Life as a Repat: 7 Shocks Moving Back to US from Abroad

There’s an old adage, adopted from the title of a 1940 Thomas Wolfe novel, that declares, “You can never go home again.”  But what if your new “home” is in a new place? Since moving back to the U.S. in August 2021, I’ve been trying to figure out my new home in Charlotte, North Carolina. After living abroad...

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Looking Back and Best Meals in 2021

Looking back at 2021 is tough as it was filled with a never-ending lockdown in the United Kingdom and several losses. Volunteering, sourdough baking, making restaurant meal kits and cooking helped fill the voids, but those were temporary fixes. Losing a loved one is always difficult. 2021 started with Britain officially...

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Gingerbread Lane in Charlotte NC

Earlier this month, I tried to get in a festive mood and check out some local gingerbread creations. The Ballantyne Hotel hosted its annual Gingerbread Lane event which featured handmade gingerbread houses made by local children and amateur and professional adults. to view an enchanting display of gingerbread...

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Repat: An American Thanksgiving

For the past decade, I have usually celebrated Thanksgiving with friends in Istanbul, Warsaw, Germany or Melbourne. But this year was the first time in about seven years that we actually celebrated this American holiday with our family in the U.S. In August, we re-patted to America to make a new home...

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Turkish Market Shopping in South London

Since living in Istanbul for three years, I’ve enjoyed cooking Turkish food usually once or twice a week at latest home in London.   Sometimes, I need to find some special ingredients or Turkish products that I enjoy using such as Turkish olive oil, beyaz peynir, pomegranate molasses, spices etc. Fortunately,...

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