As with every work posting there comes a little uncertainty from time to time, and it?s currently our time to go through all of that. As we race towards the end of the school year with seven weeks until the summer holidays start, I find ourselves not having a clue what on earth we are doing, and whether we are staying here a little longer or moving on as I had hoped. If anyone has a crystal ball I could borrow please chuck it my way, not least because we have absolutely nothing organised for the summer yet and its driving me bananas! But, and as most Expats will tell you, it is all part and parcel of the roller-coaster that is an expatriate life, and we have at least had a few sweet things to take our minds off the stress such as celebrating the baby?s recent ?kleine geburtsdag (small birthday!)? as he turned 6 months old (already!), a camping expedition to the Black Forest in the (unexpected) snow, and excitingly (for me!), seeing my article on Munich in the May edition of The Simple Things Magazine! Always a silver lining!
It seems the Expat world in general has been very hectic of late ? Californian Mum in London recently celebrated a very special anniversary ? congratulations!! Congratulations are also in order for Liv Hambrett on the publication of her book Heimat, a collection of essays and blog posts on Expat life and everything that goes with it?
Karen at Tales of a Twin Mum is yet another Expat who can?t sit still ? she has just launched a new venture Smart Steps to Australia. If you are considering that particular big move, then look no further?
Wandering Sheila recently faced the ten-year away from Australia mark, and contemplates the bitter-sweet side of a life abroad in her post Homesick ? Ten Years. Talking of homesick ? Picollo Explorer made me miss my own part of the world completely with her beautiful post Spring at Kew Gardens (not that we lived in Kew Gardens mind you, just up the road!)?
Out and About Global?s Brooke ? a friend of mine who last year moved from Munich to Saudi ? has just completed the most magnificent trek ? follow her adventures in Nepal for a spot of armchair travel.
I loved this post from M The Expat who talks about something every single Expat goes through from time to time ? feeling like a complete outsider, whilst Expitterpattica explores 10 ways in which making Expat friends is like dating. I can?t say I can compare my experiences to dating, but I do know that the real friends I have made have often become surrogate family whilst away from home.
Diary of an Imperfect Mum talks about something a lot of English parents abroad will have taken an interest in ? the current furore regarding SATS testing in UK schools, and speaking of children and education (albeit in a much nicer, gentler fashion) do pop over to Trilingual Mama who talks about Motivating a Child to Speak a Minority Language.
And finally, I have to leave you with this ? Jackie from Out of Place can tell exactly what kind of Expat you are in Just 9 Questions with this fantastic quiz (complete with a few bizarre questions!). I have to tell you that my result was 100% spot on!
If you have anything you would like to be included in next month?s round up, do please drop me a line at either [email protected] or via twitter @bavariansojourn.
About Emma Raphael
Emma Raphael left the UK for Copenhagen in 2009, with her ever-patient husband and two small children. Having enjoyed a couple of years in Scandinavia, Emma and her family found they enjoyed Expat life so much that they now reside in Munich ? where the pace of life is relaxed, her language skills are small, and the mountains and bier halls are very large. Being one half of a self-proclaimed foodie couple, Emma enjoys the new produce and restaurants in each new country she resides in, and has made it her mission to convince people that English food no longer deserves the bad rap it once had. She can be found in the kitchen when she?s feeling homesick, trying to recreate comfort food from home. She also has huge passions for travel, photography, art, wine, gardening (although according to her Bavarian neighbours, she?s not much good at that!) and her family (of course)!