Staying Connected to Your Roots: The Expatriate’s Dilemma
One of the hardest things about being an expatriate isn’t just the goodbyes when we leave—it’s the distance that settles in afterward. The birthdays missed, the fleeting summer visits that never feel long enough, the quick phone calls that never quite replace the feeling of being there.
For the past nine years, I’ve built a life in Dubai, far from where I grew up in France. Like many expatriates, I’ve learned to navigate the constant push and pull—between where I came from and where I am now, between the people I love and the life I’ve created. But one thing that weighs on me, and so many others, is how little time we truly have with the generations before us.
When you live abroad, sitting down with your grandparents to hear their stories isn’t just a matter of carving out an evening—it’s about flights, schedules, logistics. It’s about taking time off, coordinating visits, making the most of a few short weeks a year. And before we know it, years pass, questions remain unasked, and the stories that shaped our families slip further away.
I realized this when I started writing about my own family. My grandfather had written his memoirs—his voice, his journey, his experiences, all captured in words. But my grandmother’s story? Could have been lost. Just but because no one had recorded it. I am so grateful I was able to record her life story before it’s too late – spending four days just with her and my microphone.
As expatriates, we face a unique challenge: how do we keep our roots alive when we are physically so far from them?
We may not always be able to sit at the kitchen table and listen to stories over a cup of coffee, but we can still preserve them. We can still ask, record, and make sure that the voices of those who came before us don’t fade with time.
That’s why I created Heroes Editions—to give families a way to capture their loved ones’ voices, no matter where in the world they are. Because distance shouldn’t mean disconnection.
If you could sit down with an ancestor for just one hour, what would you ask them?
