• 27 Lessons from a 5 Year Expat

    Five years an expat! A milestone, perhaps. The sapphire anniversary. A longer commitment than any job, city, or relationship has ever gotten out of me. And yet it feels…. Normal. Perhaps that’s what I should have expected,…

  • Please, DON’T Teach English to Travel

    US and British citizens, this is mostly for you. I know that you’re bored at home, you’re looking for adventure, and you’re trying to figure out how to use the skills you already have to ditch your…

  • Kyiv Expat Life: April 2020 Round Up

    Canceled plans. That was the theme of April in Kyiv. No more IATEFL Ukraine, where I was going to get listed on the same program as Scott Thornbury. Goodbye to that long-awaited visit to Minsk. So much…

  • Moving Back to Kyiv. Again.

    I know they say be careful what you wish for, but it wasn’t like I wished to be back here. I just made a joke, that’s all.  It wasn’t even a particularly good one. About a year…

  • My Lost Year as a Moscow Expat

    I think a lot about the ‘right way’ to be an expat. If I were to construct the picture of a ‘good expat,’ they would be someone who speaks the language, has relationships with local businesses, gets…

  • How to Choose Your Next Expat Home

    The snow pants were presenting a problem. As was my Little Red Riding Hood pea coat, my cozy and fluffy sweater shawl, and my snow boots. Leaving Kyiv and moving to Tbilisi in the middle of winter meant…