Review of Living Abroad: Challenging the Myths of Expat Life
Posted: 23 Apr 2024, 11:28
[Following is a volunteer review of "Living Abroad: Challenging the Myths of Expat Life" by Jim Santos.]
“Living Abroad: Challenging the Myths of Expat Life” by Jim Santos is a memoir that chronicles the many visits made by the author and Rita within and outside the United States. At first, Jim Santos is suffering from type 2 diabetes, and his doctor has prescribed exercising and dieting to aid his deteriorating health. This is in contrast to the depressing life he's been living, as his wife is dead and he's been so inactive in his daily activities. He finally found Rita, a woman with whom he quickly fell in love. Rita shows a passion for traveling, which stirs Santos's adventurous side. Then both started checking out many emails from the Internal Living website, which comes from many expatriates, and they were whisked into longing to also begin life as expats. Afterward, Jim and Rita travel to different regions of the United States. Jim could gain health by losing twenty pounds of his weight, and both decided to travel to places beyond the US. They chose to go to Ecuador, which is strongly based on Rita's preference for warmer temperatures. However, both would need to fight a number of cultural, behavioral, and language barriers to have a good time in this foreign land of Ecuador. Can you also take up an expat's life? Read about the life of Jim Santos in this book and be able to give a practicable answer.
This book proves to be an informative gem in the aspect of leaving one's native land for a foreign land. I love how the author crafted this book with the right writing tone that penetrates the readers' minds as if they are receiving advice from an elder. The book includes advice based on the author's approaches to challenges met in Ecuador, such as relational challenges, challenges of finances and the cost of living abroad, personal disposition to cultural differences, especially if the place traveled to is less developed than one's home country, as well as personal disposition to harsh political issues in foreign lands.
The author advised that one should not listen to rumors that other places are not safe to live in. He otherwise assures us that no continent is perfectly safe to live on, not even the United States, which many believe to be safer than any other regions of the earth. The author tends to present both the sweet and harsh experiences there are to living abroad and leaves readers to answer the question: Can you take on an expat life? The inclusion of pictures taken from various recreational experiences of the author and his partner adds a touch of relatability to the narrative; the pictures draw me closer to the happenings narrated on a more realistic level.
I would rate this book 5 out of 5 stars because I could relate to and agree with every piece of advice and instruction given by the author; I have nothing to disagree with or dislike in the book. Also, the book is professionally edited, as I only found a typo in it. The book is suitable for anyone who plans to travel abroad, whether intercontinental, international, or intranational.
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Living Abroad: Challenging the Myths of Expat Life
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
“Living Abroad: Challenging the Myths of Expat Life” by Jim Santos is a memoir that chronicles the many visits made by the author and Rita within and outside the United States. At first, Jim Santos is suffering from type 2 diabetes, and his doctor has prescribed exercising and dieting to aid his deteriorating health. This is in contrast to the depressing life he's been living, as his wife is dead and he's been so inactive in his daily activities. He finally found Rita, a woman with whom he quickly fell in love. Rita shows a passion for traveling, which stirs Santos's adventurous side. Then both started checking out many emails from the Internal Living website, which comes from many expatriates, and they were whisked into longing to also begin life as expats. Afterward, Jim and Rita travel to different regions of the United States. Jim could gain health by losing twenty pounds of his weight, and both decided to travel to places beyond the US. They chose to go to Ecuador, which is strongly based on Rita's preference for warmer temperatures. However, both would need to fight a number of cultural, behavioral, and language barriers to have a good time in this foreign land of Ecuador. Can you also take up an expat's life? Read about the life of Jim Santos in this book and be able to give a practicable answer.
This book proves to be an informative gem in the aspect of leaving one's native land for a foreign land. I love how the author crafted this book with the right writing tone that penetrates the readers' minds as if they are receiving advice from an elder. The book includes advice based on the author's approaches to challenges met in Ecuador, such as relational challenges, challenges of finances and the cost of living abroad, personal disposition to cultural differences, especially if the place traveled to is less developed than one's home country, as well as personal disposition to harsh political issues in foreign lands.
The author advised that one should not listen to rumors that other places are not safe to live in. He otherwise assures us that no continent is perfectly safe to live on, not even the United States, which many believe to be safer than any other regions of the earth. The author tends to present both the sweet and harsh experiences there are to living abroad and leaves readers to answer the question: Can you take on an expat life? The inclusion of pictures taken from various recreational experiences of the author and his partner adds a touch of relatability to the narrative; the pictures draw me closer to the happenings narrated on a more realistic level.
I would rate this book 5 out of 5 stars because I could relate to and agree with every piece of advice and instruction given by the author; I have nothing to disagree with or dislike in the book. Also, the book is professionally edited, as I only found a typo in it. The book is suitable for anyone who plans to travel abroad, whether intercontinental, international, or intranational.
******
Living Abroad: Challenging the Myths of Expat Life
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon