Ex·pa·tri·ate: (n) a person who lives outside their native country.
Each year, CORT Destination Services supports thousands of individuals and families through the challenges inherent in relocating for work. Our Destination Services Consultants help assignees discover great neighborhoods, find the right home, choose the best school, and get settled into their new community with less stress and more confidence.
In the spirit of helping that our consultants bring to their work every day, we occasionally invite an expatriate to share their thoughts about the experience of moving to, and living in, the United States. Our latest Expat Interview is from Fiona Henry a British national living in Katy, Texas. We hope you find Fiona’s remarks to be both fun and informative. We would love to hear from you. Please share your insights on the expatriate experience in the comments section. Thank you.
Name:
Fiona Henry
Nationality:
British
Industry that brought you to the U.S.:
Recruitment – related to Oil & Gas
Are you alone on this assignment?
I came to join hubby and brought our 2 children.
Is this your first international assignment?
Yes.
Was the decision to move to the U.S. easy or difficult for you and your family?
Difficult due to our age, family circumstances and financial situation.
What is one American tourist attraction that you have visited?
Hoping to visit Grand Canyon.
What word or saying from your native language do you find yourself using often because it just doesn’t translate well to American English?
Mithering
Is there anything that you really miss and can’t find in U.S. stores?
Deodorant that does not stain, plus pies and pasties!
What is your favorite American food?
Ribs
Fill in the blank. Americans are:
Not what the rest of the world thinks they are. They are actually pretty nice.
Sometimes I wish Americans:
Would use another word other than “awesome”, especially when it’s just plain OK.
What has surprised you (good or bad) about life in the U.S.?
That they are actually still very old fashioned in various things, most being clothes. Also, the gun culture.
The best thing about being an expatriate is:
Getting to live and experience another country beyond holidays and meeting people from all over the world and then ultimately becoming friends.
The worst thing about being an expatriate is:
Missing family friends and our own food!
If you could relocate anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Canada/Australia
Imagine that a good friend just called to tell you that he/she has accepted an assignment in the U.S. What advice might you have for them as they prepare to relocate?
Take the time to visit (we didn’t), prepare yourself for a change in lifestyle that maybe difficult at first, and do not make any rash decisions to move quickly.
