I started The Globe Diary in 2017 while I was adjusting to, and settling into, my new life in Canada. Craig and I moved from Cape Town, South Africa, to a small town just outside Edmonton, Alberta, for his job. At the time, I had just completed my second degree, this time in Law, and had way too much time on my hands. I knew I wanted to use my creative energy so I finally started the blog I had been putting off for years.
Back then, I used it as a sort of diary, documenting our weekend activities in our new city as well as the vacations we would take. It grew into a travel and lifestyle blog with popular city guides like our Edmonton Guide and our Guide to the Most Instagrammable Spots in Edmonton.
Since then, life has changed a bit, and we've had to pivot. We moved to Calgary in the midst of a pandemic, got pregnant and found ourselves travelling less; way more focused on *actually* settling into our new life in Canada. As a result, we've expanded our how-to guides to help other expats with their immigration process and moving abroad.
Don't get us wrong: we WILL still travel, and we will still share all our hidden gems. But, for now, our focus is to help you adjust to life's chaotic challenges. From where to shop, and how to save money, to how to move to Canada and what helped us with the emotional rollercoaster — we're covering it all.
A year into the move, I wrote myself a letter about the things I had realized about the move to Canada. A couple months later, I posted it to the blog...
No one really understands what it’s like being an expat, and unfortunately, the things listed below are all part of the price we pay being expats.
I had no idea that moving abroad could trigger Expat Depression because no one talks about it. Here's my experience of it, and what helped me move past it...
Behind The Globe Diary you'll find me — Leigh, a South African living in Canada. I've completed degrees in Psychology and Law, but I'm currently in-training to be an Immigration Consultant to help others move to Canada, like we did.
The step-by-step process I have created for every client focuses on more than just the administrative side of emigrating — it also empowers you to set up systems that save you time and money; introduces you to new networks and prepares you for the inevitable emotional rollercoaster.