T D Arkenberg

Trials & Truffles: Expats in Brussels T D Arkenberg

"Refreshingly Pure and Endearing" (The BookLife Prize)

Chicagoans Todd and Jim embarked upon a grand adventure, an open-ended transfer to Brussels. For Jim, the expat posting fulfilled a professional dream. For Todd, a former global airline executive grappling to reinvent himself as a writer, the move from his family home meant more uprooting.

Along with exciting escapades, their new life brought a succession of unexpected trials. The transplanted couple struggled to establish new roots. Isolation pushed Todd into depression. Office politics blindsided Jim. Even Sadie, their golden retriever, encountered strange new creatures--exotic snails and a precocious cat. Love, patience, and humor sustained them. Survival seemed within reach. But changing circumstances threatened to uproot them yet again.

Seasoned with blogs covering a broad array of topics posted during their residency, the memoir transports readers to Europe, showcasing the realities of expat life and the true meaning of home.