Having a friend from home who also lives abroad

I was so excited when I found out that my friend, Emily, who I’ve known since I was a teenager in London, was about to relocate to Rome. She was about to have a life-changing experience, and I couldn’t wait for her to start the journey.

Almost one year later, I booked a flight to Rome as it was time to go visit my friend in her new home! I loved having a sneak peak of Emily’s life abroad. I finally got to see her apartment, local cafes, and even the journey to work that I’d previously heard about over Whatsapp.

It was refreshing for us to share our highs and lows of life abroad, and I was able to share advice, based on my own experience. It’s nice to have a friend who knows what it’s like to be the friend back home whilst others are abroad, and also be the friend abroad whilst others are back home. We’d both lived in other countries during our studies, but doing it on a long-term basis whilst working full-time is a new experience in itself.

Emily and I had the best few days of exploring Rome, Procida and Naples, and whilst there’s nothing groundbreaking to share, we were both so content to have that precious time together; catching up on life, and sharing our expat stories.

Having a friend from home who also lives abroad doesn’t necessarily make your expat experience any better (or worse) but having that common ground certainly helps you along the way.

Well done for taking the step Emily, I’m so proud of you!