From the Unexpected Call to the Expat Life in Mumbai, India

I remember that day clearly when we got the call. We had gone out to spend a few weeks in Jackson Hole and Big Sky for an early season snowboard trip from our home in Atlanta while the kids were still doing homeschooling in December 2020. My husband had gone out snowboarding that day and came in around dinnertime, saying he had a work call. When he came out smiling, I knew it had to be something good, so my first question was, 'Was that HR?' He nodded, still smiling. Then I asked, 'Did they offer an expat assignment?' Again, he nodded.

I immediately thought about their European headquarters and asked enthusiastically, 'Is it Zurich?' He shook his head no. Then I thought about their Asian Headquarters and asked, 'Seoul?' Again, he nodded no. Then I said, 'It's not Sao Paulo, is it?' and he shook his head again. I had just gone through all the international headquarters, so I was really confused at this point and had to finally ask, 'Then where?' He responded, 'Mumbai.'

This took me a minute because his company has no footprint in Mumbai, and I never expected India. He explained that he would be going to work at the parent company for a 2 to 3-year assignment, but he would need to learn more about the role before making a decision, and that we would have to make it as a family.

My first step was hitting the internet and researching schools, quality of life, information from other expats in Mumbai, and unlike some of the bigger expat hotspots, there was very little information online about Mumbai and India in general. But even without much information, we were able to come to the easy decision that this was an amazing opportunity for his career and our family and too good to pass up. The lack of information on expat life in India is what spurred me to write a blog about our experiences.

We have now been here for 2+ years and have not regretted it for a second and recently signed on to remain for another 2 years. It's taken a while to adjust to life in Mumbai, and I've been traveling more than I ever have in my life, so it's taken me some time to get around to starting this blog. Better late than never, am I right?!?

Please reach out to me if you have any questions or want information on a particular topic.