For me being an expat means living a weird and wonderful life. Moving to another country is hard, because you have to say goodbye to family and friends, but also exciting because you never know exactly what life will be like at your new posting. Moving house, making friends, finding your way around, getting to know the culture and figuring out the dos and don'ts take up a lot of time and energy. Once you are settled it is time to get to know the country and its culture by travelling around. Libya offers great destinations for day trips, weekends or even longer. And if you have only a few hours to spend, the medina is a wonderful place in which to walk around and taste the local flavours. This weekend we made a trip to a qasr close to Gharyan, had a very tasty lunch (Libyan soup, couscous and bazine) at a troglodyte house, and finished the day with a barbecue at a farm in Tripoli. 
 
A downside to expat life is the fact that you have to say goodbye to friends who are moving on to another posting. One of my good friends will be leaving Tripoli soon and she will be missed by a lot of us. After a few postings you end up with friends all over the world and internet is a blessing for it is THE way to keep up with everyone via Facebook, MSN and Skype.
 
Through Look Out Libya we hope to make it a bit easier for new arrivals to find their feet, but it is also a nice way for people who have moved to keep in touch. We would love to hear about your experiences. How did your move to/from Libya go, did you have a hard time settling in, or do you know quick and easy ways to make your new house into a home? What are your tricks of the trade? Let us know so we can all learn and benefit from it.
 
Have a nice week,
 
Fokkelien Look_Out_Libya_%7C_Expat_intv.html

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Last updated: Sunday 7 February 2010.

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This month we catch up with Maureen ; a Canadian who has moved on from her assignment in Libya to the Netherlands. Look_Out_Libya_%7C_Expat_intv.html

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Latest: Where Are They Now?  New interview with former Tripoli expat Maureen Afleck.  Read her interview here.