Category: Ashley Abroad

Hey guys, it’s been a while! Working in consulting has taken a toll on my blogging — when I have free time, the last thing I want to do is stare at a screen.

But I wanted to pop in to share some reading recommendations. I read 32 books in 2022 which is about average for me — I usually read 30-35 books a year. Which is perfectly fine with me. I read for pleasure, and I’m not a fan of reading challenges.

In 2022, I read way more fiction than usual, which is something I want to continue this year as well.

Without further ado, here are my favorite reads of 2022:

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (2017)

Eleanor Oliphant is quirky, reclusive, and painfully socially awkward. But despite her social difficulties, what she craves above all else is connection with other people.

Keep reading this article on Ashley Abroad.

There are times when I absolutely adore living in Austin: when I’m paddleboarding on Town Lake, when I’m drinking a frozen margarita at Maudie’s, when I’m hanging out in hip East Austin under string lights.

That being said, there are certain things I’m less fond of: the sweltering summers, the isolation, the lack of walkability.

I’ve lived in Austin for almost two years. Here’s what I’ve come to love and hate about it:

What I love about Austin The People

By and large, Texans are incredibly nice people: generous, funny, and sincerely kind. When I had Covid, multiple neighbors brought me tortilla soup and walked my dog. People say hello to you on the street here, even if they don’t know you. Austin is by far the friendliest place I’ve ever lived.

Keep reading this article on Ashley Abroad.

Hey, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? I don’t think I’ve written a blog post in a year or so. I hope you’re all doing well in these crazy times. As always, thanks for reading.

I have a question: What’s your favorite U.S. National Park?

Over the past two years, I’ve fallen in love with them.

Before the pandemic, I had only visited a handful of them, mostly by accident. But once the pandemic hit, and it was safe enough to road-trip, I drove all around the country visiting them.

Now I’ve seen 15 out of 63. And someday, I’d like to see them all.

First, there was Redwood National Park, with its towering trees and black-sand beaches…

Then Indiana Dunes, with its sprawling views of nuclear reactors…

Then Utah, home to some of the best

Keep reading this article on Ashley Abroad.

For this fall’s Living Abroad series, our next stop is Morocco. Sinclair, an American elementary school teacher, lives in Tangier, Morocco’s third-largest city. Here, Sinclair describes Moroccan nut, date, and avocado smoothies, her experience dating in Morocco, and Tangier’s unlikely love for Birkenstocks…

Sinclair’s background: I moved to Morocco in September 2019 and quickly fell in love with the country. Everyone I met was incredibly kind and welcoming; I felt at home shortly after arriving. I liked it so much that I did not want to leave, even when COVID-19 hit Morocco in 2020 and I had the opportunity to return to the US. Even though the past year and a half have been incredibly challenging and stressful, so much good came out of it through friendships and making strides in my career. Morocco has so much to offer and I have been on an incredible adventure, and

Keep reading this article on Ashley Abroad.

Hey everyone! Welcome back to Living Abroad, a series that shows you what expat life is like in cities around the world. Our latest interview features pastry chef Molly, who moved from Dallas to Paris to attend pastry school at the Cordon Bleu. She now lives in Versailles, France, with François, her French partner and their adorable dog, Elliot.

Here’s a peek into her dreamy life in France…

Molly’s background:

Hi! My name is Molly Wilkinson. I’m originally from Dallas, Texas and I teach pastry classes in Versailles! I live in an 18th-century apartment with François, my French partner, and Eliott, our dog.

I moved to attend pastry school at Le Cordon Bleu and really fell in love with the city, particularly the culture around food and the amazing ingredients. I ended up going back to Texas once my visa expired, then I returned and worked at several pâtisseries

Keep reading this article on Ashley Abroad.

Today, the Living Abroad series takes us to the United Arab Emirates where we meet Jay, a Canadian expat who lives in Abu Dhabi with her husband, Joe, and their two children. Here, we talk about the challenges of learning Arabic, popular snack foods (ever hear of luqaimat?), and how living in Abu Dhabi has challenged her initial assumptions about the Middle East.

Jay’s background: We moved to Abu Dhabi in August of 2016. from Stavanger, Norway.  Prior to that, we had been in Norway and Gabon. These days, I’m a full-time mom. But back in the day, I was a teacher.  I majored in English and taught middle school.  With my youngest now entering school, I’m working on my next steps and hoping to pursue some creative ambitions.

After living in Norway, Abu Dhabi was a relatively easy transition.  The service industry thrives here and the population

Keep reading this article on Ashley Abroad.

Was 2020 a slow reading year for anyone else? The pandemic basically turned my brain into mush.

That being said, my love for reading came back with a vengeance this year. I’ve been reading so much this summer and it feels delicious. I’ve run the gamut from memoirs to fiction to historical non-fiction. I’ve liked some more than others but here are some of my absolute favorite reads of the past year.

Here are seven books I highly recommend picking up this summer:

Table of Contents

The Midnight Library follows the story of Nora Seed, a deeply unhappy thirty-something who endlessly ruminates on what might have been. After a near-death experience, she ends up in a library where each book contains a story of an alternate reality. When she picks up a book, she is able to live out one of her parallel lives: from Olympic swimmer to pub owner to glaciologist.

Full of

Keep reading this article on Ashley Abroad.

I’m not quite sure how to start this. it’s been a while — and by a while, I mean a year.

Honestly, I’ve been putting off writing this post. I wanted to write something eloquent and touching, to summarize COVID and BLM and what it’s like to live through these times. But every time I started, I fell short. So I quit.

But I’ve realized I don’t have to write something meaningful and profound. I just have to write.

Life updates

I feel fortunate that this pandemic hasn’t been too hard on me. When lockdown happened, my parents were kind enough to let me move out of my tiny apartment and move into their house. I haven’t lost any friends or family. I spent most of the summer quarantining in Northern Michigan, which is the perfect place to quarantine because there’s basically no one there.

I feel bad

Hey everyone. In light of the Coronavirus pandemic, it almost feels silly to update you with what’s going on in my life. I’ll try to keep this light. I hope you are staying safe, healthy, and sane in these difficult times.

Sorry I haven’t written a recap since, oh, December. Grad school has been intense — I’m taking 15 credits right now, so it’s been tough to focus on anything but school. The good news? I’m done in June!

This winter, I’ve mostly stayed put in Ann Arbor. That being said, I did take two trips out west — Park City, Utah, to ski, and Calfornia to see friends.

The amazing City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco, where I finally picked up Little WomenWhere I’ve been: Park City, Utah (7 days)Traverse City, Michigan (3 days)San Francisco, CA (6 days)LA (3 days)Ann Arbor, Michigan (the rest of the time)Highs:

Skiing

Hey everyone! Today, for my Living Abroad series, I’m chatting with Zee, a Zambian college student who has lived in Adana, Turkey, for more than three years. As an African expat, she has a ton of interesting insights to share, from how underrated Turkish brunch to why Turkey-based expats should consider living in cities.

The pros and cons of living in Turkey (as reported by Zee):

Pros: Beautiful landscapes, good public transportation, rich cuisine
Cons: Extremely high taxes, intrusiveness, heavy smoking

Zee’s background:

My name is Zyabo M’hango but most people call me Zee. I’m originally from Zambia. I came to Turkey three years ago to study architecture and to explore another country.

On cultural differences: Zambia and Turkey are very different culturally. For example, Zambia is a very social country, people love to go out and drink. Turkey is more religious, conservative, and traditional. In Turkey, I have to be