living overseas

On Moving to Bangkok and Gripping the Second Trapeze

- Amy 2 Comments
Bangkok skyline from rooftop gardens

I moved to Bangkok.

Forgive me for the blunt delivery, but when I came to write this post I wasn’t sure what I want to say about it. I didn’t want to say, “Look at me and my jet-set lifestyle – I just casually moved to Bangkok!” because there’s been a complex backstory to get me here.

I didn’t want this to be “Everything’s fine now, I’m back in Asia!” because as I’ve learned the hard way this past year, packing up your life and moving to the other side of the world doesn’t solve your problems, no matter how much travel inspires you.

And finally, I didn’t want to say, “By the way, I just moved to Bangkok NBD” because it is a big deal for me. I’m working as a content writer for a sustainable travel company in one of the coolest cities in the world (no humblebrag intended). It’s a big change and finally – F I N A L L Y – one that feels good and has come about for the right reasons. Read more

What is an Expat? & Other Thoughts on Living Overseas

- Amy 20 Comments
Junk boat

In a strange turn of events that involved an exchange with a friend of a friend, this week I was a guest on Keith Petit’s Expatriate Act podcast. (Sorry, Keith, I mean internet-based-radio-show!). This somehow turned into a two-hour discussion over Skype on what it means to be an expat and the weird and wonderful experience that is living overseas.

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How I Make Friends in a New City (UK & Other Countries)

- Amy 33 Comments
polaroid photo of three friends in Hollywood

Updated May 2024

Making friends in a new place is always hard, whether it’s in the next town over or in a new country. I’ve moved around a lot, but I’ve found the key thing when it comes to how to make friends in a new city is perseverance.

You don’t need to be a social butterfly, you don’t need to know the local language and there is no magical secret to getting people to like you. You just need to persevere and hold strong to the fact that you will find your people.

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What We Learnt From Living Abroad

- Amy 8 Comments
Friends at the Trevi Fountain in Rome

Don’t get me wrong, I love to travel. I love to go on holiday and lie on a beach somewhere, I love to go backpacking on a shoestring budget and I love playing the tourist both at home and abroad. But, it’s all a whole other kettle of fish when you’re actually living abroad.

The lessons you learn about life, about the world and most significantly about yourself, are invaluable. You don’t just visit a place and learn about it; you become part of it. To better explain how living abroad changes and challenges you, I asked a couple of fellow travel bloggers what living abroad taught them.

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Why Moving Back to the UK is Harder Than Moving Away

- Amy 9 Comments
Moving back to the UK Cover

Yep, I’ve turned into that girl who starts all her sentences with, ‘When I lived in Hong Kong…’ My room is filled with knick-knacks from places I can’t pronounce. I can give advice on jet lag, fear of flying, travelling with only a carry-on and finding cheap flights online. I can speak in different tongues. If you know me, you’re probably bored of my travel anecdotes.

If you don’t know me, I should prefix this post by stating that, up until three months ago, I lived overseas. I spent five years in Hong Kong, with a few intervals in Italy (because I like to be complicated like that). I never planned to leave the UK or become an expat, especially for so long, but it just kind of happened. Read more

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