Expat/Repart

Toni Summers Hargis, expat and repat

I spent almost three decades as an expat, then an immigrant and then a citizen, in the USA.

Before blogging was a thing, I wrote my first book "Rules, Britannia: An Insider's Guide to Life in the United Kingdom", (St. Martin's Press, 2006)

This was a guide for Americans who planned to spend a decent amount of time in the United Kingdom, with each chapter covering a specific area of British life; a sort of expat "What to Expect" book. It also includes "what not to do" tips, pronunciation guidance (it's "Lester" not "Lye-sesster") and many anecdotes of people (including my late husband) who didn't quite get it right.

Around this time I also began blogging as Expat Mum, which continued till I became a repat in 2017.

When "Rules, Britannia" came out, I was lucky enough to be asked to talk about it on various radio shows across the country, as well appearing on Chicago's PBS TV news show "Chicago Tonight" with long-time presenter Phil Ponce. Over the next decade, I chatted with Phil and other guests about royal weddings and babies, Tudor movies and Downton Abbey.

Sometimes I just talked about, well, myself, as I did on the Expat Focus radio show.

Here's an interesting radio segment where, along with travel expert Rick Steves, I talked about Americans abroad and what the stereotypes were. (And if they were true.) I come in at about 9.48 minutes.)

At the same time I was invited to be a regular at the BBC America website "Mind the Gap", where a team of Brits in the USA wrote about whatever took our fancy really. I also wrote for the Wall Street Journal's Expat Section (which is now behind a paywall), Expat Focus and the Huffington Post among many others.

My next book was a rather more serious affair – The Stress-Free Guide to Studying in the States: a Step-by-Step Plan for International Students. (Summertime Publishing, 2013, 2016, and is now out of print.) On returning to the UK, I began writing for the popular website Anglotopia, first entitled The Repat Report and then A Brit Back Home. It's not easy going "home" after twenty-seven years, and I shared my triumphs and embarrassments here. I also got to write about things like "Shitterton".