Expat Sisterhood: Finding Your Ride-or-Die Friendships Abroad

When I moved to Asia, I didn’t realize how deeply I’d crave someone who could see me. Not just “Hi, nice to meet you” see me—but really get me. Know my silences. Laugh at the same cultural mishaps. Catch the nuance behind my tone. I missed my people—the ones who understood me without explanation.

And then I met Kimberly.

We crossed paths at the international school in Ho Chi Minh City—two Black women raising three kids each, navigating new cultures, and quietly carrying the weight of being “the only one” in most rooms. At first, it was light—school pickup chats, shared nods of recognition, knowing glances. But it grew. Quickly. She became my person.

Then the world shifted. COVID hit, and suddenly our expat lives became smaller and heavier. Lockdowns, homeschooling chaos, eerie quiet. But through it all, Kimberly and I were each other’s lifeline. We swapped voice notes like therapy, laughed when everything felt uncertain, cried without apology. It was more than friendship—it was survival.

When I finally managed to leave Ho Chi Minh City at the tail end of lockdown, I was exhausted—physically, emotionally, spiritually. And then my phone buzzed. It was a message from Kim: “I found our business. I am bursting to tell you about this thing I am working on.”

That text? It cracked something open. It was fire. It was forward motion. It was us.

That was the beginning of FooFoo Fragrance—a scent-based brand rooted in memory, culture, and the essence of home. A love letter to the places we've been, the women we are, and the stories we carry. What started as healing became creation. What started as friendship became a partnership rooted in joy, intuition, and the kind of trust that only sisterhood can bring.

Now I’m in Sydney and she’s still in Ho Chi Minh. We’re in different countries, living different daily rhythms—but we talk every day. We run our business across borders, co-parent from afar, and stay anchored in the kind of friendship that doesn’t fade just because the scenery changes.

Having a friend like that completely changes how you experience a place. Honestly, I didn’t always enjoy Vietnam. There were hard days, deep homesickness, and moments where I questioned everything. But finding that friendship with Kimberly—along with a circle of other beautiful, brilliant women—changed everything. It was a game changer.

Now, I often catch myself saying, “I want to go home,” and what I really mean is—I want to go back to Vietnam. Not for the food or the weather or the motorbikes (though those are great too). I want to go back because that’s where I built some of the deepest, most affirming friendships of my life. That’s where I found sisterhood.

This kind of connection runs deep. It’s built on trust, shared experience, and the quiet strength of women showing up for each other—day after day, across time zones and seasons.

Have you found your ride-or-die abroad? The one who sees your greatness even when you’re in survival mode? Tell me about her in the comments. Or head to my Pinterest board for ideas on building sisterhood and sanctuary—no matter where in the world you land.