Expatriate Lifestyle & Global Nomads

Introduction

Are you interesting in living and working abroad?  In employment, either operating a business or finding a job overseas?  This is the page for you.  We tell some of our personal experiences and provide links to other expat life articles and websites.  We have been collecting this international travel information for many years. 

I saved this cartoon from our local newspaper in 1995, the year we chose rural Ireland over about to boom Washington County, Oregon.  At the time it was an easy decision for us, but life is never easy which ever road you choose.

You are not alone

Earth has always seen people migrating for a better life elsewhere and every nation has people immigrating and emigrating--I still don't know which is which.  In modern mythology the USA has been the land of of golden opportunity.  But in recent years that tide is turning.  The US State Department estimates in 2011 that  6.3 million citizens are studying or working abroad--more than ever before.  Marketing consultants America Wave have run annual surveys and stated the percentage of Americans aged 25 to 34 actively planning to relocate outside the U.S. has increased from less than 1 percent to 5.1 percent in just the last two years.

Our Experience

Ireland

We, Michael and Karin, began our international living and working in 1996.  After raising our family, selling our home and closing down a real estate business we relocated to Ireland from Portland, Oregon.  We invested our meager assets in a 200+ year old stone building in the small West Cork tourist village of Ballydehob. For five years we operated a Mom & Pop general store and lived above the shop.  The shop was only closed two days a year but we took time off every Thursday to explore every road we could reach that day.  We also made every excuse possible to justify touring all of Ireland "on business".

Greece

Then economic forces caused us to sell the property.  So we escaped the Irish mist to the sun of Greece for one summer.  Back in Ireland for the winter we thought of our Paros island paradise and began looking for expatriate employment there.  We managed to lease a small hotel which provided a job and a two room apartment but no profit.  So after a few years of the same situation we decided we loved the expatriate lifestyle but not making beds and cleaning toilets.  We retired to a beach house in the fishing village of Aliki and became internet entrepreneurs.

Prague

Since winters on a small Greek island tend to be quite quiet we usually travel elsewhere for a few months.  We try to alternate between visiting family and friends in the USA and somewhere new.  However, since our first visit to Prague, Czech Republic for Christmas 2008 we have not been able to get enough of that fabulous city.  Read about our three months in 2009/2010 at CzechMates.  In October 2011 we are returning to the same apartment for at least six months.  We love Prague!

Prague is also a great base for exploring central Europe.  We have taken side trips to Berlin, Vienna, Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia and small towns in Poland and the Czech Republic.  Check out are photo-journals of these travel adventures.

During our first several years on Paros we wrote regular newsletters about our expatriate living.  The links start here Paros Shepherd Newsletter #1, April 2002

If you are interested in knowing more about how we chose our expat lifestyle, see the newsletter article "Inside Our or Outside In"

Here is our previous web page for the expatriate lifestyle:

www.parosparadise.com/expat.htm

More about us

Expatriate or Nomad ?

For the purposes of our personalized international travel advice our definition of expatriate is one who lives in a country other than his native one for an extended period--whether employed, retired, or looking for work.

Our definition of global or world nomad is a person who has no fixed residence and all the attendant paraphernalia but moves from country to country and continent to continent as the fancy strikes and financial resources allow.

This term is frequently applied to children of globe trotting parents but all the nomads that we know are adults.  We have been expatriates for the last 15 years and will now be nomads until . . .

Our first attempt to move abroad ended in failure because by the time we had our financial ducks in a row our children had reached the mid-teens and were no longer eager for new experiences away from their forever best friends.  Younger children are much easier to transplant.  Here are a couple of highly rated books to help in the process, especially for the older ones.

	Sammy's Next Move by Helen Maffini		Kindle Version: Bringing the World Home: A Resource Guide to Raising Intercultural Kids(Kindle Version)

For minimum shipping costs use Amazon for U.K. & Europe / Powell's for USA

There are several good expat organizations worldwide with helpful information on the internet.  One that I have enjoyed for the social and networking aspects--you actually have the opportunity to attend off line events--is InterNations      You will find more links on my old page.

More Advice and Tips for International Travelling

Volunteer

One method to test the waters of traveling the world for extended periods is called volunteer work abroad.  Find more details, links and our personal tips at this web page:  www.parosparadise.com/volunteer.htm

Work Ideas

Living on the beach on a Greek island I have assembled many ideas and examples  for earning a living while working at home at the beach.  This page is designed to get your own creative juices flowing.  http://www.parosparadise.com/work-at-home.htm

I am also an affiliate for SiteSell.  They have a complete system for converting your idea into an active internet business.  Find YOUR Business 

World Peace   

We have all heard countless times how broadening travel can be (with the exception of package tours, perhaps).  I believe one step further, that travelling with an open mind can lead to understanding and appreciation of cultures other than our own.  Which in turn will make peace easier to maintain.

Travel Bargains