lifer is always a possibility when living abroad. So if you find yourself thinking in terms of years instead of months in China, don't fight it – after all, those extra taxes the government is charging foreigners do go towards your retirement benefits…
 

Related links
5 Signs it's Time to Pack Up and Leave China
Top 10 Things to Do Before Leaving China
Minimum Expenses, Maximum Savings: How to Live in China Cheaply

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Keywords: staying in China living long term in China signs you’re stuck in China expat life in China