Guest Post by Michelle Garrett Moving overseas was one of the best things I could have done. I am frequently asked by the British ‘why do you stay in Britain?’ as if I’m half crazy. They say it like that because of the weather. My short answer is that I live in Britain for love: my husband is British. They always reply ‘awwww,’ because it sounds so romantic. But the full answer is of course much longer than that, and predates my husband’s entry into my life. I grew up in a small …
Americans, I Have Some Bad News for You
On June 10, EFAM published an article titled America -- the Grim Truth. And grim it was indeed! "Americans, I have some bad news for you," the article starts. "You have the worst quality of life in the developed world – by a wide margin. "If you had any idea of how people really lived in Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and many parts of Asia, you’d be rioting in the streets calling for a better life. In fact, the average Australian or Singaporean taxi driver has a much better …
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OK, I Told My Mom
A few days ago I had a long phone call with my mother, and told her about our plans to move overseas. She handled it better than I expected, and I give her a lot of credit. (She expressed far more unhappiness years ago when we told her we were moving from upstate New York, about five minutes away from her, to Florida.) Of course, that was 22 years ago, so she's certainly had a chance to adjust to our being far away. I explained, as calmly as I could, our reasons. The biggest one is that we …
It’s Not Easy Being… Well, a Dog!
The Complexities of Communication in a Foreign Language Guest Post by Heather Merkel Heather Merkel, CPC is a Culture Transition Specialist who helps Expatriates and their families feel at home anywhere in the world through a core set of strategies designed to help you overcome the social, personal, and professional related issues that arise when transitioning to another culture. You can learn more about Heather at Culture Transition Coaching. I've been reading a wonderful book called The Art …
April 15: Day of Dread for Most Americans
April 15 happens to be my sister's birthday, and she was always fond of reciting the list of disasters that occurred on that date. It's tax day for Americans residing in the US. (But if you live in another country you get an automatic extension until June 15.) President Abraham Lincoln died after being fatally shot by actor John Wilkes Booth. The Titanic sank. In honor of the day, here are a few fun -- and not-so-fun -- important events that she missed, in no particular order: Ray Kroc opened …
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Expat, Missionary, Saint
March 17 is celebrated throughout the United States and Ireland as St. Patrick's Day. On St. Paddy's Day, as it is familiarly known, we wear green, eschew orange and drink gallons of green beer. (Yuck!) We hold parades, dye entire rivers green, and generally behave in a very un-saintly fashion. [ad#Google Adsense-1] St. Patrick: A Brief History (with a little guesswork thrown in) St. Patrick himself is a figure shrouded in some mystery. He probably lived during the 5th century, and was a Roman …