Honest expat interview

I wrote this interview last year in November. It’s interesting to read it again as I hit the ‘7 months till I go home mark’.

Some of the things that stand out to me about how my interviews have become more honest are comments such as:

‘I like to think that when I go to a place I go and fully integrate, make a difference, shape things, and in return that place and those people will make a difference to me and help shape me as a person.’

‘The little things like that sometimes do more for your expat life than the big things.’

‘The schooling, mentality and approach to children and behaviour is very different in the USA from the UK, and it’s the one thing that I’ve really had to get my head around for my son’s sake.’

Life in the USA

‘Columbia, Maryland, USA…….it’s suburbia gone mad in Columbia! It really is Desperate Housewife country (on the East Coast).’

‘I do hate the East Coast winters though! Oh my, the bitter wind and the snow days! Argh, they drive me insane!’ (Feeling that now!)

‘I despise that title ‘trailing spouse’, though! It sounds to archaic, like we’re just moping around the house, busy doing nothing, waiting for our husbands to come home and eat the supper we took three hours cooking them whilst they drank port and had cigars in the office and the tennis club.’

Is this the real expat life?!

‘It’s been a joy to be accepted into the community here. I wanted my expat life to be more than creating a Little Britain in the USA, doing the school run, going to coffee mornings, listening to women talk about where they shop for groceries and when they intend to steam clean their sofas.’

Enjoy! (And if they haven’t tidied up the typos yet, have fun spotting them! 😉 )