Expat Experiences in the United Kingdom

Lara was born in Windhoek, but spent most of her adult life working in Cape Town in the hospitality industry. She moved to London in early 2021 to further her career in hospitality. In her spare time, Lara enjoys reading in the park, walking along the Thames or taking in the city’s culture. Read about her expat experience in London.

Allison is a 29-year-old Canadian expat moved to Manchester on a Youth Mobility Visa and worked with the National Health Service. On the weekends, Allison enjoys seeing live bands, collecting records and hiking. She shares her thoughts on Manchester's quality of life and her experiences on meeting people and making friends. Read more in this expat interview with Allison.

Kimberley Mueller is an American expat who moved to London in 2014 after spending most of her life in New York and Washington. While she acknowledges having to make some small adjustments when moving from the USA, the pros of efficient public transport, opportunities to travel around Europe and the diverse local community have more than made up for what she misses about home. Read our interview with Kimberly to learn more about expat life in the UK.

Danielle Sasaki is a Canadian expat who moved from Winnipeg, Canada to rural Aberdeenshire in Scotland to start life with her husband. Danielle is a teacher who enjoys running and blogging in her spare time. You can read more about Danielle's thoughts on expat life in Scotland in her interview with Expat Arrivals.

Meghan Fenn is an American expat who has been living in the UK for more than a decade. She and her British husband live in Worthing with their three children. Meghan is the author of a book about raising kids abroad, Bringing Up Brits: Expat Parents Raising Cross-Cultural Kids in Britain. Read her expat experience in the UK.

Michael Harling was born and grew up in rural upstate New York.  He never entertained the notion of moving to another country until he visited Ireland in 2001 and met a Sussex gal. Six months later he had quit his 25-year civil service career, given up his apartment, sold his brand-new car and was married and living in Sussex. Here is his experience of living in the UK.

Suzanne Doyle-Morris, PhD, is the author of Beyond the Boys’ Club: Strategies for Achieving Career Success as a Woman Working in a Male Dominated Field. She also runs a fast-track career development programme for high potential professional females. Born in Alice Springs, Australia, and raised in Washington DC, Suzanne now lives in Scotland. This is her experience of expat life in Edinburgh.

Wendy McCooey is an expat from Texas who has brought to her life in London an energy and curiosity beyond compare. The result of her in-depth knowledge of London's nooks and crannies is a tour company that allows her to share the city's delights with visitors. She tells all in her account of expat life in London.