Bloom where you are planted (Life the Expat way) by Lasairiona E. McMaster
Are you
contemplating a move abroad?
Don’t panic!
From culture
shock to capable, from language barriers to lifelong friends, and
from foreign land to the familiar. Being hurled into life in a
strange new place can be daunting and overwhelming, but it can also
be exciting and enjoyable.
Rich with tips on
how to expat like a boss, Lasairiona McMaster’s “Bloom
where you are planted”, takes you on a journey from packing up
her life in Northern Ireland to jumping in at the deep-end as an
expat in two countries.
An experienced
expat from a decade of living abroad, her honest and uncensored tales
of what to expect when you’re expatriating, are as funny as they
are poignant, and as practical as they are heartfelt. If you’ve
lived abroad, or you’re considering the move from local to expat.
If you’re looking to rediscover yourself, or simply wondering how
on earth to help your children develop into adaptable, resilient, and
well-rounded people, this book has something for you.
Wanting
a change of scenery and dream about living in another country? This
book is a useful tool
and
source of practical
information
especially if the US and India are on your radar.
I picked
up this book purely because I'm a foreign implant in the country
where I now live. The author's experiences differ to mine due to our
geographical
locations, however, wherever you are, there will always be common
occurring matters to address, therefore her insightful knowledge
should be of interest for anyone thinking of upping sticks and
flitting overseas either temporarily or permanently.
'If
I knew then what I know now' resonates with me when I look back on
the time I move across the sea to a new life and a whole new culture
to get used to. Gaining as much information as possible about
your chosen place to reside, of course, makes sense. Yet, there will
still be issues cropping up which you are unprepared for even if
you're the most researched and informed person. Helpfully, this book
covers lots of practical advice matched to likely scenarios. They may
not be specific to where you are heading, but highlights situations
you may encounter anywhere and with advice on how to tackle
them.
More than a fact book, Bloom Where You're
Planted is full of the author's own anecdotes and wisdom giving a
first-hand account of how she and her loved ones navigated there way
through red-tape and hiccups along their ex-pat journey.
Overall,
not everyone's journey to a new life will be the same, but there will
always be a common set of 'need to know' advice wherever you land and
this book is concise and thorough and should cover any incident you
encounter.
Lasairiona
McMaster grew up dreaming of an exciting life abroad, and, after
graduating from Queens University, Belfast, that is exactly what she
did - with her then-boyfriend, now husband of almost ten years.
Having recently repatriated to Northern Ireland after a decade abroad
spanned over two countries (seven and a half years in America and
eighteen months in India), she now finds herself 'home', with itchy
feet and dreams of her next expatriation. With a penchant for both
travelling, and writing, she started a blog during her first
relocation to Houston, Texas and, since repatriating to Northern
Ireland, has decided to do as everyone has been telling her to do for
years, and finally pen a book (or two) and get published while she
tries to adjust to the people and place she left ten years ago, where
nothing looks the same as it did when she left.
