Tag Archives: Expat Life

Paying for Healthcare in America

Posted on April 6, 2017 by abroadintheusa

Can someone explain to me what it is about paying for healthcare that gets Americans so riled up? It’s one of the three things about this country that still totally baffles me after 30+ years — the other two being … Continue reading →

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Finally, Baseball!

Posted on March 30, 2017 by abroadintheusa

There’s so much crazy going on in the USA recently that it’s been hard to decide what to write about. Fortunately, we’re just days away from something important, timeless, and (mostly) a-political: opening day for the 2017 Baseball season. I’ve … Continue reading →

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Posted on March 17, 2017 by abroadintheusa

Americans love any excuse to play dress-up-and-party, and today’s the day everyone wears green. Yes, it’s St. Patrick’s Day in America, which means everyone claims Irish ancestry, wears silly shamrock hats and ties, and goes around butchering the pronunciation of … Continue reading →

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Teenage Language

Posted on March 6, 2017 by abroadintheusa

Parents and teenagers speak different languages. ’Twas ever thus; but when your teenager is growing up in a different country from your own background, it can add another layer of mutual incomprehension. Usually, it’s the parents who have no idea … Continue reading →

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College Mail Deluge

Posted on February 28, 2017 by abroadintheusa

While the weather continues to be absurdly changeable, there is one constant in our life at the moment: the deluge of mail coming into the house every day from colleges all over the USA. Our youngest is a junior in … Continue reading →

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Spring Already?!

Posted on February 22, 2017 by abroadintheusa

The past few days have been unusually warm here in suburban Philadelphia, and on today’s walk with the dog I saw evidence everywhere of an early spring.  Snowdrops aren’t a surprise in late February, but lots of other things are … Continue reading →

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Dates, Floors, and Toilet Doors

Posted on February 13, 2017 by abroadintheusa

When you first make the leap to a new life in another country, you expect a lot of things to be different — language (or at least dialect), driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road, different architecture and street … Continue reading →

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When the Weather Goes Bonkers

Posted on February 9, 2017 by abroadintheusa

We’re suffering from weather whiplash here on the east coast. Yesterday was a beautiful, mild day, full of sunshine and soft breezes. Downright balmy. It was so lovely that in mid-afternoon I actually went and sat outside for a while … Continue reading →

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Super Bowl LI

Posted on February 3, 2017 by abroadintheusa

This Sunday America will be brought together in one of the few events that pretty much everyone in the country watches, or at least has some opinion about. Yes, it’s Super Bowl time — the final game of the (American) … Continue reading →

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Becoming a U.S. Citizen

Posted on January 30, 2017 by abroadintheusa

I am an immigrant. My story is not unusual; it did not involve any danger, heartbreak, or difficult decisions. As a straight white woman with the “right” kind of accent, my journey from student to green card to naturalized citizen … Continue reading →

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