Category: New Expat experience
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New beginnings
Every September feels like a fresh start for me as well as for my kids. We’re all turning over a new leaf, putting summer in the rearview mirror and focusing on the push to learn something before the holidays come. As with many (most?) new expats here in Ireland, I’m currently in school too, but…
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First impressions of Ireland
Today the sun is shining, a gorgeous, mostly blue-sky day. The leaves are on the trees and spring feels like a real season here in Dublin. Weather on the surface seems like a secondary concern for any given place, but at times it can feel like the most important thing in the whole wide world.…
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Making friends, saying goodbye
This post originally appeared on Shanghai Mamas. Spring. The dreaded time of year in Shanghai when we tally up all the friends who have just told us they are leaving as soon as school lets out. And every year it seems like a bigger number than the year before. Friendships here are often much more…
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Abroad in Australia
I started this blog to talk to moms in Shanghai who are in a similar situation as me—away from family and friends, potentially for the first time, and trying to figure out how to make a life for themselves in a totally foreign land. After a year and a half meeting friends from all over…
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Saving “mianzi”
When I first moved to Shanghai, I was so excited to be connected with a woman around my age and in my neighborhood who could introduce me to Shanghai. We’ll call her Alexa. Alexa was bubbly, always ready to offer tips on places to buy food, take the kids to play, and where to go…
An Ocean Away 