Rügen: Drifting in Search of the German Soul

Just off Deutschland’s scenic northern coast is a little resort island where people go to sunbathe on sandy Baltic beaches. It’s also where the Nazis used tourism to seduce the masses and individuals used naturism to free the mind
expat life

Seen Them, Been Them: The 11 Types of Expat

People move abroad for many different reasons. But if you tally them up, you’ll find they generally fall into pretty distinctive categories. The same is true for the way they react to their host culture. Some l...
Bank Accounts Abroad

The Expat’s Guide to Opening a Bank Account Abroad

The last time I opened a bank account in Canada, it took me 15 or 20 minutes. I just walked in off the street on an impulse and filled in an application. I only had to show them my driver’s license as proof of ...
Family Travel

Forget Your Excuses and Go Travel

Do you say you want to travel or live abroad, but when asked why you don’t get started, you find yourself reciting a long list of reasons to prove it’s impossible? You’re not alone. It’s easy to dream big...
expat lifestyle

How to Fund Your Expat Life

So you want to be an expat: travel the world, find new friends, immerse yourself in a foreign language. But how can you actually make a living? One of the biggest challenges when it comes to expat living is ...

Why Do You Want to Live Abroad?

Making a new life on foreign shores is the dream of many. But what happens when you try to make the dream a reality? It seems glamorous, but it can be very hard work. A lot of folks talk about running away t...

How to Deal With Reverse Culture Shock

I’ve never experienced much culture shock when moving abroad. I moved to Tokyo on a couple weeks notice, with just a backpack and a bag full of books. And I went from living in a house to a tiny apartment wher...

What Was Your Most Memorable Expat New Year’s Eve?

You know the drill… The token bottle—or glass—of champagne. Flipping channels and watching other people have fun. Hearing fireworks go off in the distance, and distant voices raised in mirth. And then shuff...
expat christmas lonely

How to Get Through Christmas Far From Home

Christmas can be a lonely time for the expat abroad—especially if they're living where people don't celebrate the holiday at all.  The trade-off to relocating more than a short domestic flight away is that you...