Expat Life
When traveling to the British seaside, especially in unpredictable weather, it’s important to make sure you’ve got the right gear. I’ve put together this Yorkshire Coast packing list for the hiker and the sightseer alike, based on what got me through our recent trip. Martin and I (plus Tucker and Grace, our rescue dogs) just returned from the most amazing holiday to the North Yorkshire Coast. We rented a National Trust dog-friendly cottage near Ravenscar and spent hours upon hours hiking along the Cleveland Way, played on the beach, ate tons of fish…
Moving abroad has given me the joy of discovering some new British clothing brands that I wasn’t exposed to in the states. I’ve always been drawn to classic style – the likes of J.Crew, Ralph Lauren, and Kate Spade (luckily, all three are in the same two blocks on Regent Street, so they’re never too far away). But the Brits have classic style perfected. Think tweed jackets for the country, Breton tops for the seaside, wool sweaters for the winter, and wellies for the rain – all with the tailoring and fit that makes it polished. I’ve…
Maintaining a long distance friendship can be one of the hardest parts about moving away – whether that’s abroad or just an hour down the road! For this week’s blog post, I invited my best friend Audra to join in on the blogging fun and share how we’ve kept our friendship alive over the last fifteen years. Nicole: Welcome Audra! Will you tell the readers a bit about yourself? Audra: Oh I hate this question! It feels like a dating site question. Is that what’s really happening here – you’re setting me up a dating profile disguised…
Today marks the second anniversary of the day we landed in the UK to start our new adventure living abroad. It’s like my own personal New Year’s. You may recall I summarized Year One with “Seven Lessons Learned in a Year Abroad,” so I thought I’d do something similar to mark Year Two. While this one isn’t titled by lessons – instead, I’m using events and occasions – there are hundreds of lessons that presented themselves this year. Let me tell you, I’m in agreement every other expat blog, living abroad changes your world – and your…
It’s been a whole year since I stepped on a one-way flight, shipped my belongings and dogs, and moved my life to the UK. Some moments, it feels like I’ve been here a lifetime; other times, it still feels like I’m finding my way. More often than not, I feel really at peace – with our home, our lifestyle, and the direction we’ve taken our lives. These past few weeks, I’ve been reflecting on where we were just a year ago (thanks, Facebook memories), and it’s been tough to think back on how difficult…
What I love most about September is this feeling of new beginnings. It’s like a second round of New Year’s Resolutions. I’m sure it’s stemmed from all those “beginning of the school year” feelings, where you get to reinvent yourself each year for your new classmates. Moving to a different country has given me many of these same feelings – a new beginning, a fresh start, a slate wiped clean. And yes, I know I’ve been here for 7 months technically, but I suppose I feel like I’m at the point now where it’s…
I’ve been meaning to get my feet back into the music scene for a long time. I joined the church choir back in Carmel, which whet my appetite for being part of a group of like-minded music makers. I was on the verge of auditioning for the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir and Indy Civic’s “The Music Man” when we made the decision to move to England, so that dream never came to fruition. After some research into the local music scene, I decided to audition for the prestigious City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra…
One of the biggest stressors when we relocated to the United Kingdom was figuring out how to move our pets. Grace and Tucker are our two rescue dogs and are basically our children, so there was no chance we could ever leave them behind, and we were diligent in doing our research into how to move both dogs to England. Hopefully our experience can help give you a better idea of the process of moving your pet and what to anticipate before your move. Contact Your Vet If you’re considering moving your pet internationally, I would suggest contacting your…
There is no place more enchanting than a quaint English village. My mom is over from the states to visit, and we were able to get out while the weather was nice this week to explore our village and take a few photos. Our village is dotted with some absolutely beautiful homes, a cricket club, public footpaths, and a 14th century Saxon church. Around every corner is something new to discover, and with just over 1000 people living in the village, it’s the sort of place where you’ll meet a neighbor out in their garden and…
Real talk: Life in England hit its low point this past month. Homesickness gripped me in its vice, and the [insert expletive here] kitchen is still not completed, which is affecting the entire rest of the house – and my peace of mind. “Feeling settled” is definitely not how I would describe my emotional state. Let me back up for a bit. I have never been homesick in my life. I’ve been to stay-away summer camps, been abroad for a month at a time, and even went to university without a stitch of homesickness. I…
