Expat Heather — Travel addict, international educator, freelance writer

Award Nomination for Teaching Excellence

March 30, 2013

Remember when I had to go to London for a one-day black tie event? I was a finalist at the Cognita Awards for Excellence as a secondary teacher. Cognita is a network of international schools that includes ISHCMC American Academy in Vietnam. While the majority of Cognita schools are in the UK, they also have [...]

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Expat Packing List: Moving to Vietnam

March 28, 2013

I’m often contacted by people wondering what to pack for a move to Vietnam. Here is a list to get you started. At the bottom of this post, you’ll find a printable, editable Excel sheet packing list you can use. If you’re moving abroad with a toddler, check out my more extensive list of 50 [...]

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Moving Abroad with a Toddler: 50 Things we Packed or Shipped to Vietnam

March 28, 2013

This list is directed toward expats moving to Vietnam with toddlers, however you may find it a useful starting point for other destinations. In July 2012, my husband and I moved from the US to Vietnam with our 18-month-old son. Here are some of the things we’re glad we packed OR we wish that we [...]

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Review: Van Lan Riviera Villas in Hoi An

March 28, 2013

When booking family vacations, I obsess over finding good value accommodation that’s both interesting for adults and practical with young children. I found Van Lan Riviera Villas on Agoda, where it had high ratings but only 3 reviews, one of which was in German. The property had no website and no contact email listed, but [...]

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Hoi An Toddler Activity: An Bang Beach

March 27, 2013

An Bang Beach is about a 10-minute drive from Hoi An. With older kids, you could take bicycles, however I decided to save my two-year-old’s “sun time” for the beach as the road from Hoi An to An Bang doesn’t offer much shade. A taxi ride should cost between 100,000 VND ($5) and 150,000VND ($7.50) [...]

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Snapshots from Hoi An, Vietnam

March 25, 2013

We had booked a family vacation to Hoi An before my husband tore his ACL and ended up spending school vacation in Bangkok for surgery. It was going to cost too much to change the tickets to another date when we could all go, and nobody was interested in buying them, so I asked our [...]

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Saigon to the U.K….for One Night? What to Wear?

February 27, 2013

Tuesday after school I headed off to the Saigon airport for a 2-hour flight to Singapore followed by a 14-hour flight to London. Upon arrival, my boss and I were picked up by a chauffeur and driven to Whittlebury Spa Hotel in Northamptonshire, about a 90-minute drive north of London. We arrived at the hotel [...]

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