Meet Tess, my fun, gorgeous slimming buddy, who I met online a while ago. Turns out she’s an expat too and is living it up in the big smoke, NYC!
Where were you born? Kingston, Surrey, UK
Where are you currently? New York
How long have you been there? 24 years
How long did you expect to be there? A summer
Where else have you lived? Derry, N. Ireland and a couple of seasons in France
What you love about where you are living? Blue skies and sunshine even on a freezing cold day
What is the worst thing about where you live? Have to drive everywhere
The hardest part of living where you live? Ridiculously busy schedule and work pressures…although maybe I would have dug myself the same hole else where
What has surprised you most about where you live? How much people love a Brit accent and how fascinated, generally, everyone here is with all things English / Irish.
Your biggest lesson learned? A lot has to to do with being in the right place at the right time
One reason you wouldn’t have missed living there for the world? Meeting my husband, an Irishman in NY, and having our three girls
The best food? Soft shell crabs, NY pizza, American steaks and burgers…I could go on forever
The best sight? The view of Manhattan as you come from JFK
Your biggest fear for the future? Being away from my parents as they get older
Funniest incident? Am totally blanking and don’t want to wait until later to fill this in because later never comes in this house…. probably involves my two American flat mates dressing me in a ridiculous outfit for a date with my now husband and him not blinking an eye, just walked in and asked me if I was ready to go. …or my first American Thanksgiving spent at a convent, no less, when my friend and I shoveled spoonfuls of sweet potato mash thinking it was mashed turnips and had to force them down and not spit them out on the plate…I guess you had to be there…
What NOT to do in your location? Don’t focus all your time and attention on recreating your home environment, embrace the culture and people
The person who has inspired you most where you live and why? My now business partners (two older gentlemen) for, with their families, being so welcoming to an ‘outsider’ and providing me with a non-blood relative family miles away from home who I feel I can count on for anything.
Best piece of advice you could give to newbie expats? Get out there and mingle, mix and shake it up! Experience everything possible that is on offer – try anything and everything that isn’t on offer at home, food wise, experience wise, activity wise.
Anything else you want to add? I feel very blessed to have led this charmed life that I could never have predicted! Let life take you where it may!
Read previous interviews, here:
#1 Sarah, from Ireland, now in Houston
#2 Melanie, from England, now in Houston
#3 Corinne, from France, now in Switzerland
#4 Frances, from England, now back in England
#5 Alison, from Ireland, now in Houston
#6 Mary Ann, from Australia, now in Houston
#7 Jennifer, from USA, now in Stavanger
#8 Mimi, from France, now in Houston
#9 Marie, from Australia, now back in Australia
#10 Zoe from UK, now in Australia
#11 Dana from Texas, now in Germany