I'm a British mom in the US who only connected with other Brits. Now, in my 50s, my closest friends are American.

"I left London for Australia at 22, not long after my mom died. I'd spent the final year of her life as her full-time caregiver as she battled with cancer. When she was gone, I needed to escape my hometown. I'll never forget my friend seeing me off, excitedly saying, 'You're so lucky to move to Australia!' I forced a smile because I felt the complete opposite. I was literally running away from my grief."

"For the next 15 years, I moved countries every few years, filling my life with adventure while trying to find purpose. Distraction is powerful, and it worked to some degree. Melbourne came first, then Los Angeles, back to Sydney, and eventually Dubai in the Middle East. I chased my dream of becoming an actor, built a journalism career, and went on overland camping trips through India and Africa."

"Wherever I lived as an expat, I formed close friendships with local women - apart from Dubai, where friendships with Emirati women were either discouraged or impossible. Often, my closest friends were the women I lived with. Some of my roommates had family nearby and folded me into their lives. I spent Christmases with them and found comfort in borrowed families."

Madeleine Collins left London at 22 following her mother's death from cancer, seeking escape through international travel. Over 15 years, she lived in Australia, Los Angeles, Sydney, and Dubai, pursuing acting and journalism while using adventure as distraction from grief. Throughout her travels, she formed close friendships with local women in each location, often living with roommates who became borrowed family. She deliberately did not seek out British communities abroad. After settling in San Diego with her husband and children, her perspective shifted. Rather than gravitating toward other British expats as she initially expected, her deepest sense of belonging emerged through friendships with American women, marking a significant transformation in how she experiences home and identity.

Read at Business Insider