Expat interviews
Germany
Jay is originally from Richmond, Virginia. After living and working in three other countries, he has finally settled in Karlsruhe, Germany, where he works as an imbedded Business-English trainer for a multi-national corporation.
Indonesia
American journalist, Ken left the US in 2010 to travel the world. He lived in Costa Rica, Croatia and Sicily before settling in Batam, Indonesia.
Ecuador
Born in Chicago, Regina lived in Mexico for 23 years before settling in Cuenca in June 2010 to retire. She enjoys her life in Ecuador, fancying especially the Latin culture...
Scotland
Miranda moved from Canada to Scotland in March 2013. Shortly after she met her partner, they decided to travel the world together. They applied to the Youth Mobility Visa for the UK and moved to Edinburgh simply because there is a castle in the middle of the city...
China
Ben had an amazing opportunity to travel the world. He left Australia, his home country, to work in Philippines, South Africa, Ireland, the UK, Malaysia, Bahrain and Kuwait. He is now living in Chengdu, working as a CEO for a multi-national company and enjoying life in China...
Sweden
Claire comes from a family of serial expats. Born in Scotland, she grew up in France, the US and England. Fascinated by Sweden, she settled in Stockholm indefinitely...for now!
Panama
Californian expat, Holly moved to Boquete a few months ago. She researched with her husband the ideal place to settle for 7 years. They enjoy their new environment, spending a lot of time learning Spanish and making new friends.
France
In 2010, on a trip to Lyon, Courtney fell in love with the one who became her husband and the city. She then settled in Lyon in 2011 and embraced the French way of life. About to begin a new adventure with a little baby girl to come, she shares with us her experience in the city...
Australia
Diana moved to Perth in April 2011. She left Vancouver, her home town, to live with her Australian fiancé. She gets involved in charity, writing and consultancy work and discover Australia by travelling about the state and country every opportunity she gets.
Thailand
Mike, British retired teacher, settled in Thailand in 2008. Married to a Thai citizen, he enjoys life by learning Thai and writing blogs. In this interview, Mike gives an overview of the procedures to settle in Thailand and the country's lifestyle.
USA
Claire is from the UK. She settled in a little town in Columbia between Baltimore and Washington DC with her husband and five-year old son. Fitness instructor, she also collaborates with several local magazines and writes a blog on the cultural differences between the US and Britain.
Madagascar
Originally from the North East of the USA, Mark left the US 30 years ago to join the Peace Corps. He settled in Madagascar 10 years ago where he got married.
Peru
American expat, Lyle moved to Peru in July 2012. He decided to open a bed and breakfast with his Peruvian wife in Huaracondo, in the Cusco region. He adapted well to his new environment and tries to improve his Spanish and Quechua skills.
Egypt
Celia is from the Philippines. She moved to Alexandria, Egypt, in May 2012 where she was offered a job position for a UK company. She discovers the city and enjoys the Mediterranean sea while adapting to the country's customs.
China
British expat, Peter has been living in China since July 2011. He moved for work: he is a middle-level school manager and Economics teacher. He first lived in Shanghai before settling in Suzhou and he is now about to move to Shenzhen. China represents the first leg of his journey as an international teacher!
India
Kevin is from the United States. He moved to Delhi almost 2 years ago where he works as Communications Director for a design research firm. He is quite busy with work but outside the office he is an avid runner and traveller and he enjoys travelling through India.
Singapore
Manuelita first came to Singapore for her studies. Once completed, she went back to Manila, her home town but, as she but needed some drastic change, she decided to move back to Singapore a year after and has since lived here. She now works as a writer and editor for a financial magazine.
Russia
Dante moved to Moscow to work as a freelance English teacher. She first left South Africa, her home country, to work in Dubai before landing in the Russian capital where she plans to live in indefinitely.
Other Types
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.
Work
More people than ever are considering entrepreneurship abroad. While securing a visa, funding and the right legal status are important, long-term success depends on much more. Before launching a business overseas, what are the key questions every entrepreneur should ask themselves?
Everyday life
The biggest difference between moving counties and moving continents is the distance. Duh, you might think. But it's not only the physical distance itself. It's also how this distance feels. Moving from Spain to Germany is a big life change. But not quite as big as moving from Germany to Brazil. You are now a Transatlantic flight away from everything that you used to know as home. And even if the culture may not be that different, everything else probably is.
New Zealand
Since June 1, foreign workers seeking certain work visas in New Zealand have been subject to new English language requirements. The government says the changes are intended to improve migrant integration and help prevent workplace exploitation.
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