Expat of the month

Originally from Ecuador, Andrea is a mom and lawyer who has been living in the Netherlands for nine years now. After the country introduced a travel ban for family members from outside the European Union, she started a campaign for helping expat children in the Netherlands reunite with their parents and grandparents. But in May 2021, the government finally lifted this entry ban under certain conditions. Andrea talks to Expat.com about the impact of this campaign and expat children's rights in the Netherlands.

It's been more than a decade since Marcie, a US expat, has been following her spouse around the world for his career. The COVID-19 pandemic has got her stuck in California as her husband prepares for a solo move to Shanghai. Marcie talks to us about her adventures around the world and a book she recently wrote about marriage and compromise for trailing spouses.

It's been more than a decade since Laura, who is of Spanish origin, relocated abroad. She currently lives in Australia, a country she fell in love with during a trip from New Zealand. Today, Laura is a Purpose Coach & Expat Mentor in Sydney. She talks to us about her new expats adventure amid the pandemic.

Originally from Spain with German roots, Anja has been travelling since her early childhood. Growing up in Kenya, she studied in the UK before relocating to Chile, a country she had good memories from. Today, Anja von Dessauer is an Expat Life and Mindset Coach. She talks to us about culture shock and the challenges of making a new country your home.

Navine Eldesouki is the amazing soul behind Coffee with Expat Women, a group providing support to expat women around the world. As an expat woman who built her life and family in different countries, leaving Australia at the age of 20, she is more than aware of the challenges faced by expat women around the world. So she decided to create a space where they can express themselves, share experiences, and get support and advice. 

Marina is an adventurous expat from Russia. Mum of two bi-cultural children, she has travelled and lived in many countries before relocating to French Guiana in January 2021, amid the pandemic. She talks to us about her quest for a better life for her family and herself.

Originally from Russia, Pyotr has been travelling the world since he was a baby. Today, he lives in the US after visiting some 80 countries around the world. What's special about Pyotr is his concept of sustainable living as an expat.

Candice Smith is originally from Ohio, in the US. Her journey as an expat started at a very young age. Since then, she has been travelling the world, exploring cultures and learning languages. Today, she lives in Istanbul with her mum and daughter, with a rich career as an entrepreneur and beauty professional. She is also the author of two published books "The Black Girl's Guide to Being Blissfully Feminine" and "A Girl's Guide to Being A Lady in Waiting". Meet this passionate and determined Afro-American expat woman.

It was a rather unfortunate turn of events that pushed Vernon and his wife, both American citizens, to move to Belize in 2001. But it was never a decision that they regretted. In fact, the couple put their time, knowledge and resources into helping others build a better life for themselves. First with inmates at the Belize Central prison and today with blind, unemployed young people in Panama. Here is his story.

Chelsea has been living in London for just over a year now but she has been dreaming about this life since she was a little girl. Europe has always been Chelsea's place to be. Our American girl documents her life abroad on her blog The Portable Wife.

The blogger behind Taiwan Foreigner initially left the USA for a semester abroad. It has been over a year and he is not planning on going back soon. The young Jacob fell in love with life in Taiwan and shares his love for the country on his blog.

Mariam Navaid Ottimofiore became an expatriate at just two months old. This economist turned expat writer is now inspiring others while raising two multicultural and multilingual kids...

Last month, Katariina celebrated the first anniversary of her baby, her blog- Kata Writes! A blog about taco diapering, drinking real Tequila for the first time and all sorts of anecdotes about a Finn in Mexico... (there are many!)

Today, Maya, an LA girl, is living with her husband in Singapore and expecting her first child. But Maya has not always had a companion on her Expat adventures. Indeed, a few years ago, right after college, young Maya left the US to teach in the Philippines, satisfying an urge to live abroad she's always had. In an interview to Expat.com, Maya tells us all about her expat adventures and her blog Maya the Explorer.

Behind the blog Londoner in Sydney, is Annabel Symonds. Seven years ago, travel enthusiast Annabel followed the love of her life to Sydney. Since then, the pair have travelled the world, taken Londoner in Sydney to new heights and attempted to move back to England. Annabel's blog has been featured in the Top 25 Expat blogs in the World by Feedspot and Top 10 Australia Expat blog by International Money Transfers. She tells us all about her thrilling expat life in the Land Down Under!

Living abroad does not necessarily mean that one is no longer attached to their home country; quite the contrary. For instance, the Dutch living outside the Netherlands just voted for their first electoral college. Many expatriates worldwide are more than willing to voice out their choices, and governments are themselves well aware of the weight of their overseas constituencies in various elections. But how do expatriates vote from abroad? Electronic voting remains a crucial issue.

The tragedy that recently struck Turkey and Syria is a stark reminder of how some locations lie within the planet's most active seismic and dangerous zones. While the odds of finding survivors are getting slimmer as the days go by, the task of reconstruction seems insurmountable at all levels. So what should you consider as an expat in an earthquake-prone country? Should you move there at all?

After multiple years in a country, expats might wish to acquire local citizenship. They might feel that this country is now as much of their home as their birth one. They might want to buy property more easily, vote or even run in local elections, and enjoy the privileges of the local passport. How long does it take to get naturalized in popular expat destinations, and what are the conditions to be met? In most countries, it takes 5 years of continuous residence to apply for citizenship.