Three years ago, I was interviewed by a very special and wonderful lady Marie Brice, she is someone who did a lot for me when I first arrived in Houston and who helped me realise a lot of my own inner strength. (Find my interview, here.)

She put together this interview framework that I stumbled upon a month or two ago and, with her permission, I decided to pick up the baton and interview a few of my own expat friends, to share some of their experiences and thoughts on being an expat themselves.

Sarah hasn’t lived in Houston very long, but you’d never know to look at her.  She is one of the fastest people I’ve seen assimilate in to a new country and culture.  She’s outgoing, has her fingers in many pies and volunteers much of her time to doing good in the community.

Where were you born? Belfast, Northern Ireland

Where are you currently? Houston, Texas

How long have you been there? I’ve been in Houston for a whole three months now….(four now that I’ve finally gotten around to posting this!)

How long do you expect to be there? Who knows but we think perhaps around 3 years

Where else have you lived? Stavanger in Norway and of course, Belfast

What you love about where you are living? Houston has a lot to offer in terms of the arts, entertainment, volunteering and careers. I’ve been impressed by the vibrancy of the city and how truly international it is. And after three years in Norway, its nice to wear flip flops rather than snow boots for a while.

What is the worst thing about where you live? Distance – Houston is a big, sprawling city so getting around takes time. What I really am missing from both Ireland and Norway are lovely walks just outside my front door.

The hardest part of living where you live? Not being able to step outside the front door and head out for a walk and I do miss my amazing friends in Norway and Ireland. Working out the time difference for skyping home is also proving a challenge but my glass is pretty much always half full so I’m happy with my lot.

What has surprised you most about where you live? The cost of healthcare – I thought I was prepared but apparently not!

Your biggest lesson learned? Bloom where you’re planted – wherever you are, you can choose to make the most of it and make yourself happy.

One reason you wouldn’t have missed living there for the world? Much like Norway, I am meeting the most amazing people. And I’ve discovered yoga – worth it for that alone so far.

The best food? Usually the last thing I ate though I’m pretty excited by the choice at my local HEB in terms of fruit and vegetables. I love to cook and Texas offers pretty much every ingredient you’ll ever need.

The best sight? Probably too soon to answer this but I’m a big fan of the Museum District in Houston and Galveston is hard to beat. I’ve never lived more than 15 minutes from the shore so a day by the beach is always welcome.

Your biggest fear for the future? Being either bored or boring! (no hope of that love!)

Funniest incident? Our relocation advisor had to explain to me that a garden tub wasn’t something that you planted shrubs in – its a bath tub. That was fairly funny. And I have some good stories from Norway but we’ll save those for another time….I suspect there are many more Houston stories to come.

What NOT to do in your location? Be complacent about the heat – I’ve visited Houston in July in the past. You really do need to be prepared for the summer.

The person who has inspired you most where you live and why?  Its really too soon for me to answer that for Houston as I’ve met so many interesting, amazing people. That said, in Norway, I was part of an amazing group of expat runners, hikers and bikers, all of whom were extraordinary in their own way and from whom I learned a lot. One of the huge bonuses of being in Houston is that many of them are now moving back into the city or reasonably close by. I’m also so grateful that I’m now only a short flight from my best friend in Michigan who is hands down the most inspirational person I know and who doesn’t laugh at me when I call her to ask how to work my washing machine!

Best piece of advice you could give to newbie expats? You can take control of this experience – decide what you want it to be about for you and then put down some little roots and get blooming. Don’t focus on what you can’t have but what you can have and choose to be happy!

Anything else you want to add? Did I mention that the margaritas are really good here?