It’s that time of year again when our heterogenous expat community can be grouped into two distinct tribes: the leavers and the stayers. And for those moving on, it’s a busy, emotional and often stressful time. This year, I am happy to report that I am a stayer. But the downside of that is having to say […]
expats
Expert Tips on Making Your Expat House Feel Like Home
A big part of any relocation is getting settled in your new expat house. But often this means a furnished flat, full of things you haven’t chosen. Or a house where none of the things you have shipped seem to quite work. So what can you do to make your expat house feel like home? And how […]
Monocultural Mum and the Third Culture Kids
I have lived away from home for four years now. Which in some ways is not that long really – equivalent to the length of time it took to do my degree (which included a year in France, not a repeat year…). However, when I think back to boarding the plane to Bangkok back in February 2013, what […]
Ten things I love about Germany…
There are always challenges when you move to a new country. And it’s easy to see all the things that are difficult. Or those that just get right on your nerves. So this post is the antithesis to all of that. This post is dedicated to the things I LOVE about living in Germany. Springtime in […]
Slovenia with Kids – Top Travel Tips
Slovenia was another last-minute holiday for us and it couldn’t have worked out better if I had planned it! The kids had two weeks off over Easter (seriously it feels like they are always on holiday…) and we wanted to make the most of it. But we just didn’t get our act together and suddenly school had […]
Someone’s Wife…
I read an article yesterday, which talked about how Frida Kahlo was described as the ‘Wife of Master Mural Painter’. The point of the article was that if someone as legendary as Kahlo was described in terms of being ‘someone’s wife’, and yet went on to leave a legacy that surpassed her husband’s, then there’s […]
So, you might be moving overseas?
One of the things I personally find hard about being an expat is that tricky stage when you think you might be moving overseas, but nothing is confirmed. I wrote about this in my post ‘We Might be Moving’ (see here). Judging by the comments and messages I received, it’s clear that I am not […]
Home for Christmas?
Are you going home for Christmas? The longer we have lived away, the more complicated the ‘home’ question has become but, at this time of year, the conversation is often about whether people are staying in their current country or returning ‘home’. Going home for Christmas can be wonderful. It’s a chance to reconnect with family […]
Dealing with Ambiguity or ‘We Might be Moving…’
‘We might be moving…’ How many times have you said that, or heard it from a friend? If you’ve been an expat for any length of time, the answer will be a LOT. And the worst bit about this sentence? Managing the ‘might’. Living with uncertainty and doubt – whether it’s about moving or any […]
Expat Move with Kids?
So, we all know that making an international move can be stressful (click here for more on that…). But looking back I realise the thing that stressed me out the most was concern about my children. Are we doing the right thing? Will they be happy? Will they like their new school? Will they hate […]