The Almost Local Letter
A bi-weekly newsletter for people building a life abroad, with honest reflections, guest insights, and stories about belonging, identity, culture shock, and finding home elsewhere.
Why moving can make you feel lonelier, and what to do about it
Tracey Zhang on the ‘relocation loop,’ ambiguous grief, and simple somatic practices that build an inner home.
How Arnold rebuilt his brain after shocks, and why living abroad helps
From Vietnam to Paraguay: a 15‑week brain‑fitness approach, a near‑fatal crash, and one practical rule for adapting abroad.
How Roy Coughlan built ten podcasts and stayed portable
From renting cars to a Podfather network, the systems he used to turn hobbying into an online business you can carry anywhere.
How Greece chose him: a Kenyan's life in Athens
Anthony Muiruri on learning Greek, finding community, publishing during lockdown and why healthcare felt like a revelation
The farm village near Panama City where ‘true wealth’ is food
How Thomas Patton turned 2,500 hectares of industrial land into a regenerative farm‑village and what that means for people moving abroad.
Why Belize felt like an opportunity, and what the honeymoon hides
Simo D. traded 20 years of Canadian construction for land, LLMs and a quieter life in Belize, with trade‑offs he didn’t expect.
Why Greg stayed: San Miguel's comforts, costs and trade‑offs
An foreigner broker on 17 years in San Miguel de Allende, the real cost of living, and the one thing most newcomers miss.
How a seven‑week move, snakes and metros rewired one parent's life
Anthi Patrikios on moving from Manila to Nairobi to Tashkent, parenting abroad, burnout and why she became a parent coach
Why Scott moved his family to Portugal, and what he learned there
From remote Brazil and paddle courts to visas.pt: practical truths about safety, cost, language and the paperwork that actually matters.
How a bar, walking and small-town politeness made Ireland feel like home
Willa Goodfellow on writing in Costa Rica, serving as a priest in Ireland, and the concrete moves that helped her belong abroad.
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