In 2012 my husband, David, and I divulged to our friends that we were relocating from the UK to Hong Kong. The riposte from one of my cousins etched itself uncomforably into my mind. "You'll fit perfectly into the expat lifestyle", she said. The inference, that I was a 'seasoned lush', jarred. However, despite feeling judged, I knew she was probably right. My husband and I were party people, who rarely survived a weekend without an accompanying hangover and we were more often than not, the last ones to leave any party...
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Returning from foreign holidays or watching TV's 'A Place in the Sun', who hasn't dreamt of moving abroad to settle in paradise? Be careful what you wish for...
Nine women share the emotional and practical realities of life away from 'home'.
Grief, loneliness, Brexit, motherhood, identity, belonging, rootlessness, drinking culture and integration are just some of the issues tackled in a series of powerful stories written by nine women on the challenges of expat life. In one of the first books of its kind, these women reveal some of the emotional upheavals and struggles that go hand-in-hand with moving away from their native ‘home’, which have, until now, remained largely untold.
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I suspect that at some point in our lives most of us have toyed with the idea of moving somewhere warm and sunny. If it is something that you are considering you might well want to read this book first.
It is a collection of nine essays written by women who have done just that, and it makes for insightful reading. Each section tells of the experience of these individual women and is followed by their reflections, as well as a commentary by psychologist, Leigh Matthews.
It is not designed to deter anyone from following this dream, but it highlights the drama, culture shock and loneliness that can exist following a move to another part of the world. It showcases the courage, honesty and resilience needed to move abroad and it was inspiring to read how each of these women dealt with the challenges accompanying such a move.
The editor, Carrie Frais, writes of her experiences as an expat living in Barcelona, Spain. She provides her personal account of grieving her parents from a distance. Adrienne Walder writes of how she dealt with the drinking culture surrounding expats in Hong Kong and Avivit Delgoshen tells of how she dealt with pregnancy, childbirth and the lack of familial support when she had her four children during the period when she moved from Israel to London via spells in Belgium and France. These are just a few of the inspiring accounts contained in this short book.
Personally, I am far too much of a home bird to have ever seriously considered such a move. However, it was extremely interesting to read of the experiences of this group of women who Carrie Frais has brought together within the pages of this book.
ISBN: 978 1838174675
Publisher: Springtime Books
Formats: e-book and paperback
No. of Pages: 202 (paperback)
Carrie is a British born TV & radio journalist, podcaster, events host, moderator. writer, blogger, content creator and entrepreneur based in Barcelona and London. During her time working for some of the world’s leading broadcasters she has covered a number of major global news and sports events.
(book courtesy of the publicist)
(all opinions are my own)
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