Dream Save Do – How to Save Money to Live Your Dreams

Dream Save Do

We all have dreams. Some of us want to travel the world. Some of us want to go back to school. Others among us want to start our own businesses or turn one of our passions into a career. But how many of us actually go after our dreams?

We make excuses to put our dreams on hold. We don’t have the time, the willpower, the skills and, most of all, the money.

But a new book launched by our friends at Married with Luggage can give you the push you need. After reading Dream Save Do: An Action Plan for Dreamers you’ll be inspired to go after your dreams and you’ll have the tools to attain them.

Life as a Trailing Spouse – The First Six Months | Flashback

Life as a trailing spouse can be a lonely road

After six years in Belgium, I’m still surprised when people refer to me as an ‘expert’ on expat life. It may seem like I have this trailing-spouse thing all figured out. But, I promise you, that wasn’t always the case. I found my first years here very difficult, especially the first six months. When I chat with new expats in Belgium, I can’t help but remember all the stress and depression I went through. Though I tried my best to hide it, it was certainly I challenge I had to overcome.

This Flashback post isn’t a bunch of tips on how to get through it, nor will it solve any of your problems. What I do hope it will do, is show you that even if a trailing partner looks like she has it all together now, chances are she struggled in the beginning too. I hope it will show you there is a light at the end of the tunnel if you just hang in there.

Conquering Babel Helps Expats Learn a New Language

Brussels Expat, Claire Handscombe

One of the most important steps, an expat can take towards integrating into their new home country, is learning the local language. Learning a new language can be a daunting task, but one expat in Brussels is here to help. Claire Handscombe is a private language tutor who has recently published an ebook on how to learn a new language, called Conquering Babel.

We took some time to read through Claire’s book and found it practical and inspiring. We asked her a few questions about her expat experience here in Belgium and her new ebook.

10 Tips for Successful Expat Living | Flashback

Expat life means big changes.

This week I had the pleasure of meeting a lovely new expat in Brussels. It reminded me of our early days here and all of the challenges we need to overcome as expats. As I was giving her some advice, for her new expat life, I thought it would be worth sharing this post again. It’s 5 years old, but all of the advice still holds true.

7 Reasons Expat Life Sucks

Expat life can be lonely (Photo via istock)

I often get emails from people considering becoming expats. I try to present both the good and bad sides of expat life, for a balanced view of what they can expect. Here on CheeseWeb, you will usually find a positive view of expatriation, because for me, the benefits of living life abroad far outweigh the negatives.

Working in Belgium – Contractors vs Employees

Contractors VS Employees in Belgium

Over our past six years in Belgium, I haven’t written a lot about my working experience. Recently, a friend encouraged me to share my experiences, to benefit future expats or companies looking to move into the Belgian market. Please keep in mind my perspective is one of a North American working in Belgium and, more broadly, Europe. My opinions do not reflect those of my employers.

There are a lot of contractors in Belgium. This was one of the first things that struck me when I began working in the Belgian office of my previous employer. In fact, the entire Belgian organization was made up of contractors, including the management team.

Finding Yourself as a Trailing Spouse: What to do When You Can’t Work

Being a trailing spouse can be a lonely road

Landing in a new country as an expat can be challenging enough. You need to deal with paperwork, making new friends, learning new customs and often a new language. But what do you do when you have to re-define your whole identity? If you’re a trailing spouse, this could very well be your new reality.

In Western society, we often tie our identity to our job. One of the first questions people ask when they meet is “so what do you do?” This roughly translates as “what box can I put you in, so I can make all sorts of unfounded assumptions about who you are.” Like it or not, our sense of self is often inextricably tied to our job. So what happens when we can’t work?

India – A story of Obsession and Fear

This entry is part 1 of 10 in the series Incredible India

Taj Mahal, Agra, India – Forgotten Postcard

I’ve been obsessed with India for as long as I can remember. Whenever I’m asked where I want to travel, my immediate response is always ‘everywhere.’ When pressed to choose my top destination however, India is always number one on my list. Two days ago, I found out my dream of visiting India will come true in March. I have never been more excited – or terrified.

Home Sweet Home | Flashback

This entry is part 5 of 4 in the series Atlantic Canada

Canada will always be home.

Lately I’ve noticed some of my fellow expat bloggers writing about confusion over their sense of Home. Home becomes a difficult thing to define when you live abroad, especially if you’ve had more than one expat assignment. Expats often feel caught between two (or more worlds) but never completely a part of either of them.

Way back in 2005, I wrote a post about my own struggles to define home. Sinec then, I’ve come to realise being caught between cultures is not all bad. In fact, it can be really nice to experience a feeling of home-coming in so many different places.

I’ve been thinking about the word ‘home’ this week because I am going ‘home’ — home to Canada for a holiday.

Articles About Expat Life (Page 7)