15 years, 7 countries and 3 continents later, I call myself an eternal expat.
Dear Dubai, Can We Please Part as Friends?
Dear Dubai, If you and I were in a relationship on Facebook, I’d choose the relationship status “it’s complicated.” You know it and I know it. We have had a love/hate relationship since day one, and four years later, its still messy to describe my feelings for you or...
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We’re Moving…Again! Our Big News About A Big Adventure
I knew the minute he came home at 5 pm. Early, by his standards, so something was up. “We need to talk, honey” said M. I knew what was coming. Since the start of 2018, we had known that our future hung in a precarious balance. Our expat lives in Dubai had an...
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RISE: A Growth Platform for Migrants in Dubai – How Expats Can Bring About Change
As expats, many of us move to a new country, and then ask ourselves: how can we make a difference in the local communities that we now call home? Some of us volunteer at the local animal shelter in Jakarta, others teach English to underprivileged school children in a...
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10 WAYS TO ENJOY MOROCCO WITH YOUR KIDS
“Look quick!” I shrieked to my daughter as we walked through the winding alleyways of the maze-like old Marrakech Medina hand in hand. The air was thick with the smell of spices and orange blossoms where the local women were arguing over the price of lamb at the...
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When Moving Means No Going Back
He looks away so that I don’t see the tears or the longing in his eyes. After a few seconds, he turns to look at me and says with a forced smile “It would have been tough to go back, but I think not going back has proved to be even harder. Somehow, I lost all my...
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How My Global Story Made It To Oprah.Com
Call it serendipity or a twist of fate – but when I got the email, I was traveling. I was on a beautiful five-day tour exploring Italy’s stunning Amalfi Coast. And I was not supposed to be checking my email. That was one of the rules my husband and I had agreed upon...
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I’m an Expat, Not an Immigrant – How to Redefine the Meaning of an Expat:
As an expat blogger and writer, the number one question I get asked is “why do you call yourself an expat and not an immigrant?” Now, I know that the word ‘expat’ turns people off. When they see ‘expat’, they read ‘privilege’ and imagine me walking with a sign on my...
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How to Handle an International Move with Expat Kids
She gave the globe a spin, and as the continents, oceans and countries whizzed by, she looked up and asked “Mama, where is Australia?”
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The Help: My Unspoken Dilemma of Expat Life
I confess - I have long had a rather complicated relationship with the idea of having help at home. I suppose it can all be traced back to my childhood in Pakistan. Growing up amidst a plethora of house help was the norm, for upper middle-class families such as ours....
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On Expat Superpowers and Getting Out of Tricky Situations Abroad
I looked up at the government officer and could clearly see the confusion on his face. My Pakistani self, didn’t correspond to my American driver’s license or the residence visa in my Italian passport sponsored under my German husband’s name.
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Hi, I’m Mariam! When I was 19 years old, I left my home in Karachi, Pakistan to go on an adventure. What started off with just me and one suitcase, has turned into a full-blown expat adventure. Read more about me and my family.
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