Becoming an expat wife takes skill. It’s an adjustment for anyone – whether you’ve transitioned from one country to another a dozen times, or only once. Between leaving your home, family and potentially your career, it can take a while before becoming an expat wife clicks. Part of it is simply time, part of it is forging your own path. 💪🏻
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Settling into a new country is a challenge expat wives face when suddenly everything you’ve identified with before the move has changed. It can be a massive struggle and take a lot of energy from strength you never knew existed. But there are some parts of the expat wife gig that can be a little easier – if you’re ready to go there and give it a try.
Expat Wife Life Essentials
If you’re seeking motivation and help with the transition, here are fabulous essentials that every expat wife needs. Because we can all use a little easier, especially if it’s pretty. 🌻
1. A planner for All.The.Things.
As an expat wife who left her career behind, as so many expat spouses do, keeping a schedule is a must-have. Beyond helping with the career adjustment and the “omg, now what?” feeling that ensues after moving abroad, a planner is nearly an expat woman’s best friend.
Okay, so maybe not a best friend but certainly her coffee date companion when making new friends is still in progress.
Even before moving abroad, I’ve always been the household travel planner, party planner, weekend planner…and the planning goes on and on. In fact, I’m even planning an overseas house renovation…but that stressful topic is for another time. 😜
I love imagining where the family will go next – it could be an hour away to 10 hours away. Who knows really??
I manage to a bucket list, like this UK one, and plan the entire year. Or at least attempt to.
Planning is the key to staying organized and focused when everything feels messy, uncertain, or chaotic. I keep my chaos to a minimum by using a planning template and diary
Love using a single piece of paper when a journal is too much to carry
2. A travel picture book for inspiration
As an expat spouse with an opportunity to travel, the ability to see places never imaginable is often a big trigger to help recover from the moving and identity slump.
With limited vacation time for the entire family, we pick locations that offer the best return.
For me, it’s finding destinations that are easy to get to with kids without using all modes of transportation: trains, planes, and automobiles. This is so important if it’s just a weekend getaway!
Weekend trips are reserved for requiring less than 2 hours of travel time so we maximize our tourist time.
My essential Europe weekend planning book to help accomplish all that is this awesome Europe travel book by Robin Barton.
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And for Londoners, my favorite book for seeing all the pretty things that London has to offer at different times of the year is Pretty City London.
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Pretty City London is perfect for finding all the must-see places in London and the most Instagrammed locations in the city. As an expat wife, it’s the perfect book for a pretty walk in London with or without friends.
Bonus: It looks pretty on the coffee table, too!
3. A pretty tote bag that’s fashionable but functional
Who says expat women don’t need a pretty tote bag after shifting from career wife to expat life? Nope, not me.
In fact, my JCrew tote bag has been used sooooo much that it’s sadly near its end of life. So worth it though!
A functional tote bag is as essential as a train pass for an expat wife life. In fact, I already have my next one picked out. 👇
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A versatile tote bag is truly needed for any expat or traveler. This bag will go with you everywhere – work, school, the gym, the grocery store, shopping, cafe, airplanes, and even the occasional bicycle (seriously).
A tote is more important than a handbag for an expat because it carries all the gear you need every single day…
4. Essential expat wife gear that can make or break your day
Aside from toting around the planner and other no-brainer essentials like water, mobile phone, headphones, Macbook, kids snacks, and even an occasional set of flats, there is one item that every traveler must have at all times.
The cell phone charger.
Holy cow. 😳
I never became more dependent upon anything else after moving abroad. It only takes one time after forgetting a charger to realize how quickly your life depends upon it. It can change a good day to a very bad one in an instant…or however long it takes for that 1% to go completely dark.
As a traveler, a cell phone charger is easier to remember when packing but as an expat wife there’s more of a learning curve involved.
When you move somewhere totally new and basic train and navigation skills are murky, let’s just say forgetting a mobile phone charger in a new place is one mistake that will teach you to never leave home again without it.
My poor kids are slightly scarred from it…but my son has become an excellent navigator as a result of my technology mishaps. 🤣
But I will say, I have no problem asking the pub staff for a little help on the occasions I’ve forgotten my cell phone charger.
The Anker portable phone charger works fabulously. And Anker offers a hybrid version too.
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5. Comfort for the cobblestones
Cobblestones or not, being an expat wife is synonymous with a lot of walking. Walking to the market, walking to the bank, walking to catch the bus, train, or wherever….walking is just the way it is in Europe.
Space is limited and parking is expensive. So it’s all about getting your shoes on. Comfy ones that is.
With cobblestones everywhere, heels aren’t really an option for getting around. That’s what the tote bag is for. 🙄
To maximize an expat wife’s joy when suddenly walking becomes #1 or #2 primary mode of transportation, it’s essential to own a pair of really, really comfortable shoes. That are pretty, too.
My favorite trainers that you can wear with a dress (seriously, I spotted store associates in LK Bennett even wearing them) without feeling like you just left the gym are the Nike Blazer Low Sneakers.
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For best flats, boots, and higher-end options best for cobblestones, read Cobblestones & 69 Shoes: Which wore best?
6. Emergency hair tie that’s posh, too
Even though getting ready in the morning has taken on a whole new twist and wardrobe with more stretchy pants than not, it’s still nice feeling “put together”.
The new morning routine might not involve a daily make-up ritual or spending hours on hair…particularly if the first stop after the school run is the gym.
But if you’re like me and school is followed by the gym, then errands, and other project-related activities that don’t allow time for “getting ready”, hair is typically pulled back and out of the way.
When hair isn’t pulled back and actually down with an attempt to keep it that way, one quick ride on the tube can change all that. Not to mention the weather.
The last item essential for any traveler and expat wife is the hair tie. But not just any hair tie, a pretty one for the days you just need something more. J Crew UK often sells gorgeous Liberty hair accessories, but my current favorite is the slip skinny silk scrunchie.
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The silk is kinder to my fine hair, and this UK Etsy shop sells them at a great price.
Happy expat wife, happy expat life…right? Yes!
No matter where you are in the expat wife journey, these 6 fab essentials are perfect for getting used to the new life abroad or full-on embracing it. With a touch of pretty, too!
Wherever you are on the acceptance spectrum, these must-haves are perfect for motivation, feeling good about yourself or simply creating a life you love. Wherever you are. 🌎
For more motivation and tips to adjusting from career life to home life, join the aBroad purpose newsletter and receive the Suits To Sweats Guide.
Looking for more expat support?
- How to Navigate A Big City, Like London or Anywhere Really
- Expat Moms: Why You Need A Selfish Girls Trip
- Sign up to get my FREE 24 steps to transitioning to a SAHM 👉here
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