Expat Round-up

BritMums have launched a monthly roundup of posts from around the Internet in different niches, such as food, craft, humour and so on. The second Saturday of every month will be the Expat Roundup and we’ll look for posts by not just expats, but expat parents.

The posts will not just be from BritMums members, giving you a wider selection of reading, but don’t forget that BritMums has an expat group where you can chat, arrange meetups and share stories and links with other expats in Britain–or other British expats overseas!

Enjoy these great reads and don’t forget to leave a comment when you visit them. And if you have a suggestion for a fantastic expat post that I’ve missed this past month–even if it’s your own, please leave a link below!

Visiting home can be difficult because of hectic schedules and the inevitable goodbye. One benefit though is the opportunity to bring back favourite treats to share with others in your host country. Lisa Gusto went home to Sweden over Christmas and brought home a specialty I have never seen on British supermarket shelves.

When we make a home in another country we work hard at trying to understand cultural norms and practices so we might better fit in and enjoy a more relaxed life almost as a local. But when those cultural norms still confuse us after over 20 years in our host country, you know they’re just plain odd behaviours. Expat Mum writes about the American obsession with tipping.

Sometimes cultural norms reflect a really lovely aspect of the host country. Trust, low crime rate and perhaps a generally close community are what I think of when I hear that in Heather’s village no one locks their front doors. And yet, there’s a darker side to that story.

I love it when I read a post about an expat who has chosen to really immerse themselves in the host country and learned about the area where they’re living. Sometimes I imagne the expat knows more than many locals about the history of the place as we tend to take for granted where we live until someone new comes in and wants to know why things have become as they have. Kat has learned why the Fenland in England is such a windy place to live and gives some of her reasons why she enjoys living there.

Ah, the American political hoo-haw. You can’t live in the States without hearing about it constantly, especially as we draw closer to another presidential election. Nappy Valley Housewife… in New York offers us her usual brilliant insights to the countdown shenanigans along with the trials of visa renewal.

For many of us the move isn’t a permanent one and when the party’s over and it’s time to pack the boxes up again, give away the house plants and try to coordinate an international move along side the usual long list of daily jobs as a parent, there’s always something you didn’t plan on. For the Stay at Home Babe there was chicken poop.

Now over to you, lets hear about some more brilliant expat posts! Sign up to the linky below…

About Michelle Garrett

Michelle Garrett is the author of The American Resident, where she blogs about making a life overseas, raising a blended family, herding cats, chasing chickens and attempting the Good Life in Essex. Michelle is a freelance writer.

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