6 Tips on How to Prepare Your Kids for Moving Abroad
From a fellow expat parent, here are my best tips for preparing your little ones to become expat kids! Planning for a family move can be super stressful and feel like an overwhelming list of to-do’s! So when we talk about moving overseas to a foreign country, well that’s just a whole different ballgame guys. Language barriers, cultural differences, and endless paperwork are all-consuming! It’s easy to loose sight of what’s truly important – and that is how to best prepare your kids for their move abroad and transition into becoming expats. No amount of online research can truly equip you or your…
One Thing I Hate About Being an Expat
If you look at photos and videos of our time living abroad, it seems life is bliss. And believe me, we DO love living life overseas. Exciting experiences, new friends, rich cultures – there’s so much to gain from living overseas! So what is the one thing I could possibly hate about being an expat? Oh, there is a “thing”, trust me! It’s something I should have anticipated all along, well before arriving in Spain. It’s something that, if it weren’t for this incredible experience, we could have actually avoided. And despite all this, in a weird way, I’m thankful for this “thing”…
Best Cures for Expat Homesickness
Since our family’s relocation from America to Spain, certain seasons bring about a slight tinge of…expat homesickness. In the Fall, I long for apple cider, candy corns, roasting marshmallows and the crackle of the fire pit. In the winter, I miss the first gentle snowfall and rosy red noses on my children’s faces. It’s during these times that I think of our old life in New Jersey. Being an expat living in an unfamiliar part of the world will do that to a person! Every expat goes through it at one time or another, usually around their second or third year in a…
5 Pieces of Advice to Future Expats
I like to think that two and a half years of living abroad in Barcelona has equipped me to offer some insight and advice to those looking to move abroad and become future expats. If living abroad has taught me one thing, it’s that living abroad isn’t so…uncommon! I used to think it was – picking up your whole life and venturing to a world unknown. But actually, it seems like every day I meet a new face here from a different part of the globe. People from all different cultures and backgrounds with rich stories to match and offering great pieces of…
5 Ways to Thrive as a Trailing Expat Spouse
Learning how to take control of your own life while living abroad and thriving as an expat spouse. When I first heard the term “trailing spouse” I kind of laughed. It reminded me of the “ball and chain” reference old married couples use. Kind of like watching a three-legged race where one person is being pulled slightly behind. But as it relates to expats, the trailing spouse actually takes on a much more significant meaning. Yay for us! So What’s a Trailing Spouse? Basically, it’s the husband or wife of their expat spouse that relocates abroad for their significant other’s job. In this…
6 Hopes for My Expat Children
When we decided to take the leap and move from the U.S. to Spain, my head started spinning. So many questions, even more worries – and tons of hopes! I prayed my expat children would meet others from all over the world, try new and interesting foods, pick up a foreign language and grow more independent as a result of their new “expat” status. Looking back after two years abroad, what we got was so much more! This journey is a part of the canvas of our family forever. As my children grow up and this incredible chapter becomes a distant memory, I want…
5 American Conveniences Expats Will Miss…
We’re at the heart of summer here in Barcelona which means twelve straight days of literally NO rain, city-chic farmers tans and bottomless pitchers of fruity sangria. It also equals sizzling Spanish streets, sleeping with fans blaring and endless hours swimming however possible (open sea, public pool, cool bathtub – whatever it takes!). And due to the sweltering temps, a mass exodus in the month of August also occurs. The city practically shuts down with most stores and restaurants locking their doors until early September and many streets eerily quiet. This is Spain’s summer “holiday” month. Which, for the record, I still have a hard time…
