January Recap & What's to Come

A little start of the year summary and what you can expect from the site and the Substack in February

I dunno about you guys but January felt like an entire year. Sure I didn’t get the same 4 seasons or the long summer days I enjoy so much but to sit here and think that it was just a few weeks ago that we sleepily got off the plane after a few weeks visiting our families? That feels ages ago.

Lucky for me, I’m not nearly as exhausted (but do still carry one of those mysterious white bumps I picked up in the Amazon. My doctor says not to worry and while I did tell her it’s from the jungle, I didn’t mention the monkey).

Anyways, the fog has seemingly lifted but I do feel as though I’m drifting around a bit. I’m honestly feeling a bit stuck when it comes to work and know I don’t want to end this year with 3 jobs like I ended the last one. I’ve been enjoying knitting so much though that I’ve been avoiding any big decisions and instead working on my first ever sweater. The joys of being a grown-up and choosing procrastination!

Luckily, my residency status in Italy isn’t tied to a job or even an income, giving me a lot of freedom of choice. The entire effort to legally stay here lands squarely on my husband’s shoulders and since for so long I was the one with the gig to keep us where we were, I’m happy for him to carry the burden for a bit. He somehow enjoys his job - something I don’t understand but am endlessly grateful for.

For now, I’m giving myself time to relax, create, and hope these work-related decisions will come to me naturally.

Newest Articles on the Site

Anyways, the real reason you’re here! January I published a handful of articles on a variety of countries and topics that I hope you’ll enjoy. Here’s what’s new:

• A Beginner’s Guide to Living in The Hague

• A Beginner’s Guide to Living in Naples, Italy

• How to Move to Costa Rica: The Ultimate Guide

• How to Adapt to Life in Paris: 6 Helpful Tips

• A Guide to Getting Divorced Abroad

If Costa Rica is high on your list, keep in mind that you can use code AWAYABROAD for 5% off any relocation service offered by Start Abroad. (Note they also offer services for Portugal and Panama).

Coming in February

I have a few topics I’d like to write about here on Substack/newsletter about building community abroad, including the expat bubble and what “community” even means.

Any specific questions you might have on this topic or about making friends abroad in general, let me know so I can do my best to cover it throughout the month.

On the website, we have articles about New Zealand, France, Malaysia, Thailand, and therapy in the queue (honestly, my dream month when it comes to diversity of places!).

The New Zealand article and the one on therapy should both go live on Friday.

Until then,

Kat