Everyone should have a chance to live in another country. I'm an American who's lived in five countries and am currently living in France with my lovely French wife. This blog is about finding opportunities abroad and the challenges you'll face.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Why Should You Travel?
I have to confess that I hadn't heard about Rick Steves before now, but I really enjoyed this talk he gave at a TEDx conference (as you may know, TEDx isn't TED and it's been subject to some quality issues).
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
The Four Stages of Expat Life
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Le Dernier Bar avant la Fin du Monde Photo ruthlessly ganked from their site. Used under Fair Use |
I believe (I could be mistaken) that this will be his first expat experience and that got me to thinking about how to be a successful expat. I define "successful" as "an expat who adjusts successfully to his or her new country." To succeed, it helps to know the four stages of being an expat.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Crime in Europe versus the US
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Burglar Relief Williamsburg Savings Bank Tower Photo by wetman |
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Are US renunciations five times higher than reported?
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Image by Chuck Coker |
Monday, March 18, 2013
Germany's Blue Card law is working
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Photo by R/DV/RS |
I can actually think of a few different issues causing the problem. First and foremost, it was reported after the law had been in effect only two months! I'm surprised that a brand new program taking time to get started is actually newsworthy, particularly when you consider that it can take months to find a new employee locally, much less internationally.Note: Apparently that was published in November, about 3 months after the program started.
I thought it was idiocy to complain about a jobs program struggling when the program had been in place less time than it often takes to find a skilled worker. Couple that with reports I was getting about German government offices being confused over the implementation of the law and it was guaranteed that heise.de's reporting was a precipitous.
Friday, March 15, 2013
US expat evacuations: not what people think
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We've turned your country into a parking lot. The least we can do is evacuate you. |
I hear this constantly. It seems like it's the last line of defense for those trying to justify the USA's unique worldwide taxation schema. However, Reddit user prezvdi replied to the above with a stunning response:
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Gay Expats
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I have no idea if these men are gay Photo by Jakkaphan Sanitprem |
Even more interesting is the fact that Perlberg and Storey could have legally married in New York state, but under the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), that marriage could not be used to apply for a visa for Storey.
Monday, March 11, 2013
No, Bill Clinton can't run for the French Presidency
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No, this man cannot become the next president of France. |
And because I was born in Arkansas, which is part of the Louisiana Purchase, any person anywhere in the world that was born in a place that ever was part of the French empire, if you move to — if you live in France for six months and speak French, you can run for president.Bill Clinton said this in 2012, but was unaware that this interesting quirk of French law was eliminated in 2006.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Returning to your home country
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Home, Sweet ... er ... Home Photo by SEIER+SEIER |
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
American firm gets hurt by ignoring Dutch law
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Fire him at your peril. Public Domain |
A perfect example comes from a recent event with a US company in the Netherlands. Though the US firm is unnamed, they had very recently developed a presence in the Netherlands and decided thy were unhappy with the HR manager. So the manager was written up and fired five days later.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Congress Again Gunning for Expats
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US Capitol Building Photo is public domain |
Friday, March 1, 2013
Would you attend a "how to become an expat" seminar?
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Your author speaking at a conference in Germany Photo by Claudio Ramirez |
I've been thinking about this problem and I have an idea of how to solve it. Starting in May, I'm going freelance. I already have a nice contract lined up (and working with some awesome people), but I'll have a bit more flexibility in what I do and that gives me an opportunity.
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