From the USA to Nicaragua: Rewired and Retired in Nicaragua
Erin
20 May, 2013 09:01
Hola. My nickname is Gypsytoes, but you can call me Debbie. My husband, Ron, and I live on a tropical island in Nicaragua. We are originally from the Pittsburgh, PA area. However, most of our adult life we have been transplanted Southerners.
1. Why did you move abroad?
We moved frequently while living in the states. Our last major move in the states was from an isolated hollow in the Ozark Mountains to the storytelling capital of the world...mainly so we could have pizza delivered. During one of the storytelling festivals in Jonesborough, TN, we became fascinated and a little obsessed with moving abroad and gathering new stories for our lives. One cold winter day, I received an email from a friend in Nicaragua. He offered us a job managing a small youth hostel on Ometepe Island. We sold our cars, quit our secure teaching jobs, gave away all our winter clothes, and left our house and our aging dog with our son and JUMPED!
(More)
From Alaska to Kharkov: 8 Months in Ukraine
Erin
16 May, 2013 09:31
Hi! I'm Katherine, a West Coast American who spent most of the last decade living in Alaska before moving to Kharkov, the second largest city in Ukraine.
1. Why did you move abroad?
For several years I dreamed of moving to Russia. I even convinced my boyfriend D that it was a halfway decent idea! At that point, I'd been studying the Russian language for several years and thought that living in Russia would provide that final boost to fluency. Russia, however, is not that welcoming to international job-seekers. We spent a year doing conference call interviews, getting laughed out of said interviews (“great, you're hired! Oh.... a visa? Hahaha!), and sulking. Finally we set our sights on Ukraine instead. At that point Ukraine was “close enough” for me. Over the past 2 years though, I've really come to love the place for what it is.
(More)
From Germany to Tennessee: Southeast Schnitzel
Erin
13 May, 2013 08:08
My name is Christian Höferle (alternative spelling: Hoeferle).
I was born and raised in Weilheim, Germany - a small town of ~21,000 people, 30 miles south of the Bavarian capitol, Munich. Weilheim is located in the Southeast of Germany.
Since July 2004, my family and I live in Cleveland, TN - another small town of ~40,000 people, 30 miles north of Chattanooga. Cleveland is located in the Southeast of the United States.
People in Bavaria/Germany and Tennessee understand when I tell them that "I'm a Southeasterner in both countries & cultures."
1. Why did you move abroad?
In simple terms: To see if it works - the life abroad. In 2003, my wife, our then 2-year-old daughter and I were living in Munich when we sensed that we were ripe for a change in our lives. Back then my wife was a stay-at-home mom (by choice) who was getting ready to launch her next project, a Montessori school. At the same time, I was in the process of leaving my employer of seven years and I explored a job offer for a leadership position in Berlin.
(More)
From Canada to New Zealand: CanuckiwiKate
Erin
09 May, 2013 09:28
Kia ora, I'm Kate! I'm Canadian (we're affectionately known as Canucks, although I haven't actually figured out why) and I've been living in New Zealand since January 2009. After all that time living with and teaching little ones, I think I've become a bit of a Kiwi myself, so when I started my blog in January 2012, I called it CanuckiwiKate.
1. Why did you move abroad?
I'd always wanted to be a teacher. I started my Bachelor of Arts with the intention of doing a concurrent Bachelor of Education, beginning in second year. When I sent my application for the concurrent program away at the end of first year, knowing that you needed a 75% overall average to be considered, I joking told everyone "if I don't get in, I'll just go overseas and study." My average came out at a 74%. All of the sudden, I now had 3 years to figure out my next move, which after lots of research, lead me to New Zealand. It was meant to be, and moving here was one of the best decisions I ever made.
(More)
De Galicia a Río de Janeiro: Fran Viajando
Erin
06 May, 2013 10:05
Hola a tod@s, mi nombre es Francisco Pérez, español de 26 años, y desde hace casi dos años estoy viviendo en Río de Janeiro, Brasil.
1. ¿Por qué se fue al extranjero?
El principal motivo por el que hoy estoy aquí es mi novia. Ella es brasileña y nos conocimos en Alemania, donde estuve una temporada viviendo por motivos de estudios. Una vez llegado el momento de plantearse una residencia, Brasil ganó todos los puntos por tener mejor campo de trabajo en nuestra área, sobretodo en estos momentos de crisis en Europa.
(More)
From the USA to Germany: A Day in the Life of a Hockey Wife
Erin
02 May, 2013 09:20
Hi there! I blog anonymously as 'Hockey Wife' at A Day in the Life of a Hockey Wife. I currently live (well, during the hockey season, so about eight months out of the year) in Germany, with my husband and our two sons Linden and Calder.
1. Why did you move abroad?
My husband decided to abandon his NHL dreams and rather set his sights on European hockey. The season is shorter, European-style hockey is easier on his body, and the schedule allows us to spend a lot more time together as a family.
(More)
From the USA to Niger to Zimbabwe to Rome: Gillian's Lists
Erin
29 April, 2013 09:34
I am Gillian Longworth McGuire on twitter and instagram as @gmcguireinrome and I live in Rome, Italy.
1. Why did you move abroad?
My first expat experience was when I moved to Niamey, Niger in 1991 to work for an American NGO. After spending 6 years in the sahelien desert, where I met my husband, we had a child (who is now 16) , moved to Harare, Zimbabwe in 1998 and finally here to Rome in 2006.
2. How do you make a living?
I have a several different things that keep me busy.
(More)
De Paris à Chiang Mai: Tout un voyage - 2 Farangs en Thaïlande
Erin
25 April, 2013 09:47
Nous sommes Guillaume et Christelle, un couple de Français originaire de Paris. Nous vivons depuis plus de 3 ans à Chiang Mai, dans le nord de la Thaïlande.
1. Pourquoi êtes-vous partis à l'étranger ?
L’idée de partir s’est imposé un jour d’août 2009. Nous nous ennuyions fermement dans notre vie parisienne. J’ai proposé à mon mari de tout quitter et de s’installer en Asie, un continent que nous affectionnons particulièrement.
Le choix de la Thaïlande est un peu le résultat de nombreux concours de circonstances.
Un de nos très bons amis français vivait depuis 2 ans en Thaïlande avec sa femme thaïlandaise. Nous sommes partis assister à son mariage à Chiang Mai en décembre 2009.
Lors de ce séjour, nous avons totalement été séduits par le pays et les Thaïlandais. De plus, cela ne semblait pas trop compliqué pour des étrangers de monter une petite affaire et d’obtenir des visas.
(More)
From Blackpool to the Canary Islands: IslandMomma
Erin
22 April, 2013 09:40
Hi. My name is Linda, but I’m known to some as islandmomma (or madreislena in Spanish). It’s a nickname from when my kids were in their teens – long story. I come from Blackpool, a holiday town, on the north west coast of England, and I’ve now lived for over 25 years in Spain’s Canary Islands.
1. Why did you move abroad?
I’d always dreamed of living abroad. Unlikely as it must have seemed to friends by the time I was, say 25, I always knew that I would.
(More)
From Canada to Hungary: The Wasted Year
Erin
18 April, 2013 11:00
A lost soul hell-bent on postponing any semblance of a settled life, I
write about my funny, bewildering and surreal experiences as an English
tutor in Hungary.
1. Why did you move abroad?
Fear. Paralyzing, soul-crushing fear.
I had just graduated, and as I emerged from the comforting musk of the ivory tower into the world’s harsh glare I recoiled in horror. People staggered around in bewildered dazes as their endless cascade of mundane responsibilities pelted them like frigid rain. I saw lines snaking away from bank counters full of nervous middle-agers clutching wads of documents, and businessmen stuck in traffic pulverizing their steering wheels with unhinged fury. When one of my good friends tried to recruit me into his pyramid scheme selling 5 hour energy I finally snap and fled to a country I could barely locate on a map.
(More)
