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US expats in Copenhagen, Denmark - Interview With Tina
| Published: | 22 Mar at 9 AM |
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Filed: Interviews,Denmark
Jack and Tina Fussell have been traveling the world with their three kids for over eight years. They have settled in Spain, Morocco, and now finally in Copenhagen, Denmark. They are artists and photographers who share a passion for finding beauty in the every day life. Through their blog, Flying House by Traveling Mama, they share great finds, tips and diy's, and inspirational photographs to encourage others in their travels and creativity. Tina's expat blog is called Traveling Mama (see listing here)
Meet Tina - American expats in Copenhagen
Where are you originally from?
Atlanta, USA
In which country and city are you living now?
Copenhagen, Denmark
How long have you lived here and how long are you planning to stay?
We have lived here for 2.5 years and hope this will be a long term move.
Why did you move and what do you do?
We moved here because my husband was offered a job as a nonprofit consultant.
Did you bring family with you?
Yes. We have three kids, Hailey (11), Parker (8), and Landon (4).
How did you find the transition to living in a foreign country?
Our transition to Denmark felt like a breeze. We lived in Spain for two years and Morocco for three prior to moving here and I think Denmark feels a lot closer to what we are used to in the US so it was a lot easier.
Postcard from ItalyWas it easy making friends and meeting people; do you mainly socialise with other expats?
Although we were warned ahead of time that Danes would be difficult to get to know, we have found them to be very friendly and all of us have quickly made friends. We spend most of our time with Danes, though we do have a few expat friends as well.
What are the best things to do in the area; anything to recommend to future expats?
The best things to do are free, especially if you own a bike. We love to go on family rides, frequenting the many parks in the city and the nearby boardwalks and beaches!
What do you enjoy most about living here?
We love the cycling culture and, for me as a design junkie, I cannot get enough of Danish style!
How does the cost of living compare to home?
Everything cost at least double, if not triple. No one believes us until they come to visit and then they join us in the sticker shock!
Traveling with styleWhat negatives, if any, are there to living here?
Being away from family and the cost of living are our greatest challenges.
If you could pick one piece of advice to anyone moving here, what would it be?
Buy a bike, visit coffee shops, and enjoy the summers. And buy a very warm jacket for winter!
What has been the hardest aspect to your expat experience so far?
I think we got most of our hardest expat experiences out of the way in Morocco. That was the most challenging thing we have ever been through, though we loved our time there. I think the hardest part about moving to any new country is learning the language and suffering the humiliation that comes along not just for yourself, but your kids, too.
Have you always been photographers or is this something that has developed for you over time?
When we first moved to Morocco in 2007, neither of us really knew much about photography. My parents gave us our first Digital DSLR camera as a going away present and asked us to please send photos as often as possible. At first we were disappointed with the quality of our work and after we started blogging, decided that we needed to push ourselves to take better photos that truly reflected the places we visited and the people we met along the way.
A window into MoroccoWhat are your top 5 expat tips for anyone following in your footsteps?
What motivated you to start a Travel Blog?
My blog is really more of a lifestyle blog, but because we live outside our home country it feels a little bit travel blog every day! We enjoy sharing our love of our new country and showing that life in between destinations is really much like the place where we started.
Tell us a bit about your own expat blog.
We have a passion for encouraging others to live a beautiful and creative life no matter where they live! We love to share everything from beautiful shops and restaurants we frequent on our travels to photos of our home and the celebrations we create!
How can you be contacted for further advice to future expats coming to your area?
Just stop by my blog or Facebook! I'm always happy to help when I can!
Tina blogs at http://travelingmama.net/ which we recommend a quick visit if you haven't been already. Traveling Mama has an ExpatsBlog.com listing here so add a review if you like! If you appreciated this interview with Tina, please also drop her a quick comment below.
Meet Tina - American expats in Copenhagen
Here's the interview with Tina...
Where are you originally from?
Atlanta, USA
In which country and city are you living now?
Copenhagen, Denmark
How long have you lived here and how long are you planning to stay?
We have lived here for 2.5 years and hope this will be a long term move.
Why did you move and what do you do?
We moved here because my husband was offered a job as a nonprofit consultant.
Did you bring family with you?
Yes. We have three kids, Hailey (11), Parker (8), and Landon (4).
How did you find the transition to living in a foreign country?
Our transition to Denmark felt like a breeze. We lived in Spain for two years and Morocco for three prior to moving here and I think Denmark feels a lot closer to what we are used to in the US so it was a lot easier.
Postcard from Italy
Although we were warned ahead of time that Danes would be difficult to get to know, we have found them to be very friendly and all of us have quickly made friends. We spend most of our time with Danes, though we do have a few expat friends as well.
What are the best things to do in the area; anything to recommend to future expats?
The best things to do are free, especially if you own a bike. We love to go on family rides, frequenting the many parks in the city and the nearby boardwalks and beaches!
What do you enjoy most about living here?
We love the cycling culture and, for me as a design junkie, I cannot get enough of Danish style!
How does the cost of living compare to home?
Everything cost at least double, if not triple. No one believes us until they come to visit and then they join us in the sticker shock!
Traveling with style
Being away from family and the cost of living are our greatest challenges.
If you could pick one piece of advice to anyone moving here, what would it be?
Buy a bike, visit coffee shops, and enjoy the summers. And buy a very warm jacket for winter!
What has been the hardest aspect to your expat experience so far?
I think we got most of our hardest expat experiences out of the way in Morocco. That was the most challenging thing we have ever been through, though we loved our time there. I think the hardest part about moving to any new country is learning the language and suffering the humiliation that comes along not just for yourself, but your kids, too.
Have you always been photographers or is this something that has developed for you over time?
When we first moved to Morocco in 2007, neither of us really knew much about photography. My parents gave us our first Digital DSLR camera as a going away present and asked us to please send photos as often as possible. At first we were disappointed with the quality of our work and after we started blogging, decided that we needed to push ourselves to take better photos that truly reflected the places we visited and the people we met along the way.
A window into Morocco
- Be bold.
- Learn the local language.
- Be open to new experiences.
- Make your house your home.
- Never forget on the bad days all the things that happened on the good ones!
What motivated you to start a Travel Blog?
My blog is really more of a lifestyle blog, but because we live outside our home country it feels a little bit travel blog every day! We enjoy sharing our love of our new country and showing that life in between destinations is really much like the place where we started.
Tell us a bit about your own expat blog.
We have a passion for encouraging others to live a beautiful and creative life no matter where they live! We love to share everything from beautiful shops and restaurants we frequent on our travels to photos of our home and the celebrations we create!
How can you be contacted for further advice to future expats coming to your area?
Just stop by my blog or Facebook! I'm always happy to help when I can!
Tina blogs at http://travelingmama.net/ which we recommend a quick visit if you haven't been already. Traveling Mama has an ExpatsBlog.com listing here so add a review if you like! If you appreciated this interview with Tina, please also drop her a quick comment below.
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