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,…
Practical Trans Siberian Tips
I had never dreamed of this trip, wasn’t even considering it when I first moved to Moscow, but a few months in the seeds had been planted — sliding through Russia on the Trans Siberian train, one…
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 Plan an International Family Vacation
After about a year of living in Ukraine I found myself as the tour director for a very small, very specific group of visitors — my family. I’m not even sure how the idea got started, considering…
Amy, Эми, Amychka
I had already crossed an ocean and taken a five day Midwest road trip spending a full forty hours in the car, and here I was trundling down on a slowly overheating bus to spend the last…
Is It Safe to Travel Dagestan? Or Stupid?
Every time I told a new person that I planned to travel Dagestan during our school holidays, I had to digest their expression and ask myself, again, “What’s the difference between being stupid and being brave?” It…
The Only Thing I’ve Learned This Year
It’s my expat anniversary! Three years ago, I boarded a plane headed for Tokyo, where I’d spend a night before going on to Singapore. I don’t remember which airline I flew, though it was definitely not United…
What Happened in Tbilisi
You know how when you show up in a new place, with no friends, no job, no place to stay, you have the chance to reinvent yourself entirely? No one knows anything about you – this is…
My Weird Reverse Culture Shock After Ukraine
It’s been a long time since I’ve chilled out in the US. In the last two years, I’ve only spent about a week back home. So when I packed up my life in Ukraine and prepared for…
5 Things to Know Before Teaching English Abroad
Oh man, the dreams we have before embarking on expat life, the ideas we have before teaching English abroad! Visions of motivated students delighted with every inspired lesson, eager to listen to the wisdom you drop. Relaxing sunset…
