Ashley Abroad
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Hey! I'm Ashley, the founder of Ashleyabroad.com. This site began as a chronicle of the year I spent working as an au pair in Paris. Seven years later, Ashley Abroad has become a go-to resource for travellers who love culture, history, art, food, wine, and the occasional outdoor adventure.
Ashley Abroad
1y ago
Hey guys, it’s been a while! Working in consulting has taken a toll on my blogging — when I have free time, the last thing I want to do is stare at a screen.
But I wanted to pop in to share some reading recommendations. I read 32 books in 2022 which is about average for me — I usually read 30-35 books a year. Which is perfectly fine with me. I read for pleasure, and I’m not a fan of reading challenges.
In 2022, I read way more fiction than usual, which is something I want to continue this year as well.
Without further ado, here are my favorite reads of 2022:
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fi ..read more
Ashley Abroad
2y ago
There are times when I absolutely adore living in Austin: when I’m paddleboarding on Town Lake, when I’m drinking a frozen margarita at Maudie’s, when I’m hanging out in hip East Austin under string lights.
That being said, there are certain things I’m less fond of: the sweltering summers, the isolation, the lack of walkability.
I’ve lived in Austin for almost two years. Here’s what I’ve come to love and hate about it:
What I love about Austin
The People
By and large, Texans are incredibly nice people: generous, funny, and sincerely kind. When I had Covid, multiple neighbors brought me to ..read more
Ashley Abroad
2y ago
Hey, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? I don’t think I’ve written a blog post in a year or so. I hope you’re all doing well in these crazy times. As always, thanks for reading.
I have a question: What’s your favorite U.S. National Park?
Over the past two years, I’ve fallen in love with them.
Before the pandemic, I had only visited a handful of them, mostly by accident. But once the pandemic hit, and it was safe enough to road-trip, I drove all around the country visiting them.
Now I’ve seen 15 out of 63. And someday, I’d like to see them all.
First, there was Redwood National Park, with its tower ..read more
Ashley Abroad
3y ago
For this fall’s Living Abroad series, our next stop is Morocco. Sinclair, an American elementary school teacher, lives in Tangier, Morocco’s third-largest city. Here, Sinclair describes Moroccan nut, date, and avocado smoothies, her experience dating in Morocco, and Tangier’s unlikely love for Birkenstocks…
Sinclair’s background: I moved to Morocco in September 2019 and quickly fell in love with the country. Everyone I met was incredibly kind and welcoming; I felt at home shortly after arriving. I liked it so much that I did not want to leave, even when COVID-19 hit Morocco in 2020 and I had ..read more
Ashley Abroad
3y ago
Hey everyone! Welcome back to Living Abroad, a series that shows you what expat life is like in cities around the world. Our latest interview features pastry chef Molly, who moved from Dallas to Paris to attend pastry school at the Cordon Bleu. She now lives in Versailles, France, with François, her French partner and their adorable dog, Elliot.
Here’s a peek into her dreamy life in France…
Molly’s background:
Hi! My name is Molly Wilkinson. I’m originally from Dallas, Texas and I teach pastry classes in Versailles! I live in an 18th-century apartment with François, my French partner, an ..read more
Ashley Abroad
3y ago
Today, the Living Abroad series takes us to the United Arab Emirates where we meet Jay, a Canadian expat who lives in Abu Dhabi with her husband, Joe, and their two children. Here, we talk about the challenges of learning Arabic, popular snack foods (ever hear of luqaimat?), and how living in Abu Dhabi has challenged her initial assumptions about the Middle East.
Jay’s background: We moved to Abu Dhabi in August of 2016. from Stavanger, Norway. Prior to that, we had been in Norway and Gabon. These days, I’m a full-time mom. But back in the day, I was a teacher. I majored in Engli ..read more
Ashley Abroad
3y ago
Was 2020 a slow reading year for anyone else? The pandemic basically turned my brain into mush.
That being said, my love for reading came back with a vengeance this year. I’ve been reading so much this summer and it feels delicious. I’ve run the gamut from memoirs to fiction to historical non-fiction. I’ve liked some more than others but here are some of my absolute favorite reads of the past year.
Here are seven books I highly recommend picking up this summer:
The Midnight Library – Matt Haig
The Midnight Library follows the story of Nora Seed, a deeply unhappy thirty-something who end ..read more
Ashley Abroad
3y ago
Hey everyone! My Living Abroad series, after a long hiatus, is back. Today, I’m chatting with Jennifer, an American teacher and blogger living in Romania.
Jennifer, a serial expat, has spent the past 11 years living and working on four continents, but she now calls Bucharest home. With its gorgeous countryside, low cost of living, and hearty food, she makes Romania seem like a pretty dreamy place to live. I hope you enjoy reading about her life there!
Jennifer’s background:
My name is Jennifer Stevens and I’m originally from a small town near Tampa, Florida. I’ve been an expat for the l ..read more
Ashley Abroad
3y ago
I’m not quite sure how to start this. it’s been a while — and by a while, I mean a year.
Honestly, I’ve been putting off writing this post. I wanted to write something eloquent and touching, to summarize COVID and BLM and what it’s like to live through these times. But every time I started, I fell short. So I quit.
But I’ve realized I don’t have to write something meaningful and profound. I just have to write.
Life updates
I feel fortunate that this pandemic hasn’t been too hard on me. When lockdown happened, my parents were kind enough to let me move out of my tiny apartment and move into th ..read more
Ashley Abroad
4y ago
Hey everyone. In light of the Coronavirus pandemic, it almost feels silly to update you with what’s going on in my life. I’ll try to keep this light. I hope you are staying safe, healthy, and sane in these difficult times.
Sorry I haven’t written a recap since, oh, December. Grad school has been intense — I’m taking 15 credits right now, so it’s been tough to focus on anything but school. The good news? I’m done in June!
This winter, I’ve mostly stayed put in Ann Arbor. That being said, I did take two trips out west — Park City, Utah, to ski, and Calfornia to see friends.
The amazing City Ligh ..read more