Unlike my little hometown, Istanbul would not wake me to the sound of sweet birdsong and soft breezes through trees. On the contrary... From our windows came the calls of jackdaws: a clever sort of bird, black and gray with pale blue eyes. Once they discovered that I would leave out leftover bread outside the … Continue reading The Homebody Expat: Part III
Category: The Homebody Expat
The Homebody Expat: Part II
"Close your eyes, tap your heels together three times, and think to yourself, 'there's no place like home, there's no place like home.'" I would stay in Turkey to visit my partner and his family for three months. Three months in a massive, crowded, noisy city which sharply contrasted from the quiet, sheltered life I’d … Continue reading The Homebody Expat: Part II
The Homebody Expat: Part I
The Step Out the Door “The Ozarks is where I belong.” This wasn’t a declaration of pride, but rather a simple, subconscious inner agreement that I was satisfied where I was: in my small hometown, where things felt familiar, predictable. As an introvert with high levels of social anxiety, these were desirable qualities. I wanted … Continue reading The Homebody Expat: Part I
The Overlooked Trials of Grocery Shopping as an Expat
It was my first morning in the Netherlands. I got out of bed, light on my feet, the air charged with my own exhilaration. I poured my cereal, and stood looking out the window at my new home of Rotterdam as I took my first bite— And spit it out. Sour milk. I looked again … Continue reading The Overlooked Trials of Grocery Shopping as an Expat
The Sentimental Expat: Obsession with Memories
When a Homebody Becomes an Expat When I saw that orange box of Arm&Hammer baking soda in the aisle, I must have perplexed the customers around me as I suppressed a scream of excitement and ran to it, eyes glittering. This, strangely enough, was a reminder of my homeland.This was an unexpected part of me … Continue reading The Sentimental Expat: Obsession with Memories
A Socially-Anxious Expat’s Guide to Learning a Language from Books
Many expats move to a new country and have no problem learning the language. They simply immerse themselves in the culture, and start talking to people from day one.But what is a severely shy and introverted expat to do?Someone whose meek attempts to communicate with the locals end in confusion, frustration, and anxiety rather than … Continue reading A Socially-Anxious Expat’s Guide to Learning a Language from Books
Brittany Bulut 