I was inspired by a recent Huffington Post - so much so that I headed over to iStockphoto and Getty Images to see what they had to say about expat life.
Getty images was by far the most prolific in it’s coverage of the subject, going so far was to attach ‘concepts’ to the category,
Relaxation (160) Togetherness (153) Choice (145) Friendship (97) Cool Attitude (59)
all of which seemed positively perky, but with very little resemblance to my own experience of expat life, unless you put the term ‘long-suffering/accident prone/abandoned at moment’s notice/separated by continents and timezones’ in front of the friendship bit, and bear in mind that togetherness is a euphemism for ‘traveling economy’.
So, in place of the Getty Image version of expat life, we have the rather more Gritty Image, Defining Moves version..
Traveling with Children
There is a reason you fly Business Class to your new destination. It’s designed to soften you up.
No matter how happy they are to get on the plane..
Don’t be fooled. Sooner or later, the wheels fall off.
Expat Housing.
You get lured by the dream of bright sunlight, arching ceilings and no dusting.
You spend your entire preview visit searching for the dream house
…only to discover that there’s much more to a home than walls and windows.
Expat Reinvention.
It’s one of the main reasons we do it – to explore new ways of understanding ourselves, our relationships and our world..
Exploring new ways to bond with your children..
the joy of the great outdoors..
embracing the charm of local celebrations..
Or just using the opportunity for a little personal rebranding..
Family Life.
It’s an opportunity for family to draw closer together in mutual love and understanding…
..or maybe not.
To explore the heights….
… and to plumb the depths..
… all the while growing in mutual love, understanding and respect..
Exotic Locations
But it’s not just about the people – the environment you find yourself in has a huge part to play too. It’s all about challenging stereotypes and assumptions..
You leave the cold, bleak, perpetual rain of the Welsh coast..
…to the blistering African sun…
…To the legendary sunshine of California..
But at the end of the day, you learn that home is not just where you lay your hat, it’s where you rest your weary head.
Whether it’s a water bed..
… an air mattress…
Or just right there on the floor with someone you love..
Fabulous post! Thanks for sharing these oh-so-true life moments…
Lovely! Your pictures really do speak a 1000 words!
Rachel, this is again a masterpiece. The pictures are … great!
I LOVE your photos…but you are still guilty of using beautiful people and endearing locations!
Hi Rachel,
I recognise the beach at the end of the nice walk through Bosherston Ponds; great collection.
For some rather interesting *old* pictures, you may want to have a look at
http://www.shorpy.com/
Best regards,
Evan
These are soooo lovely…