Link Love: Other Favorites

I'm still on the topic of my favorite expat blogs, and today I want to share randomly today about a few, especially a couple from outside of the Netherlands. Because there are so many pros and cons which expats face while living abroad, it's great to find that there are others out there who are going through some of the very same phases and feelings we are, and that includes culture shock. These blogs are often an excellent source as well for those who either plan on living abroad or would like some insider tips on what to see while traveling abroad.

• Stu, English man and author of Invading Holland, is getting married! My congratulations go out to him and his lucky lady! His blog was the blog which originally convinced me to begin this blog, and I've covered about his blog before [here]. It's filled with humor, and I particularly enjoy the cartoons he creates and the Alex de Leeuw episodes.

• Jul at This non-American Life lives currently in Munich, Germany. She shares not only all about Oktoberfest and great tips like how to enjoy a day in Munich without spending too much money, but she's also got a great sense of humor and I really enjoy reading what she has to share! Especially her Dollywood blog entry [here]!

• Kristin is a military wife, and I think she's been all over the planet! Currently based in Ohio, she's traveling through Latin America where she's both learning and teaching Spanish, dealing with possibly the rainiest time ever in Panama [she shares some excellent tips for you]. She's also shared a lot of great tips for travel in Europe, and how not to always trust reviews/tips read online, but I also really love her story about wanting to be a contestant on The Price is Right. Check out her blog here!

• I've covered already about I'm Just Walkin', about an American man, Matt, who walked from Rockaway Beach, New York to Rockaway Beach, Oregon [approx. 3,100 miles or roughly 5,000 km], and he ended his walk successfully. It was great to follow him, and I was excited when he passed by the home of one of my relatives [who didn't happen to be in town]. In the end, I could strongly relate with what he shared in his final words, and I want to share that here today with you all.

“I’ll need months of contemplation and reflection before I can fully and coherently discuss everything I’ve learned on this walk, but I think the two most obvious lessons are these:

1) Have some faith in this world. Things aren’t as bad as they tell us. We may all have different political opinions and different religious beliefs and different cultural norms [I’m a liberal atheist Jew. Did you know that? Does it matter?], and many of us probably couldn’t stand to be around each other on a regular basis, but most of us would, as it turns out, extend a helping hand to a stranger in need. I walked 3100 miles across this country and didn’t encounter a single person who tried to hurt me, or steal from me, or damage my possessions. Maybe this isn’t a place that needs to be feared. Maybe it’s a place that needs to be explored, and appreciated, and celebrated.

2) There’s beauty everywhere. Keep your eyes open, and keep your mind open, and you’ll be amazed what’s out there, right under your nose, just waiting to be discovered. You don’t need to go to the Best This or the Most Spectacular That; just take a stroll around the neighborhood. I blindly followed directions from Google on my walk, making no effort to see anything special, and look at everything I found that I thought needed to be shared with the world!” [Source]

• In final, I do have a lot keeping me busy lately, and I am so grateful for that! I will try to stop by here at least once a week to keep things updated, but I wanted to review here a blog entry I wrote nearly a year ago, about one of my favorite expat blogs and the helpful expat book she wrote. Check it out here.

I hope you're all enjoying the beginning of autumn with the changes and the beautiful colors appearing on the trees!

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