Brit Gal in the USA, a fellow British expat, recently commented on Facebook – “Every now and then I still have days when it feels odd to be living in America…”. I was nodding my head in agreement before I even reached the end of her sentence. She’s been here for about seven years but … Read more
I think that one of the things that all expats probably have in common is missing something from ‘back home’. Most often people – I miss my mum, the daily Skype chat is not quite the same; sometimes places, I miss wandering around the local town, meeting friends for lunch, shopping in lovely shops; miss … Read more
For years I’ve been advising expats, “rent before you buy.” I’m so glad I followed my own advice, because my husband and I have just become poster children for renting first. If you’re expatriating because your company is sending you overseas, you probably don’t have a lot of choice about where you’ll live. But if … Read more
I guess it was all my fault because there was nothing really wrong with our toilet seat. It was just old, and I wanted a new one. Joe agreed. We’d had it for nine years, since we’d first built the bathroom back in 2004 when we moved to Spain. Next time we went down the … Read more
If there was a definition for EXPATIFY (which there’s not) I’m pretty sure it would go something like this: Acceptance of the alien nature of an environment, development of new-found tolerances, greater objectivity and appropriate coping skills. Pretty much sums up the adjustment required when you become an expat don’t you think? When you launch … Read more
In the family room, gathering up old newspapers for the recycling bin. We tend to remember precisely where we were and what we were doing when we first hear momentous news. I was working my way through the half-read newspaper sections and outdated magazines littering the coffee table, when my husband appeared at the doorway. … Read more
“Things as certain as death and taxes, can be more firmly believed”Daniel Defoe, The Political History of the Devil, 1726 As certain as death, taxes cannot be ignored. Unfortunately, unlike death, they come around more often than once in a lifetime. When people considering expat retirement sit down with their calculators or spreadsheets to measure … Read more
My dream had always been to live in France – I mean, whose isn’t? So, it was that when life events occurred and opportunities arose, I made the decision to take a teaching sabbatical and lead myself to live one year in Montpellier: a happening, university town full of students and, in my experience, an … Read more
Everyone knows that the best way to tour a place is to be taken around by locals, or at the very least, by long-term expats. That’s partly why we expats are so lucky to get lots of visits from friends and relatives. It’s loads of fun taking guests around, of course, but there’s also a … Read more
Singapore has the world’s highest concentration of millionaires which can be a little daunting if you don’t fall into this wealthy club of high-rollers. Normally my world doesn’t often collide with that of the ultra high net worths that float around this city state. Thankfully my small family car has never been embarrassingly parked next … Read more