The last time I was new in a new country was three years ago. I wrote about it, after the first year, and described this initial couple of weeks as having been a honeymoon period. It almost feels like you are on holiday…until the reality sinks in that you aren’t going home. So I think […]
Moving on, leaving friends…Why I never can say Goodbye

In the past five years we have lived in three different countries, and we’re just about to move to our fourth. From our home country of England to Thailand and then Germany, the latest move will take us to France. I have learned a lot through all of these experiences…the biggest thing being how little […]
Books for the Beach and Beyond – Summer Reads 2018

Summer is here and with it hopefully some time to rest, recuperate and read. I am currently in the process of packing up and getting us ready to move country, and it’s the thought of our holiday by the beach that is keeping me going! Wherever you are heading for the summer – whether it’s […]
Expert Tips for an Expat Move – Moving Day

This is the third and final instalment of our series of tips on moving overseas. I have teamed up with Mel Carruthers, professional organiser and seasoned expat, to get her expert advice. We have already covered tips on getting organised and getting packed up. Now for the last piece in the puzzle – moving day. […]
Expert Tips on Moving Overseas: Step 2 – Packing Up!

Here is the second instalment of our series of tips on moving overseas. Mel Carruthers, professional organiser, gives her expert advice on what we need to do in the run up to a move. We have already covered tips on getting organised here, plus the life changing (haha) Making Here Home decluttering method, Snog, Marry, […]
Organising A Move Overseas: Step 1 – Getting Ready

Organising a move overseas can be really stressful, and one of the things that can feel overwhelming is the idea of all the organisation you need to do. Deciding what to take and what to leave. Getting your paperwork in order. Knowing that you are going to have to sort through the junk cupboard/ attic/ […]
Snog, Marry, Dump – Organising For A Move

I am not the most naturally organised person. But moving countries demands a lot of co-ordination…the ‘sorting out’ variety, not the sporting type of co-ordination. Although you will feel like you are juggling a hundred things at once and, when you start to pack up, the more you can carry the better. Organising for a […]
‘Little Deaths’ by Emma Flint – Book Review & Author Interview

Our Expat Book Club book for April was ‘Little Deaths‘ by Emma Flint. I am the first to admit that thrillers are not my usual genre of choice, and I also tend to steer clear of books where children are victims of crimes. And yet this novel, which follows the story of a mother whose […]
Moving On is Hard to Do – My Expat Love Affairs

Like so many of you, we are moving on to a new country in a few months’ time. The hardest thing with any move is the people you have to leave behind. And, while my keyboard could do with clean, I don’t want to be washing it with tears. So this post is about the […]
Expat Author: Cath Brew, ‘Living Elsewhere’

I connected with artist Cath Brew in the forum I Am A Triangle (which is like an online ‘home’ for expats). Cath the woman behind ‘Drawn To A Story’ and has just published her book ‘Living Elsewhere‘ – a series of cartoons that beautifully depict those expat moments when you don’t know whether to laugh […]