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Expat Spouse’s Employability


It is no secret that expat spouses wishing to find a job abroad face numerous obstacles. Aside from the fact that many of them are not granted a working visa or a residency permit with the possibility of being employable, which obviously disqualify them from even starting to look for a job, the ones that

The Holidays from Hell: Expats’ Travel Plans during the Covid Nightmare


Needless to say, the last couple of years have been very unpredictable and challenging due to Covid. Among many restrictions and rules, travel bans have come and go and all the logistics around trip and vacation planning has become stressful and cumbersome, to say the least.   Evidently, this has made traveling very complicated for

The Marriage of Culture and Empathy


Many culture-based misunderstandings, culture shock situations and even social conflicts could be avoided or minimized by the practice of empathy. Easier said than done; but still worth examining.   Empathy is the ability to understand other’s feelings and actions. Empathy, thus, implies being less judgmental and more understandable, being able to “put oneself in someone

The Myth of the Best Expat Destination


Many articles and reports have been written about which are the best expat destinations around the world. When selecting the best cities or countries to live, these studies consider elements such as quality of healthcare system, standard of education, access to basic services, travel/flight connections, safety issues, housing and many others alike. While these remain

The Expat Social Network


Most expats would agree that having a solid social network is crucial to succeed abroad. This is particularly true for expat spouses that, more often than not, are left somewhat alone to figure out how to operate and interact in a foreign environment, where rules and codes are different from the ones at their country

How to Thrive as an Expat Spouse without Children?


While all expat spouses face diverse challenges when moving abroad, those without children encounter particular difficulties that demand an additional effort, and a positive attitude to integrate successfully.   Expat spouses with children tend to receive the support of the, generally international, school their children attend. They normally receive some sort of settling in support,

Developing Culture Awareness Through Food


Gastronomy is not only the art of puting ingredients together for the sake of preparing tasty dishes, but potentially also the manifestation of religious practices, historic/geopolitical events, social preferences and imbedded beliefs. Additionally, the length, the nature (“transactional versus social”) and the motivation of coming together around the table could have a cultural meaning worth

How will Expat Trends Look Like after Covid-19?


The pandemia is having numerous and significant effects on the economic and corporate arena as well as on the personal life of all individuals. Surely, the experiences and adjustments companies and individuals are enduring, will mark future trends and preferences with regards to expatriation and work-related travel.   In the current challenging times, companies have

Culture, Social Distance and the Corona Crisis


In today’s context of the coronavirus global pandemic, social distance has become a major topic as a measure to contain the spread of the virus. Indeed, it has been proved that keeping a distance of two meters or more with other individuals can prevent contagion; something crucial nowadays that a vaccine isn’t yet available.