Another year is coming to an end, so it’s the perfect time for some new year’s resolutions. Let me just say; I’m not a massive fan of resolutions because I’m not very good at sticking to them. Come the middle of January and all the plans for losing weight or whatever resolutions I made, are long forgotten. I guess I’m just not taking them too seriously. If I feel motivated to a change in my life, or improve on something, I like to do it there and then, not wait till 1st of January. Saying that, I’ve come up with these new year’s resolutions for all mums who live abroad. Because life in a different country comes with some unique challenges, so I’m hoping you can improve your day to day expat experience with these small but powerful changes. Happy new year to all of you! Visit home as much…
Becoming a parent abroad has many challenges. One of them is deciding what language you want your child to learn. Do you teach them the community language only or do you introduce your mother tongue as well? Decisions, decisions. A dilemma every parent faces when they decide to start a family abroad. For us, it was a no-brainer. We want our Little E to speak our native languages as well as English. That is Slovak, Albanian and because we live in the UK, English. But that’s when the fun starts. Raising multilingual kids isn’t an easy task. It all sounds great. Multilingualism has some great benefits for your child. But don’t take my word for it, I’m not an expert on the subject. There are, however, many studies and researchers found that bilingualism or multilingualism helps children better understand other people’s perspectives, which results in better natural communication skills. Another study also…
Christmas preparations are in full swing. People start to decorate their homes, buy gifts for loved ones, organise Christmas parties. Everyone is getting into the festive spirit in one way or another. But this time of the year can be bittersweet when you live abroad and you are spending Christmas away from family. This festive season is all about quality time with your loved ones, so homesickness strikes even more than usual during Christmas period. You watch everyone around you enjoying that precious time with their families and you can’t help it but feel a bit envious at times. During twelve years of living in the UK, I spent Christmas away from home quite a few times. Some of them with friends, some with my boyfriend, while others I just worked all the way through. Now, that we have a daughter, I think it’s safe to say that she is our…
Christmas in Slovakia is a lot different than Christmas in the UK. Understandably, there are various traditions and customs, food, but it doesn’t just end there. We get presents earlier, and who knows, you may even find yourself swimming in a bathtub with a real fish. But before we get to that, let’s start from the beginning. What are Slovak Christmas traditions? How exactly do Slovaks celebrate this festive season? Typically, people start to get into the festive spirit during Advent, which begins on Sunday four weeks before Christmas. During this time, people prepare themselves for the birth of Jesus. In most Slovak households, Christmas is celebrated in a Catholic way. Christmas wreath becomes an essential part of many homes as soon as the Advent starts. It’s decorated with four candles, and each Sunday during Advent one more candle is lit. People start to thoroughly clean their homes, buy the presents,…
Planning a move to the UK or just want to find out more about the country? There are certain things about Britain you won’t necessarily know about until you move here. So, after living here for over a decade, I’ve learned a thing or two about British culture and way of life, Here are some fun facts about Britain you should know about, so you can fully embrace the new culture and all its little quirks. Tea is a way of life, no kidding British people love to drink tea. All the time. And it’s not just any tea you will know from your home country. Tea in Britain comes with milk. Yes, milk. To the rest of the world that might be an unusual combination, but after a while of living here, you too will start to enjoy drinking your tea with milk. Trying new things when you live…
My recent almost a month-long holiday to Slovakia went rather quickly. So, it’s back to the UK now. I could say that after twelve years of living here, it’s like my second home now, but there are still and always will be many things I miss about my home country. And I’m not talking about family and friends. That’s obvious. As is the food or the stunning nature you can experience in Slovakia. I have previously written a post about the things I love about my home, which you can read here. But today I’m talking about some less common, less obvious, somewhat unexpected and weird stuff that I really miss from home sometimes. What are they? Stay tuned to find out. My parents’ home village They both come from the same village, called Osturňa, where people still live in the original village development. Consisting of wooden houses (farmyards), with the…
It’s my daughter’s fourth visit to my home country Slovakia in her short sixteen months of life. And each time we visit, everything is new to her. The people, the surroundings. Of course, at her young age, she doesn’t remember she’s been here only a few months earlier. Everytime we come, it takes her a little while to adapt completely to her new environment and all the ‘new’ people around. But luckily, she adapts quiet well and loves to be around others. Before long she is only too happy to be the centre of the attention. Having a family in a different country is not easy. But I have to say that before I had my baby, things were a lot simpler. Easier to handle in a way. This changed with the arrival of our baby. Now there is one set of grandparents in Slovakia, another grandma in Albania. Her…
It’s that time again. Time to visit my family in Slovakia in a couple of days. It feels great, yet at the same time, it feels a bit strange at times. It’s familiar, yet at the same time, everything just seems so different. My emotions when I go home are somewhat mixed. There are the feelings of happiness, anticipation, and the excitement of counting down the days left till I see my family. But there is also confusion and shock, and I’m feeling a bit nostalgic when I see them when I’m back to where I grew up. Why do I feel that way? It’s my home after all. But then, I’ve got a home in the UK as well. Twelve years since I left the comfort of my home is a long time, and although I regularly visit, at least a couple of times a year, life goes on, for…
Having your family nearby when you become a parent is invaluable. Unfortunately, that’s not always possible. There are many parents around the globe, who are doing all this parenting gig solo, without the support of grandparents or other family members. When I moved to the UK all those years ago, I loved my new found independence. After some troubles at the beginning, it was good. Of course, I was missing my home, but I eventually adapted to the life in my new destination and enjoyed it, for the most part. Things changed when I became a mum. I realised how different my baby’s childhood would be to my own childhood. I come from a large family and every holiday, and many weekends we spent visiting cousins, uncles, aunties or grandparents. Or they would come over to our house. My daughter will sadly not experience these family gatherings very often as both…
What’s the truth about living abroad? After spending more than a third of my life abroad, I’ve learned a thing or two about what it’s really like to live internationally. Here are my thoughts, from A – Z, in case you are about to make that leap. A is for Adventure – because life abroad is one big adventure. Ha. Don’t get fooled. Reality couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s not quite the fairytale many people think it is. Yes, you get a lot out of it, probably some adventures along the way too, but more often than not, it’s also a struggle, a sacrifice and a constant learning curve. B is for being Bilingual – because when you move abroad, you are likely to become bilingual. Speaking another language will be a huge part of your new life. If you don’t speak the language of your new destination, make it…