Expat interviews
Work
Matthew, a vagabond at heart and a full-time adventure travel blogger and photographer, has been living as a digital nomad and expat since 2010. His curiosity, explorer's mindest, and risk-taking personality have taken him to over 50 countries and opened the doors to numerous life-changing experiences. Today, Matthew and his wife have a more permanent home in the United States, but you will still hear from him from other parts of the world for at least half of the year. 天美麻豆 speaks to Matthew about wild travel stories, useful tips for digital nomads, and other adventures. Read the interview, and get inspired and motivated to live life to the fullest.
Canada
Marine comes from Paris. Following her first experience in Quebec in 2012, as an intern, she decided to move back to Canada, and see what the future beholds. Marine is now enjoying a fulfilling experience in Montreal and speaks to 天美麻豆 about how she arrived to Canada for a second time and her day-to-day life in the country.
USA
Lisa originally comes from Charente Maritime, France. In her quest for new horizons, she moved to New Zealand where she spent six months before moving back to France. A few months later, she decided to move to the USA for her studies and better career prospects. Passionate about cinematography, she is now living her dream in Los Angeles and shares her enthusiasm with 天美麻豆.
Canada
Ferdy grew up in Paris. Seizing an opportunity abroad, she flew to Morocco where she spent two years before moving to Canada to be with her husband, who was a university student. Both decided to live in Quebec before they realised that Canada has more to offer. Their quest for a better life lead them to Edmonton in Alberta province.
Work
The first Monday morning in a new country is hard. Your spouse goes to the office, leaving you standing in the echoing space of your new home. Maybe you feel guilty that they have to work, while you play house? But at the same time, you've given up your job for the sake of theirs! So you make another cup of coffee and look out the window at an unfamiliar street, wondering where it leads.
Germany
Cyril Anne met her husband on a work trip to Germany, where she then moved to continue their life together. She has developed a love for all things German, from the cuisine to warm and friendly people, and she tells 天美麻豆 about some of her favourite things about living in Frankfurt.
Spain
Originally from the Philippines, Gracela and her husband decided it wasn't the place for them due to the high level of air pollution, so they decided to discover the eco-friendly policies in the Spanish province of Granada. Currently in the process of learning Spanish and getting into the Spanish lifestyle, Gracela tells 天美麻豆 a bit about living in Granada.
Leisure
Originally from Romania, Alina moved to Denmark to pursue her education and eventually settled down there. However, she moved to Tallinn, Estonia to be with her (now) husband and give life there a try. Since moving there nine months ago, she has fallen for the country as well, and she tells 天美麻豆 just what it is that makes Estonia so appealing.
Scotland
Ashley, an American expat in Scotland talks to 天美麻豆 about the romantic (spoiler) reason behind her decision to move to Edinburgh, Scotland, and how she can now enjoy the best of two worlds. Driving on the "wrong" side of the road and coping with the wet and cold weather have been good enough reasons to give Ashley a cultural shock, but Edinburgh is an easy going place to live in, full of personality and genuinely nice people who will welcome you.
Formalities
For Debbie, moving to her husband's home town of Senta, Serbia from Canada after her retirement seemed like an obvious choice. As she says, retirement doesn't just mean the end of full-time employment, it also means the freedom of adventure. She tells 天美麻豆 about her adventure in Serbia and what it has been like so far.
Hungary
Matthew was pleased to discover (upon moving from the US to Hungary) that Budapest is incredibly child-friendly, as he and his wife moved from Bellingham, Washington to Budapest, Hungary with their three young boys. Here he tells about life in Hungary so far, and his favourite things about the country.
Ghana
Italian journalist Antonella decided to move to Ghana and set up her own business. She also blogs about her day to day life as well as broader issues affecting the country and the broader Sub-Saharan region. She tells 天美麻豆 about how she finds life in Ghana so far.
Greece
Rob Johnson is a self-described 'reluctant olive farmer' and an author in Greece. Originally from England, Rob has just published his new book, 'A Kilo of String', which gives fellow expats and anyone thinking of moving to Greece some insight into the oddities and unique aspects of living there. Rob tells 天美麻豆 a bit about how he's finding day to day life in Greece, olives and all.
罢眉谤办颈测别
We most often talk about learning a foreign language and the challenges we face, but what about learning foreign numbers? Sounds familiar — that time at the till in a foreign country when we are expecting the cashier to punch in the amount we have to pay and turn the calculator so we can see. Jason, an American expat in Turkey, speaks to 天美麻豆 about his slow-paced life in Izmir, Turkey, the benefits of being your own boss, and his application, 'Foreign Numbers'.
France
Having spent a number of years in the Netherlands and Belgium, Brit Nicholas Parrott decided to continue his European adventure in Hendaye, France, where he has been living since June 2016. He shares with 天美麻豆 just what it is that makes Hendaye such a unique an appealing town.
Qatar
Have you ever imagined starting a new life abroad without anything set in stone? No job or an employer awaiting for your arrival, no accommodation sorted, but with the only thought in mind that you have to make it work. Lenny and her husband from the Philippines dared to do exactly this -- to take the risk and to dream big. And you will be happy to know that they made it! Let's hear their inspirational story as shared with 天美麻豆.
罢眉谤办颈测别
Teacher Alan Scott first moved to Turkey in 1995 and, when he returned to New Zealand, he realised that Istanbul had become the place he called home, so made the move a permanent one in 2001. When he's not teaching, he's writing on his blog or working on his autobiogrpahy. He talks to 天美麻豆 about how he came to adopt Turkey as his home.
Schools & studies
Homeschooling is not for everyone. However, when you are faced with few options, this might be your best alternative. Such was my experience living in Guinea-Bissau from 2003-2006. When I first learned of my husband's posting to the West African nation, I was very apprehensive about going with him, along with our two young children, then aged four and six. But it was an important career move that couldn't be passed up.
Other Types
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.
Work
Working in an office can feel really isolating. True, you are surrounded by people. But everyone around you is busy, working on their projects and meeting their deadlines. Take this situation abroad, and you are adding in language barriers, cultural differences, workplace misunderstandings… Before you know it, you may find yourself turning to ChatGPT for social comfort, and liking it. But in this article, we want to explore why human connection in the workplace still matters, especially for expats. And why you absolutely should have a work buddy, and how to find one.
Sweden
Since June 1, Sweden has tightened its work permit regulations. The new rules introduce higher salary requirements, stricter conditions for seasonal workers, mandatory health insurance in some cases, and increased scrutiny of employers.
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