Since I was little, I understood the power of books: to live incredible adventures right from the comfort of my sofa. Aged 5, I adventured in the jungle with Moogli and at 8 I was an ice-skater like Hans Briker on his silver skates.
If you are considering the decision to move abroad, be aware that it will change your life forever. The opportunity may come with an internship, a new job, studying or you might just need a change of scenario.
Living as an expat has been written in several bestselling books, in both the fiction and non-fiction genres. I always find these books the best ones to get a real sense of the city or the country I'm moving to next.
Here’s a list of the books that will definitely make you want to move abroad!
“A house without books is like a room without windows.”
Horace Mann
Italy
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
A global bestseller and a popular movie with Julia Roberts, Eat, Pray, Love tells one woman’s search of herself. Her first stop is Rome, Italy where she spends time wandering around Trastevere and eating her way around the city. She later moves to India and Indonesia, where she first finds herself and then love.
Bel Centro by Michelle Damiani
American psychologist Michelle Damiani and her husband moved to a village in Umbria for a year. Damiani blogged daily about her new life, and then, back in Charlottesville, she turned the blog into a book. It's interesting to read what happens when you and your family immerse in a new culture.
Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy by Frances Mayes
Famous poet and travel writer Frances Mayes decides to buy and renovate an old Italian villa in Tuscany. There, immersed in the slow pace of the countryside, she discovers the pleasures of a simple life in Italy. In the book, she describes everything from dealing with those quirky Italians, to working hard in the garden. All in all, this book is a cultural celebration of Tuscany from someone who truly fell in love with this region.
The UK
Notes From A Small Island: Journey Through Britain by Bill Bryson
It is usually hard to pick one of Bill Bryson’s books. I've read many of his books, but this is probably my favourite since it initiate me to my expat life in London, a decade ago. In Notes From a Small Island, Bryson takes you a journey from the east to the west coast of the UK before moving back to the States. He wanted to recall why he loved the UK so much even if Britons invented Marmite and they kept saying things like ‘Ooh lovely’ at the sight of a cup of tea. If you are moving to London, you better buy Bryson book, it only sold two millions copies already.
France
A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke
A young Englishman moves to Paris where he realises what the French are really like. They drink champagne and eat cheese. And oui, going on strike really is the second sport after pétanque. A funny memoir about stereotypes and the truth about France.
Seven Letters from Paris: A Memoir by Samantha Vérant
Pretty much like at the beginning of Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Love and Pray, Samantha’s life is falling apart. She’s jobless, in debt, and feeling stuck… until she finds seven old love letters from Jean-Luc, the sexy Frenchman she met in Paris when she was 19. Guess what she does next?
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
A Moveable Feast tells the story of Hemingway’s life as an expat writer in Paris in the 1920s. The book perfectly describes Paris' vibes, moods and trends right after the First World War. If you happen to visit Paris, make sure to find all the places Hemingway mentioned in the book, since many are still open today!
Turkey
Istanbul: Memories and the City by Orhan Pamuk
This book is a loving portrait of a city negotiating the spaces between its past and present, written by a long-term resident—Pamuk still lives in the house that he was born in. The central theme of this book is a meditation on how our birthplaces make us who we are, and Pamuk’s birthplace is no ordinary city. Sitting on the cusp of east and west, Istanbul is a veritable treasure trove of charm, history, and beauty. The Ottoman past, which is rapidly disappearing, is represented by the beautiful but decrepit mansions along the Bosphorus. The present shows the cultural effects of twentieth century westernization. The book is full of Pamuk’s insightful musings about the character of Istanbul and its citizens. With cinematic scope, Pamuk intertwines his personal life with the city, and the book moves across the workings of Pamuk’s family life and the emergence of the artists that shaped the milieu of the city, past and present.
Everywhere: the Digital Nomad bible
Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel by Rolf Potts
If you are looking to travel for a long time without really settling anywhere, this is probably the best book you could read. It's all about taking off, for between six weeks to two years at a time to discover the world on your own time and terms. I did it. And at the end I did travel for 23 months straight with that book in my backpack. But remember, this isn't a guide, this book contains a new way of looking at travelling and, ultimately, at living life.
Looking for somewhere to live in Europe or further afield? Spotahome can help!
More about living abroad:
Best Expats Jobs in London
London VS Berlin: The Ultimate Verdict
Italian Expats in London: 8 things you must know
Best Expat Jobs in Milan and How to Find Them