Our next visitors to Charity Cottage are due on 13 August. Keith, his son and his son-in-law are coming by car – with three bikes on the car roof. They emailed us several weeks ago, asking about interesting places to see by bike. As always, I was happy to do a spot of research.All our … Read more
We hear a lot about repatriation being just as difficult as re-locating in the first place. Usually I wonder how I would fare, moving back to England after twenty six years in the USA, but a comment on a friend’s Facebook page made me wonder what it’s like for Americans moving back to the States … Read more
70th War End Celebrations, Weddings, Panacotta and Rose Digestivo, Earthquakes, Silvio, My Birthday and The Rock Chick Band’s sixth Annual Concert in Beautiful Chianti There is no other way to say it, I absolutely adore the month of June in our little bit of Tuscany. Yes, I know it’s my birthday month and the Rock … Read more
Two Reasons You Can’t Afford Not To Retire Overseas Your retirement nest egg has been marginalized, and you’re thinking there’s no way you could afford to retire overseas. This is probably the most-often-given reason for why someone who’s interested in the idea of launching a new life in a new country hesitates or even abandons … Read more
Everyone’s starting a blog these days. The only requirement is that you have something to say, and that the “something” offers actual value to your readers. As an expat who’s experienced career change, the upheaval and relocation of your life, and all the details, tricks, roadblocks, and funny stories along the way, I’m here to … Read more
July 1 2016 – 100 years since the murderous Battle of the Somme began. Most families have tales to tell. Here is mine. My Uncle Harry served in the Royal Field Artillery. There are few contemporary photographs of them in action – understandable – but here is one. A florid certificate hung above the bed … Read more
The Month of May May is always a very busy month for the Italians and for us, in our little bit of Chianti in Tuscany. The first week heralded the arrival of our favourite house guest, the sister-in-law and her beautiful daughter. The plan was to get them both on to horseback for country trekking … Read more
“I just don’t know what to do now. I mean… what do I do with myself at this stage? Where do I go?…” It was early one morning a few days after Christmas, before the rest of the house was up. My mom was sitting across the kitchen table from me, looking down into her … Read more
It’s traveling time for many expats – that means, long journeys to see friends and family, and staying in their houses (possibly sleeping on their floors), sometimes for extended periods of time. Many of us also host friends and family in our current location, which I wrote about back in 2014. This time I’m sharing … Read more
Every single struggle we experience on a daily basis; every complaint, every dissatisfaction, every career problem or personal battle can be drilled down into a single source: the big, fat and limiting lies we tell ourselves. You see those limiting beliefs become a second nature for most, and in fact are holding us down and … Read more