"It was 12 years ago when I moved to Mexico, leaving my comfortable, familiar life and community, driving by myself to start a new life in a foreign country. Some sort of bravado or naivete or, as my friends would say later, courage, allowed me to pooh-pooh concerns about all the unknowns- culture, language, customs-and head off nonetheless."And so begins one of the more than two dozen essays in this anthology, written by "regular" women about their "regular" lives and how they decided to change everything and move to Mexico. In simple, engaging words straight from the heart, the contributors to Why We Left share their plans and preparations, hardships and challenges, joys and satisfactions as their journeys to new lives in Mexico unfold.
It's one thing to travel abroad—to stay in charming hotels and deliberate over whether to visit this museum or relax at that café even to head off the beaten track for a glimpse of "real" life—and another thing altogether to move to another country. Expat chronicles the experiences of twenty-two ordinary women living extraordinary lives in outposts as far flung as Borneo, Ukraine, India, Greece, Brazil, China and the Czech Republic. In vivid detail, these writers share how the realities of life abroad match up to the expat fantasy. One woman negotiates the rough courtesies of Serbia, finding lives limned by harshness and an insurmountable spirit. Another is tutored on English manners by an eclectic bunch from Liverpool: "The cardinal sin in America is to be insincere, whereas the cardinal sin in England is to be boring." For some, their new home prompts them to reconnect or confront lost parts of themselves: One woman rediscovers her Judaism—in Japan; another writer's Western outlook is challenged by Javanese mysticism. Many share their own naíve blunders and private confessions: a Thanksgiving dinner that doesn't translate in Paris, a sudden yearning for bad Hollywood films. And all discover that what it means to be "American" is redefined, again and again. taps into the bewilderment, the joys and surprises of life overseas, where the challenges often take unexpected forms and the obstacles overcome are all the more triumphant. Featuring an astonishing range of perspectives, destinations and circumstances, this collection offers a beautiful portrait of expatriate life.
An anthology of personal writings in which twenty-nine women who have lived in Turkey over the last forty years chronicle their experiences and share their impressions of the country.
If you have ever wondered what it is like to live abroad, work abroad or accompany your working partner abroad, this book is for you. If you are already living the expat life but have mixed emotions about settling in, rebuilding your identity, relationship changes, successfully managing your money and career, raising children far from home or repatriating, this book is also for you. In Expat Women: Confessions - 50 Answers to Your Real-Life Questions about Living Abroad, experienced expats Andrea Martins and Victoria Hepworth share a wealth of wisdom and positive tips to motivate you at every stage of your expat journey. They cover popular topics like leaving family back home, transitioning quickly, intercultural relationships, parenting bilingual children and work-life balance. They also address more difficult issues such as expat infidelity, divorce, alcoholism and reverse culture shock. This unique book is the perfect addition to every expat bookshelf. "A must for anyone who is, has been or will be an expat!" Peggy Love, GMS, CERP, President, FIGT (Families in Global Transition)"A terrific book! Real-life examples of the challenges expat women face, with insightful and practical advice, this should be on the must-read list for anyone involved with expatriate administration." Andrea David, Head of Global Mobility, Bloomberg LP"What a great book! For the first time, a real-life manual that will reassure every expat woman that she is not alone in her unspoken feelings and questions. I loved it!"Ruth E. Van Reken, Co-author of Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds"This book is a great resource for all expat women."Leslie Brant Teixeira, Director, U.S. Department of State Family Liaison Office Expat Women: Confessions is a wonderful addition to the literature on the experiences of women during their lives abroad. Andrea and Victoria answer difficult questions with empathy, an upbeat attitude, and wisdom. This is a book that every expat woman should keep at her bedside for the moments that inevitably surface when abroad and even after repatriation. Elizabeth Perelstein, President, School Choice International and named one of Fortune Magazine 's 10 Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs (2010)
The inspiration for Expats, a new series starring Nicole Kidman coming soon to Prime Video. “Devastating and heartwarming, and exquisite in every way, this is a book you’ll fall deeply in love with and never want to put down.” —Kevin Kwan, author of Crazy Rich Asians From the New York Times bestselling author of The Piano Teacher, a searing novel of marriage, motherhood, and the search for connection far from home. In the glittering city of Hong Kong, expats arrive daily for myriad reasons—to find or lose themselves in a foreign place, and to forget or remake themselves far from home. Amidst this hothouse atmosphere, a tragic incident causes three American women’s lives to collide in ways that will rewrite every assumption of their privileged world: Mercy, a young Korean American and recent Columbia graduate, once again finds herself compromised and adrift, trying to start her life anew; Hilary, a wealthy housewife, is haunted by her struggle to have a child, hoping to save her uncertain marriage; meanwhile, Margaret, once the enviable mother of three, tries to negotiate an existence that has become utterly unrecognizable after a catastrophic event. Faced with unthinkable choices, these three women form a profound connection that defies the norms of the sequestered community—finding in each other a strength borne of need, forgiveness, and ultimately hope. Atmospheric and utterly compelling, The Expatriates showcases Lee’s exceptional talent as one of our keenest observers of women’s inner lives.
For years, Singapore with its many opportunities has attracted a large expat population. Some test it out for a few years and then move on, others sink in their roots and immerse themselves in the vibrant mix of local culture. “Dear Ms Expat” is a collection of 10 real-life stories from women who have made tropical Singapore their home. They each left their comfort zone in search of adventure, following a partner or in pursuit of a bright new career for themselves. The tales are as diverse as the women’s backgrounds, with childhood spent either on rolling Australian farms, amidst Swiss mountains, or in small-town America. These women have reinvented themselves to become entrepreneurs, photographers, advocates, writers and leaders. Transplanted to a new environment, they worked hard to better themselves—whether it is for personal fulfilment, for their families, for the expat community, or for womankind at large. This book seeks to inspire and motivate by highlighting the sheer grit, spirit and determination of all the women featured.
Worldly Women shows any woman who has ever considered working abroad how to expatriate successfully and achieve excellence. Learn from those who have seen it, done it, and loved it! At this crucial period, when our workforce is becoming more global, many nations around the world face an imminent workforce shortage, and there is an ever greater demand for more women in leadership roles, Worldly Women demonstrates that expatriate women are the ultimate solution. However, the number of women who fill these roles remains curiously modest due to barriers and complexities that only female expatriates face. This book is based on interviews with 62 Women in Senior-level Expatriate Roles (WiSER) from all corners of the globe who shared their own strategies to overcome these challenges, and succeed, when working abroad. Expatriate experience is no longer a luxury, but a must have--and an experience that you can have. Notably, Worldly Women offers ground breaking information about global leadership behavior that is shared among female expatriate leaders. Developing and reinforcing these behaviors in your professional (and personal) life will give you an edge to success in your expatriate assignment by: Achieving peak performance, Accelerating assimilation into your new environment, Facilitating a smoother transition. Combining many tools and exercises with the expert advice of WiSER, Worldly Women serves as a personal coach to any woman interested in an expatriate assignment. Join the modern day female explorer on a journey to an enriching professional life.
While scholarship on migration has been thriving for decades, little attention has been paid to professionals from Europe and America who move temporarily to destinations beyond ‘the West’. Such migrants are marginalised and depoliticised by debates on immigration policy, and thus there is an urgent need to develop nuanced understanding of these more privileged movements. In many ways, these are the modern-day equivalents of colonial settlers and expatriates, yet the continuities in their migration practices have rarely been considered. The New Expatriates advances our understanding of contemporary mobile professionals by engaging with postcolonial theories of race, culture and identity. The volume brings together authors and research from across a wide range of disciplines, seeking to evaluate the significance of the past in shaping contemporary expatriate mobilities and highlighting postcolonial continuities in relation to people, practices and imaginations. Acknowledging the resonances across a range of geographical sites in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, the chapters consider the particularity of postcolonial contexts, while enabling comparative perspectives. A focus on race and culture is often obscured by assumptions about class, occupation and skill, but this volume explicitly examines the way in which whiteness and imperial relationships continue to shape the migration experiences of Euro-American skilled migrants as they seek out new places to live and work. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies.
Finding love is challenging under the best of circumstances, but the stakes are even higher when you're a young, female expat living in a conflict zone. Little Adventures in Yemen follows the misadventures of a stubborn humanitarian aid worker navigating life and love in Sana'a. From a local boy facing an arranged marriage to a fugitive mercenary posing as a dentist, her romances are doomed from the start, none more so than her love for Yemen, which makes her blind to its growing dangers.
