Hiya, y’all! Sorry, I can’t resist the British hello with a twist of southern charm. Now imagine hearing that with a slight Downeast Maine accent. That’s me, I’m Lori.
Who is aBroad purpose?
I’m a New England girl who made a travel list at an early age of places I dreamed to live. I’m fairly certain that cold Maine winters influenced my passion to travel at an early age.
Because of that drive, I’ve had the fortune of living on the east coast, west coast, and even in between. I spent time studying abroad in Australia, and have moved to 7 different states for my career. I fell in love in Los Angeles (my 5th state), moved to Oregon shortly after getting married, and then ended up in Texas (as we predicted) with my husband’s oil and gas career, followed by a 3-year expat assignment in St Albans, England, just a 17-minute train ride from London.
Although I fell in love with living in England, the pandemic sadly sealed our fate of not extending our UK contract another 2 years. So back to Texas we went in fall 2020. Yee-haw!
About the moves
I know a thing or two about moving, especially after a shotgun move overseas and back. The move from Texas to England was during Hurricane Harvey, and the return to Texas was during the pandemic.
Moving, learning a new culture, and establishing a new home aren’t new to me. I’ve had lots of practice. And as a result, I’ve learned that it is far easier to embrace change than resist it. That took me a while to learn over the years, with Portland, Oregon being the longest adjustment of all moves. Even with a few Dundee and Willamette Valley winery memberships under my belt, it still took 2 years to be exact.
My identify crisis
I was a career-focused first mom until I finally embraced being an expat spouse.
My identity primarily revolved around my career success (hence all the moving) and not about being a mom. Although I wanted to maintain my career identity, I always felt the guilt of not doing enough for my family, too. I continuously struggled with not working enough or working too much. The tug-of-war was never-ending.
So when moving to England required leaving my career and becoming a stay-at-home mom, I had an opportunity to try the other side without feeling as though I “gave up” on my career.
An expat house hunting trip
Becoming an American expat in the UK was the perfect opportunity to evolve the identity I had established in my head and to be present in my family’s life – to drop off and pick up my kids from school without daycare, experience the stay-at-home mom life, learn to make more than spaghetti, find a new passion that would fulfill me, and travel – all while learning to live and love our English life.
The move to England changed everything for me
The summer we moved to England, my mom was diagnosed with multiple myeloma cancer. It was crushing. It felt selfish to relocate across the Atlantic. However, I soon realized that my career and relocation change allowed me the freedom to support my mom and dad in ways that I otherwise probably couldn’t if I stayed in Texas.
All of the change in my life in one summer made me think less of my career and more about making the most of HERE. While I won’t say it was super easy, I will say the massive change gave me purpose – to find happiness in our new location, to find personal fulfillment, to help my family, and to be the best possible version of myself. And my mom rooted me the entire way.
Back in Texas
I no longer live abroad, but everything the expat experience taught me is very much alive. I still seek purpose in the journey. I still look for meaning in unfamiliar places. I still believe in sharing my experiences that go deeper than itineraries. And my passion for travel is stronger than the spark that started as a young girl from Maine.
While most content after 2020 leans toward travel, expat posts surface when an event, memory, place, or question triggers the need to write and share.
Why is it called aBroad purpose?
It’s a bit of a pun. aBroad purpose provides tips and advice on how to move abroad, written by a broad who’s finding purpose and happiness after a big move with lots of change. There weren’t detailed online resources for moving to England in 2017 so after going through the research-intensive motions and experience myself, I created them.
I want a brand that provides encouragement and inspiration so that you create a life you love – wherever you are, too.
If this is your first time visiting and you have the time, I’d love for you to get to know me more. A few of my favorite posts that paint a better picture of my writing style and what I offer are Why I Love Living In The UK (& Why I Want To Stay), One Thing I’d Do Differently Living Abroad With Kids, and 11 Best Things To Do In Newquay (you won’t believe this is England!).
Date night in London @ Mr Fogg’s
How can aBroad purpose help you?
- Subscribe to the aBroad purpose newsletter
- Follow on Instagram and Facebook for the latest aBroad purpose adventures and inspiration for creating a life you love!
- Follow on Pinterest. There are boards for How To Make New Friends, How To Move Abroad With Kids, Places To Travel In The UK With Kids, and more. There are also group boards with content from fellow expat bloggers and local enthusiasts everywhere.
Sign up, send me a hiya, and tell me your story. I love nothing more than hearing from readers and how I can help!
Life may not always be what or where you imagined it to be. But with a little help along the way, you won’t only get there, but you’ll love it, too!
