About the Author
When I moved to Slovakia to teach English back in 1999, there wasn’t much information about what life was like in Slovakia. Though I had some idea since I had come as a tourist years before, I didn’t know what to expect or what it would really be like living on a day to day basis in a country that was so different from my own.
As time went by, I learned from my students and friends about daily life and how to go about fulfilling my goal of living as a productive member of my adopted society. It wasn’t easy and some things took longer to adjust to than others, but my road to self-fulfillment was laden with discovery and an education that things can be done in different ways. Of course before you take such a giant leap of faith of moving to another country you would like to be as prepared as possible, to know what you are getting into and to have an understanding of what you can expect. In the end, however, no matter how much you read, ask questions, and do research, you still will feel the ‘culture shock’ of entering an environment that is so different from your own.
After living in Slovakia for five years, I realized I had accumulated a lot of practical information on living and working in Slovakia. I had been sharing bits and pieces of information on forums but found that I was answering many of the same questions again and again; questions such as, “How much money should I bring?” or “What is the food like?” That’s when I decided to write The Foreigner’s Guide to Living in Slovakia.
This Web site continues with the theme of viewing Slovakia from a foreigner’s perspective and contains resources to help you find more information on the Slovak language, links to useful sites, and also my personal blog that touches on a range of topics such as food, culture, architecture, and any other curiosity I have noticed as a foreigner in Slovakia.
I hope that this site will assist you in learning something about Slovak history, culture, and life, if you are not familiar with it, and to encourage you to take that leap into something that could be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life.
Author
The Foreigner’s Guide to Living in Slovakia
