When I moved to the USA last December, the festive season was already in full swing. Enthralled by New York’s Christmas lights and overwhelmed by transporting my life halfway across the world, I barely had time to blink before the…
An Expat’s View of the Importance of Language
Growing up in the Outer Hebrides, Gaelic was just… there. I never thought anything of it. Everyone around me was bilingual. My parents spoke it, as did my grandparents and every one of our neighbours. Gaelic was a normal part…
A British Expat’s Experience of American Football
Tailgating: in the UK, it’s a word used to describe driving too close to the car in front of you. In America, it more often than not refers to the ritual of eating a lot, drinking a lot, and partying…
What Does It Mean to Get a U.S. Green Card?
“Welcome to the United States of America.” No, this wasn’t border patrol at the airport late last year. This was the bold heading on the green-hued letter I received in the mail last week, informing me that my application for…
Enjoying A Sunset Cruise Around New York City
The view in front of me – the Brooklyn Bridge illuminated against the twinkling skyline of Lower Manhattan – was an exact replica of the one that had graced the apartment wall in Scotland, a mirror image of a scene…
8 Things I’ve Learned in 9 Months as an Expat in America
As I settle into the swing of ‘real life’ across the pond, here are some of the good, the bad, and the tongue-in-cheek things I’ve learned during the early stages of expat life… 1. There are times when you will…