So you're planning on living overseas -- do you really need to learn the language of your adopted country? I have a simple, two-word answer for you: it depends. Don't learn the language: If you plan to live, work and play among other expats If you're not interested in immersing yourself in the local culture If you plan to hire someone to take care of your administrative tasks However, if you want to explore your new country on your own, handle your own bill paying, banking, and other …
Best Quality of Life Cities and Countries in 2011
When you're considering moving to another country, one of the big things you think about (at least I do) is the quality of life you'll be leaving and what you'll find in your new home. As 2011 has drawn to a close, let's take a quick look back at the year's top picks in various expat-oriented "Best of" lists. Quality of life means different things to different people. For example, I'm typing this at my son's dining room table, in the mountains of Vermont. It's cold (temperatures have been in …
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The Wary Expat: Or, How to Avoid some Expat Newbie Pitfalls
Guest Post by Richard Bee I am proud to be an Australian, but even more defining -- I’m what you might call a professional expat. I have essentially been away from home and on the road since 1958 when my father, an airline pilot, accepted a posting to a foreign land. So off we went, my parents, my three sisters and I, all of us dressed to the nines (as it used to be) in one of the last Super Constellation flights across the Pacific. After two unplanned but very memorable weeks in Fiji due to …
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Flying Overseas with your Dogs or Cats
With our anticipated overseas move date less than 90 days away, we're getting down to the wire on some of our planning. One of the big issues we have to muddle through is flying with our three dogs from here to there. We've been poring over airline and embassy websites, and asking lots of questions of people who've already done it. It doesn't help our planning efforts that Panama changed some of its rules on November 1, but hasn't told us yet what those changes are. Recently I spoke with a …
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What Prevents Expats From Working Overseas?
Guest post by Louise Wiles Accompanying partners – do they or circumstance influence their career choices? Recently I was talking about the services that I offer to accompanying partners through Success Abroad Coaching with some friends ‘back home’. I was explaining that finding fulfilling and meaningful work whilst abroad can be quite a challenge for many partners. Friends turned to look at me in surprise and one said: “Not working is an issue? I’d love to not have to work, to have some time …
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Build a Better Blog, Save Money
If you plan to blog as part or all of your expat portable career, you can get a jump start and save some money within the next 10 days. ProBlogger Darren Rowse has just released the new, updated, better-than-ever version of his classic 31 Days to Build a Better Blog. Early in my blogging career, I invested in the 31-day program, and it helped me to: Come up with more interesting topics to write about Write headlines that get more attention Leverage social media to grow my audience Gain …