How old are you, where are you from, where are you living now and what took you there?
Now, Tom, I’m pretty sure most women in most countries wouldn’t want to tell their age! Let’s just say I’m old enough to have a teenager and leave it at that 
We are a family of three from Houston, Texas currently living in The Hague, Netherlands via England. Just days before Christmas 2006, my husband received a job offer with a global consulting firm to join their London office, and we moved to England two months later.
In the first quarter of this year, one of my husband’s clients asked him to move to the Netherlands for a project. We had visited this lovely country in 2008 and loved it. It didn’t take much convincing to give the move a unanimous thumbs up.
How long have you lived there and how long will you stay? What keeps you there?
As I mentioned, we moved to England in February 2007. Originally, we were supposed to be overseas for 2-3 years, but we’re finishing up our third year now and no one seems to want to move back just yet!
We moved to The Hague this past June. Because we’re here on a project for my husband’s client, it’s hard to say exactly how long we’ll be here. They told us one to two years, but it will depend on the project. After our time here, I’m not quite sure where we’ll end up. Default is probably back to the UK since my husband is based out of the London office.
What do you do to make a living?
Professionally, I am a writer and artist. However, I haven’t worked in an office for 14 years! In 1995, soon after my daughter was born, I quit my job to be a full-time mom. I did a bit of writing and graphic design contract work for a little while, but then we moved to the Washington DC area (another work gig for my husband) for six months. When we moved back to Houston, I stopped working altogether and stuck to being a mom, making art (mostly metalsmithing), and volunteering for a variety of things in the community (museum docent, techie for community theatre, school mom, etc).
I’ve spent the last three years documenting our everyday life abroad–photographing and writing for my expat blog Just a Plane Ride Away. I also have a sadly neglected online art diary called Where I talk about art.
Describe your average weekday and weekend day.
Weekdays
6:00-9:00 Mom mode: put on the coffee and nag everyone about the time. Our daughter is out the door by 7:30 for her school bus, while my husband usually leaves by 9:00 (luckily we live so close to his office!).
9:00-16:00 I try to dedicate the bulk of this time to art. Our house here in Den Haag is big enough to have a proper studio. As a result, I’ve spend a lot of time up in my garret painting or hammering on metal (I’m focusing on cold-connection jewellery right now). I also spend my work hours processing the photos I’ve taken throughout the week and writing my blog. I do try to take one day a week to do something fun just for myself or go on an outing with friends. Last week I met some friends in Delft for lunch and a little shopping 
16:00 onward Switch gears, back to mom mode. Daughter arrives home, we have tea and talk about her day. Start dinner, help with homework, answer emails, etc. We try to make it in bed by 22:00 and then repeat M-F.
On the weekends, we try to do things as a family. Sometimes it’s as simple as cycling down to the Centrum to do a little shopping, sometimes it’s sightseeing. Often, though, my husband and daughter are exhausted and only want to relax at home. That’s nice too.
What skills have you learned while living abroad?
Patience, flexibility, driving on the left, cooking our favourite Tex-Mex foods from scratch, and learning a little Dutch.
What are you missing (professionally) by not being in your home country?
My local network and easily accessible art materials!
If you could live anywhere, where would that be and why?
I keep asking myself this question. I’m not sure of the answer yet.
What is your favorite gadget that makes your work life abroad better?
I cannot imagine what my life would be like without my computer and a fast internet connection. A close second? My camera.
Do you have a favorite book that inspired you to travel or consider a different way of living?
The Rick Steves books and the Michelin Green Guides are our favourite travel books. Most any book or photograph can make me want to travel, though. I am easily influenced!
Other than yours, do you have a favorite expat blog?
I don’t have a single favourite expat blog–too many excellent ones out there. However, when I am researching a new place to live, I tend to look on Expat Blog first and then head over to Expatica for the advice boards.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Jeepers, JaPRA! How do you find the time to blog???
Great interview Tom.
I live in Ecuador and it is a wonderful country. Its people are so nice and kind, they will give you the most warming welcome. I have put together a helpful fact sheet, and also an article on Ecuadorian manners and customs.