Well, hello. It’s been a while. In fact, it’s been over two years. Two years since the start of COVID. Two years since I’ve been able to get back home to the UK. Two years of not writing a word on this blog. Why? I don’t know. Actually, that’s a lie. I do know. It’s […]
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Summer Reading Recomendations 2020
Summer 2020 might not be quite what we had planned…but even if you can’t travel, here some great book recommendations to transport you
Comfort Reads…
These are strange, anxiety-inducing times. It is hard to feel such a lack of control. It’s not easy to have to stay at home with no social interaction. But I think reading helps most situations, and for me this is a time for comfort reads. Everyone’s definition of ‘comfort read’ will be different. For me, […]
The Expat Book Club – A Year in Books, 2019
Hello, happy new year – and happy new decade! 2019 was another great reading year with the Expat Book Club – here’s a run down of all the books we read last year. Did you read any of these? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you haven’t joined us […]
How to be a Good Houseguest – the Expat Guide
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a woman who moves overseas must be in want of a houseguest. Actually, for me, one of the many joys of expat life has been having people come and stay with us. We have been blessed with guests – the type of guests that you actually want. The […]
The Homesick Expat – does it ever get better?
The homesick expat. It’s a cliché. But, like most clichés, it reveals a truth. One of the first things people ask me when they find out we live abroad is ‘aren’t you homesick?’ But what is homesickness? It’s more than just missing your actual home. You are now away from familiar routines, familiar faces, familiar […]
The upside to all those Expat goodbyes…
One of the hardest things about expat life is all those goodbyes. They don’t seem to get any easier. But there is an upside…
Summer Reading Recommendations 2019
When I started this post it did not feel like summer – rain, rain and more rain. Testament to the changeability of the weather in Paris (and my procrastination) we are now experiencing a heatwave… But whether you are home or away this summer, in sunshine or in rain (I hope it’s the former) I […]
Forty Thoughts on Turning Forty
I thought turning forty was one of those things that only happened to other people. Er, nope. Here I am, celebrating my 40th birthday this week. Even writing that seems weird because my brain still thinks I’m 26. My body, on the other hand, definitely got the memo… But birthdays should always be celebrated. Because […]
Short Stories – Reviews and Recommendations
Recently I was lucky enough to receive an advanced reader’s copy of Cecelia Ahern’s latest book, ROAR. It’s a book of 30 short stories, with more than a dash of magical realism, and I pretty much gobbled the stories up one after the other. I posted about it on Instagram and was asked about other […]