We hear a lot about repatriation being just as difficult as re-locating in the first place. Usually I wonder how I would fare, moving back to England after twenty six years in the USA, but a comment on a friend’s Facebook page made me wonder what it’s like for Americans moving back to the States … Read more
It’s traveling time for many expats – that means, long journeys to see friends and family, and staying in their houses (possibly sleeping on their floors), sometimes for extended periods of time. Many of us also host friends and family in our current location, which I wrote about back in 2014. This time I’m sharing … Read more
In my last post I discussed how Brits in America often play up their British-ness depending on the circumstances. Most of us have received preferential treatment, or at least a flurry of compliments, purely because we’re British, or British sounding. (“It sounds so much more intelligent when you say it”. “You could read the phone … Read more
I’m reading a rather interesting book at the moment about Brits in America. Called “Accent on Privilege; English Identities and Anglophilia in the U.S.” by Katherine W. Jones, it talks about the privileges white (usually) Brits experience in the USA, often on account of the Anglophilia here. Throughout the book the author interviews a handful … Read more
The other day I read a very sensible post by a seasoned traveler, giving advice on what to take and what to omit when flying long haul. Unfortunately, the first item on the list prompted a response that many of us might have had – “Oh yeah, when travelling on your own maybe”. Let me … Read more
I was lucky enough to spend almost a month in the UK this summer. It was a joy to be back in an English summer garden – nothing beats that smell -and a treat to wander around gleaming grocery aisles, salivating at all the new flavours of Branston pickle, and marveling at the Marmite range. … Read more
A recent article about smart packing got me thinking about my packing list for the annual, month-long trip to the motherland. With weight restrictions these days, any kind of packing requires some forethought but for many expats, staying with family for extended periods of time and often attending a variety of events, throwing items into … Read more
Like many expats, I do a fair bit of traveling but it has never occurred to me to try to look like a native at my destinations. Who am I kidding? With my lily-white skin and fair hair, I stick out like a sore thumb in some countries. I came across this article however, which … Read more
I recently read “Maeve’s Times – In her own words”, selected writings from the late Maeve Binchy’s pieces in the Irish Times. Whether you’re a fan of her novels or not, I recommend this book as it shows what great a journalist she was, writing eloquently on everything from her days as a teacher to … Read more
You’d think with so many people moving around the world, holding citizenship in more than one country and generally being planetary, the countries of origin would come to terms with it all and well, not put so many obstacles in the way. I understand the need to (try to) regulate who comes in, especially if … Read more