Expat interviews
Norway
Ahmed originally comes from Egypt. He moved to Bergen more than three years ago following a job offer in an engineering firm. Ahmed particularly likes hiking, boat trips, fishing and trying out new restaurants.
New Zealand
Debbie was born and and grew up in New Zealand before moving abroad. After spending many years in the Middle-East and in UK, she moved back to Auckland in 2014 with her British husband and children.
Vietnam
Addison comes from the USA. He moved to Ho Chi Minh City with his friend Sarah in March 2015. English teacher, Addison enjoys writing in his journal, relaxing a the cafe, in a park or by the riverfront.
Ecuador
Louis comes from the USA. He moved to Ecuador more than two years ago after spending some time in Costa Rica, Colombia and Peru. Retired, he is now enjoying a relaxed lifestyle in Cuenca.
USA
French expat, Zoe moved to San Francisco a few years ago following several trips to be with her husband. She recently obtained her green card. Zoe enjoys taking pictures of the city and updating her blog.
Mongolia
Michelle comes from Los Angeles. She settled in Darkhan with her Mongolian husband three years ago following several trips. She enjoys spending time with her daughter and visiting their family in the countryside.
Malta
Sebastijan in Gzira: "With so many different nationalities living here, our life can only be richer"
Sebastijian comes from Croatia. He settled in Gzira nearly two years ago following a job transfer. He enjoys going to the beach and visit places with his wife and children.
Morocco
Angie comes fro Nebraska. She settled in Marrakech four years ago after marrying a Moroccan national. Nowadays, she enjoys discovering the city, visiting friends and drawing.
Panama
Kris comes from the United States. Following several years in Florida, she decided to move to David with her husband. Retired nurse, she enjoys biking, drawing and painting, blogging and photography.
Peru
Ellie comes from Australia. She moved to Zorritos four years ago with her son. Besides teaching English, she likes spending time with her son, going to the pool and beach and taking a drink with her friends.
France
Born in Poland, Aga fell in love at first sight with Lyon. Following a few years in England and two trips to France, she settled in Lyon in February 2015. Aga is passionate about discovering the city, new cultures and lifestyles.
Singapore
John was born in Calcutta, but grew up in Australia and in the UK. In 2004, he moved to Singapore where he founded a firm specializing in international tax. John also enjoys watching cricket with his friends at a local club.
Vietnam
Ralph is a retired Australian public service officer. He moved to Nha Trang in 2002 with his Vietnamese wife. Nowadays, he enjoys looking after his family, walking, swimming and having a drink with his friends.
Denmark
Donna comes from Melbourne. She settled in Svendborg eight months ago with her Danish husband after spending 10 years traveling around the world. She is currently studying psychology and learning Danish.
Spain
Chris comes from the UK. He moved to Spain in 2004 with his partner and their cat. They have now settled in Alicante. Chris teaches English. He also enjoys going out for a movie, to the restaurant, sports, etc.
Belize
Les and Colette come from Oregon, US, where they had their own business. They first traveled to Belize in 1986. Following their retirement, they moved permanently to Big Falls three years ago.
Switzerland
Denhi was born in Mexico. Following her marriage, she moved to Germany where she spent several years. Nowadays, she is living in Gruyeres where she works in the hotel sector. Denhi also enjoys going out and seeing her friends.
Australia
Kerry moved from London to Sydney two years ago with her Aussie husband and their two sons, now 4 years old and 9 months old. She's a stay at home mum and shares her experience in Australia on her blog, Dinosaur Diaries.
Other Types
Schools & studies
For many families, choosing where to live means considering the quality of local schools. Some parents, however, take that logic much further and decide to move abroad altogether. Known as educational expatriation, this growing trend refers to families who relocate to another country primarily to secure a different educational path for their children. The motivations vary: a more flexible curriculum, alternative pedagogical approaches, reduced academic pressure, homeschooling opportunities, or simply an environment perceived as more conducive to learning and well-being. Although still a niche phenomenon, educational expatriation is attracting increasing attention as parents rethink what education should look like in an increasingly globalized world.
Everyday life
Living abroad makes birthdays feel a bit strange sometimes, especially when you're far from family and close friends. One of my first birthdays alone abroad, I got myself a ticket to an empty hotel beach and spent the day sitting alone under the sun, wondering if that was the weirdest and saddest way to spend a birthday. But as I started writing this article, I've realized that doing randomly unconventional things for your birthday abroad is actually not that random, and quite common.
Work
Most freelancers agree on one thing: if they went solo, it was to be their own boss, to no longer answer to anyone else, to set their own rules and to be free. The challenge is truly living out that freedom when dealing with local and international clients. Where and how should you set your boundaries?
Work
For many workers, retirement abroad is the ultimate reward after a long career. But an increasing number are making the move earlier than planned. While some actively pursue early retirement overseas, others find themselves leaving work sooner than expected.
Everyday life
Moving abroad is often associated with adventure, discovery, and new opportunities. While it can be a deeply enriching experience, there is often a less visible reality behind the excitement of starting a new life abroad: exhaustion. In my consultations, expats sometimes describe a fatigue that never seems to lift, unusual irritability, a sense of disconnection, or the feeling that they are no longer quite themselves. What I have also observed is that this distress is rarely confined to one person. In expat families, when one parent begins to struggle, the entire family often has to adapt. Partners may feel isolated or lose their sense of direction, while children can pick up on their parents' stress, worries, or emotional fatigue, even when these feelings are never openly discussed.
Schools & studies
Starting at a new school used to be about standing in lines, printing folders of documents, and going on campus tours. Today, in many schools, the enrollment process looks very different. Lots of things can be done online – and sometimes the first time you and your child will step foot in the new school will be on the actual first day. For expats and their kids, this is a trend that works in their favor. Because now they can explore, apply, interview, tour, and even enroll in a school before they are even there. Here's how it works.
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