Circles staggers over the final hurdle to win gold in the hail-a-taxi-in-rush-hour relay!
If you think about it, it’s a funny ole thing that expats spend such a big chunk of the year away from their adopted home, living out of a suitcase. While most people take two-week holidays, for expats six to eight weeks is often necessary in order to see all your family and friends who you don’t see the rest of the year.
As we all know, it’s not always plain sailing …
With the Rio Olympics about to start, I thought I’d repost my list of some of the events that expats the world over would be in great shape for this summer:
Speed
- Catch every flight, with time to spare
- Pole-position passport-queuing
- The find-your-holiday-home-before-dark Road Race
- The 32-hour-day Time Trial
- Sprint to the toilets before the inevitable
Endurance
- The up-before-dawn jet-lagged 6YO (how long til you lose it?)
- The bath-book-bed triathlon in new surroundings
- The time-zone jump (how many days to adjust? Bonus points for family members under 10)
- The Eventing marathon (plan and execute four to six weeks of events and get-togethers without leaving anyone out)
- The 1,500km cross-country steeplechase (how many relatives can you visit?)
- Sofa surfing (who needs a good night’s sleep anyway?)
Gymnastics
- Stay vertical at the Bar during reunions with friends
- The Parallel park on tiny roads
- The Roll-your-clothes test (does this mean you can fit more in your suitcase?)
- Pommelling-it-shut after repacking
- The Beam-me-up-Scotty moment (when it all gets too much)
- The Dismount (when DH extricates himself from the travelling circus and goes back to work – no blubbing)
Skills
- The daily Dress-Arghh competition (find something uncreased to wear in your capsule wardrobe)
- Ride public transport in rush hour with children and suitcases
- The don’t-stick-your-oar-in family regatta (aka, don’t rock the boat if it’s best left unsaid)
- The triple shift childcare derby (one mum, two whining kids, DH gone)
- Synchronised schedules (find a good moment to Skype your absent DH)
- The overtired tantrum throw (how many until you have one yourself?)