Expat Life
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4 Things to Consider When Moving Overseas
My journey overseas began exactly two years ago for me and my family. Living overseas in a brand new country is one of the few life experiences that changes you completely. You are never going to be the same person you were back at home. So much of what we do is taken for granted, and living overseas changes your perspective on life and how you live it – mainly because you start paying close attention to what would normally seem like mundane moments and strangers. Here are four things to consider if you and your family are considering moving overseas. #1. FOMO. Suffering from fear of missing out. As…
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8 Lessons From My First Year Overseas
Today, I hit my anniversary since my family packed everything that we owned and moved overseas and boy, did it fly by. The list seems endless, as I sit here and reflect on what I’ve accomplished and learnt in the last year, but there are certainly a few lessons to note. The best part is that you can take most of them with you no matter if you have moved overseas or not. #1 – Pay Attention to Your Surroundings. Keep your eyes opened and ears perked at all times because safety and security is important. Before you sign a year lease, rent for a week or a month in a neighborhood, and…
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10 Ways to Get the Most Out of Travel
Truly understanding and appreciating a new culture can take months or even years. When traveling, most of us don’t have that luxury. Those for whom a few days to a week is about the best that can be hoped for have to figure out how to get the most out of limited time. A checklist of museums and attractions is a common instinct, but it won’t give you the deep connection that makes travel rewarding. After years of planning events around the world I have learned that taking a few simple steps allows travelers to better connect to new places, make amazing memories, truly feel at home in a…
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What is International Women’s Day?
Today (March 8th) is International Women’s Day! When I lived in the US, I had heard only of this holiday maybe 5 years ago. Out of curiosity, I did some research to see if this was new holiday or something that I had never heard about until I started using social media. Wow! How could I have missed such an important day…but let me slow down, and start from the beginning. International Women’s Day was celebrated for the first time on March 18, 1911, a year after the International Women’s Conference adopted a proposal by Clara Zetkin to establish an annual event promoting equal rights for both sexes. At the time, women…
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4 Tricks to Learning a New Language
One of the reasons that my husband and I wanted to move abroad was learning new languages. Learning a new language, you learn a lot about another culture. You leave your comfort bubble and open your mind to new people and ways around life. By learning, you exercise your brain, and like exercise, the trick to learning a new language is consistency. Today, I just turned my first language journal for a graduate class that I am taking. Yes, I am back in school. I am a lifelong learner, and classes keep me accountable to stay focused and disciplined in my education and learning. I have a habit of starting projects and not…
