As True as Taxes Is

“It was as true as taxes is. And nothing’s truer than them.” Or so a character in Charles Dickens’ popular classic David Copperfield claims. Taxation is certainly unavoidable in many a country, and doing your taxes, at home as well as abroad, is often associated with the current season. In various places, income tax returns [...]

Re-Thinking Reinvention as a Trailing Spouse

This week, our new guestblogger Leabiloe muses upon her need for reinvention during her years as an expat spouse. Leabiloe is a blogger and freelance writer, who writes about expat life, food, and books. Her blog AFRICAN wanderlust chronicles her musings on expat living. Originally from Lesotho, she has made South Africa her home; she [...]

What Robinson Crusoe Has to Tell Us about Expat Life

As our guest blogger Simon reads Robinson Crusoe for the first time, he draws some interesting parallels to expat life… Imagine how Robinson Crusoe felt when he woke up to his first full day marooned on a desert island. Everything is uncertain, you are huddled in the mist of your few most treasured possessions and [...]

„Are We There Yet?“

Many expats with families of their own will have heard this question during the recent holiday season. Christmas and/or the New Year are a popular time for expatriates to visit relatives and friends back home. However, long-distance travel with children adds a few more stressors to last-minute packing and jetlag. Here are some tried and [...]

From Expat in Asia to Entrepreneur for Expats

InterNations expat guestblogger Brynne explains why and how she came to establish her own relocation company. My expat journey has taken me from Hong Kong to India to London and beyond. In the process, I have danced tango in Delhi, gained a love of Chinese pop art, and embarrassingly mistaken a British royal for a [...]

Got the Winter Blues?

The days are getting darker, and temperatures are dropping fast, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. It was only yesterday that the staff of the Munich-based InterNations headquarters showed up to work all bundled up in woolen scarves and sweaters. The first snowfall had taken everyone by surprise, with winter arriving as early in southern [...]

Five Ways to Water Where You Are

InterNations member Juanita Kwarteng, the creator of 1000culturalencounters.com, has written this splendid article on how important it is for expats and global nomads to not lose sight of what’s right in front of us and to make the most of where we are. Enjoy! I saw this quote recently: “The grass isn’t greener on the [...]

To Vote Or Not to Vote – Expats and the US Presidential Election

When new governments are elected, the international community often keeps a close watch. On 6 November 2012, the world will look to the United States of America, waiting for the results of the US Presidential Election. The outcome will not only decide the course of national politics for the next 4 years, but it can [...]

A Toast to Public Speaking – for Expats and Locals Around the World

English-speaking expats often benefit from a vast array of professional services and leisure activities catering to their needs: From English-speaking counselling services to English amateur choirs or theatre groups, there is a lot on offer. As for most leisure activities which do not require particularly high language skills, there is an irrefutable argument for simply [...]

Stop Searching for the Silver Bullet – Language Learning for Expats

Learning the local language when living abroad as an expat is one of the most important steps on our way to a fulfilled expat existence, says InterNations member Aaron. And if you follow Aaron’s tips for everyday language learners, it’s not nearly as daunting an undertaking as you may think… Learning the language of the [...]