A trailing spouse, for those of you not on the expat circuit, is a wife (normally, but there are some husbands) who have moved abroad for the sake of their other half’s career.

Generally, in Egypt, Trailing Spouse does not work (either because of spouse’s company regulations, or just because it’s nigh on impossible to get a working visa once you are already in the country) and has a lot of free time on her hands. There is the gym, art classes, golf tournaments, shopping trips, day excursions, organisation of the household staff and children’s activities. Often the free time gets consumed in one gulp by trying to carry out just ONE task each day. Not because she is lazy, but because it takes ages to get anything done here.

Trailing Spouse is often in a precarious situation, particularly if her marriage is not stable. Not uncommon are the stories of wives who have been dumped while taking children back to visit relatives in the home country over the summer. In one fell swoop they move from fairly relaxed days to a nightmare of organising a house in the home country, enrolling their kids in school and trying to explain to upset children that after the holidays, they will not be joining Daddy, will not be getting their toys and will not be seeing their school friends. And why. Never mind the stories of access being denied to joint bank accounts and organising a divorce while husband is shacking up with a new woman in the foreign country.

Life as Trailing Spouse is not always easy.

I am not Trailing Spouse. Key to being a trailing spouse is the ’spouse’ part. This is where I fall on shaky ground. I am, however, trailing. So, it would appear, I am Trailing Grouse. That’s right, a trailing Scottish bird.