The continuing adventures of June Finnigan, her Man, and Farty Barty the cat. July Reflections Benvenuti to all my Loyal and New Followers Well, there was no other way to describe July other than baking hot, stifling and humid. So much so that at times it felt like the oxygen had been sucked out of … Read more
It’s been a long, long time coming – but here we finally are: South Africa. And what a relief it is! The last few weeks in the UK were, like I am sure it is for most expats, quite exhausting. We had planned our getaway well – the packers came the day the girls finished … Read more
Following advice from a seminar that I attended at the children’s International School (essentially to make sure that we all got closure), the last two weeks of our time in Switzerland have been spent saying “Goodbye”. The children have had playdates galore whilst, as a family, we have been enjoying the most of Switzerland’s greatest … Read more
The last place I lived in the UK before emigrating was on the North Norfolk coast, about 5 miles from a most pleasant beach. I would often just go there for on the spur of the moment just to walk on the sand or enjoy the seascapes. Before that I lived in a London suburb, … Read more
My Expat Focus regulars know all about Charity Cottage, the holiday home in rural Burgundy that we run in aid of Combat Stress. Check out www.charity-cottage.org.uk. Well, one day I found my way to the Daily Telegraph Expat section. They invited expats to tell their stories, and in January 2012 my first piece appeared.Then Charity … Read more
I’ve been making the same trip to the supermarket the whole thirty-seven years we’ve lived in Cayman. Well, pretty much. Until 1997 we lived just over the road from a mini-market, which meant there wasn’t much need to patronize the bigger shops. That mini-market was wiped out in the hurricane of 2004, and has never … Read more
Emotions Of Living AbroadWhy is my life drastically different? When one moves from an area of comfort to one of moderation it can be daunting once the reality of such a move begins to settle in. I have experienced a range of emotions, experiences, and nice surprises. I will attempt to explain some of the … Read more
Having barely survived our hectic existence back home, we’re longing to embark on a slower pace of life here. But my father-in-law seems to be related to the bus driver; he, too, is a man on a mission. With only a couple of weeks left before their departure, Giorgio has much to show us, and … Read more
When you’ve lived the expat life for a long time and don’t get back to your home country very often it can sometimes feel like landing in a place you visited a long time ago: you know a bit about it, recognize some familiar things, but you aren’t quite on firm ground, because things change … Read more
Moving house is apparently one of life’s most stressful events. It stands to reason then that moving country when you move house tops that. So, moving house and moving countries twice within a year has to be right up there with standing in a bath of creepy crawlies whilst having cold baked beans thrown at … Read more