Expat interviews
Vietnam
US expat, Jacob moved to Ho Chi Minh City nearly nine months ago with his wife and daughter. Besides his consultancy work, he enjoys traveling with his family and going out with friends for a coffee or beer.
Costa Rica
Terry and Viv, retired Canadian nationals, settled in La Palma nine months ago with their two cats. Both enjoy the Costa Rican nature, climate, as well as activities such as golfing, swimming, walking, reading...
Germany
French expat, Ju traveled around Europe before moving to Germany in 2008. He settled in Stuttgart where he works as an IT consultant. He enjoys sports, spending time with his family, going for a walk and meeting friends...
Canada
Moroccan expat, Abdel moved to Canada 12 years ago. He first spent some time in Montreal and Ottawa. This year, he moved to Fredericton with his wife following a professional opportunity. From time to time, he grabs his camera to get some clicks of the city.
Morocco
US expat, Kathryn fell in love with Morocco in March 2007. Following several trips, she decided to settle in Marrakech where she works as an English teacher. She also loves belly dancing.
Mexico
Johannah, US expat, moved to Tampico 8 months ago with her family following her husband's reassignment. During their free time, they enjoy traveling around the country...
Vietnam
David left Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1994 to work in Vietnam. He is now on his seventh move to the country, in which he lived several work experiences as a teacher, editor and now as a writer publishing novels...
Germany
Aussie expat, Lisa moved to Mannheim more than a year back with her husband who is a German national. She enjoys traveling, horse training and technology...
Ireland
Catherine, US expat, moved to Ireland 22 years back, after working as an "au pair" in Germany. Later on, she settled in Kerry with her husband, a Kerry-man, and their two sons...
China
Ingrid was born in Taiwan but grew up in California. Following a job offer, this US national moved to Shanghai a year and a half ago with her husband. Both enjoy traveling and discovering the country during their leisure time...
Salvador
US expat, Hugh settled in Cara Sucia with his wife Elizabeth in November 2011. Following his retirement, he now enjoys traveling, blogging and, of course, the country's mountains and beaches...
Indonesia
Cassandra left Singapore, her home country, to live in Indonesia as her husband got a job opportunity in the country. They settled in Jakarta with their children...
USA
John was born in France and grew up there until high school. He moved to the United State during college. Nowadays, though being a police officer, he tries to spend as much time as possible with his Mexican wife and their newborn son.
Finland
Melanie, Kiwi expat, moved to Helsinki ten months back with her husband and three year old son. She is currently a freelance writer and she enjoys discovering her new city's parks, cafes, etc.
Canada
Filipino expat, Carolyn, settled in Alberta three years back through a care-giving program. Though she wishes for a career change in the near future, she enjoys writing, traveling and volunteering as well.
Indonesia
British expat, Luke settled in Indonesia in 2007. Teacher by profession, he is also a happy dad with a two years old son with whom he spends a lot of time.
Belgium
Aneesh, Indian expat, settled in Brussels three years ago. IT engineer, he also enjoys traveling across Belgium and the European Union with his family...
Germany
19 years have gone by since Tom, US expat, settled in Germany. Being a professional clown and juggler, he spent much time in Europe before deciding to move there permanently. He managed to adapt to his new environment and is pretty happy with his lifestyle in Stuttgart.
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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