Expat Challenges Nobody Talks About… and the Growth They Bring
Meeting Karina in person was truly wonderful. She grew up as an expat and brings a lifetime of experiences — from her childhood abroad to now, living in New Zealand ...
Blog & Journal
Real stories, interviews, personal journeys, and practical tips to make life abroad feel more like home.
Biking Worlds: Lessons on Belonging Abroad
Happy Friday, Almost Locals! I’m Maria, your host, writing from the quaint, cloudy city of Auckland, New Zealand. If you’re new here, welcome to Almost Local—a community for anyone navigating ...
Relocating to New Zealand: Finding Home, Community, and Connection
Welcome Back I’m Maria, your host here at Almost Local. Today I want to share a deeply personal and universal story—the experience of relocating to New Zealand and rediscovering what ...
Coming Home: A New Edge of Place
Moving countries is never just about geography. It’s about identity, change, and the messy in-between of leaving one world while stepping into another. This July, my husband, our two teenagers, ...
A Free Journaling Workbook to help expat women navigate life abroad
Discover Maria’s free journaling workbook for expat women + listen to Episode 3 of the Almost Local podcast about the 5 big dilemmas of expat life.
20 Tips for expats Building Community Abroad (That Actually Work)
Moving abroad and feeling isolated? Discover 20 honest, practical tips for building community and making real friends in a new country—without the awkward small talk.
The Expat Dilemma: 5 Biggest Challenges of Life Abroad
Everyone’s experience abroad is different, but these are five dilemmas I’ve personally faced as a woman navigating expat life—challenges I know many others have experienced, too. And they’re exactly the ...
Why I Created Almost Local: The Expat Dilemma
When does a place stop feeling temporary? When do you stop calling it ‘this city’ and start saying ‘home’? I’ll never forget the first time I gave someone directions in ...