There’s nothing I can’t stand more than being stuck in the house on a rainy or overcast day as a London expat. It sets the mood for the week on how I feel and how productive I can be (read: not at all). When there’s any excuse to escape and do something out of the routine on a weekday, I’m all about it. A perk about living in a busy part of South London is the plethora of choices for places to eat. I can practically feel like I’m eating…
Despite the occasional occurrence of winter-like weather, the chilly season is behind us expats and Londoners, and it’s time to embrace springtime. With such an abundance of sights and attractions, London is a goldmine for outdoor activities – from bike tours to paintball – the capital is your oyster. While London most definitely has a certain sense of charm during winter, it’s safe to say that the warmth of spring and the opportunity to enjoy London’s diverse outdoor activities is very much welcome. You may prefer to keep it simple…
In 24 hours I was leaving to try skiing for the first time in the Alps. All my gear was in the states and I was woefully unprepared for the conditions that ay head of me in Chamonix, France. Friends in London had told me to go straight to Decathlon – I could find everything from ski jackets and thermals to gloves, hats and even sunblock there. Off I went and for under 100 pounds (crazy!) I had everything I needed for the big winter adventure. My WED’ZE ski jacket…
My awareness of wine is dismal. Although it’s slightly improved over the last decade (mostly because my budget helps me avoid the hooch) I still am stupidly new at various blends and qualities. In fact, last time I was in the Catalonia region of Spain, my then-boyfriend-now-husband and I only visited the Freixenet cava factory. While fun for new fans of the sparkling stuff, we definitely missed out on tons of other amazing wineries. And seven years later, so many more are earning awards, getting organic certified and offering variety throughout…
What the very first thing every expat must handle when they move abroad? Figuring out where the hell to live. I vividly remember the first six weeks my husband and I lived in London. We found an Airbnb to crash at in Battersea that was fine, but the size of a closet. The apartment might as well have been on the moon, because it took forever to acclimate where I was. Who knew what a Battersea was, and why was the walk to Clapham so far? Where’s Big Ben, and…
Something subtle always pushed me into action. Maybe a little pain in my abdomen, a short period of not feeling hungry or maybe just a never ending cold. I’d fly over to Google and start searching what was wrong. Was it cancer?! Oh no, do I have a debilitating thyroid problem? No, it has to be an allergy. A life-threatening allergy that will leave me bedridden in a couple days. I know everyone goes down the internet rabbit hole when it comes to Googling your symptoms sometimes. But when my…
Moving to a giant city was a crazy adjustment. Boston is beautiful, but has a very small-town feel if you ask me – I felt like I knew everything and everything there. London’s neighborhoods are so vast and different, it can get overwhelming at times. In fact, it’s made me appreciate the outdoors a lot more and those moments we get to escape the bustling city life. Sometimes it gets so crazy in London, I’m ready to move off the grid and live a bit simpler. Wouldn’t be great to…
Being proactive about how good your mind and body feels is not a small task. It’s even worse when you’ve maybe let yourself get into a rut and everything seems like an impossible effort. I’m using this wonderful time in the world to best enhance my mental health with endless technological advances. It’s so fun and exciting to discover new ways to nurture my mind with online doctor consults, fitness trackers, light therapy and more. Here’s what has helped me the most lately! Track Your Exercise Efforts The top thing…
The first time I ever left North America was when I was 21-years-old. To some that might sound like I was an old bat before I really was able to see the world, to others maybe a delicious look into traveling while young. About a decade later my country count has grown thirty-fold and I have no plans of stopping anytime soon. I’ve had to hunker down a little to have a little stability in both mind and body, but overall I’m glad that it seems to be possible to…
Almost four years ago I made the big switch. I can’t believe it’s been that long since I started working from home, co-working spaces, coffee shops and friends’ kitchen tables. While I do miss office culture sometimes, the long and short term perks far outweigh the desire to live cube life again for now. I make a living, make my own hours and am able to live in a foreign city in part to my remote career choices. Plus, there’s lot of other great things about working from home you…
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