“I find it very nostalgic” - Part 1 of the Living in Tbilisi Series

This is the first part of our ‘Living in Tbilisi’ interview series. Real expat parents, from all walks of life, living in Tbilisi and sharing their experiences. To get the ball rolling, I’ve interviewed…myself!

Laura | Australian | Homeschool mum and owner of ExpatKidsTbilisi.com

1.      When did you arrive in Georgia?

We arrived in October, 2024, so going on two years now.

2.      How many children do you have and what are their ages?

We have two daughters, 8 and 6 years old.

3.      What was your reason for moving here?

The cost-of-living in Australia, especially the taxes, just became too great and we were tired of getting squeezed out of the inner-city rental market.  We evaluated our options and chose the Republic of Georgia as the best fit for our needs – lowest tax rate, predominantly Christian, low crime, close to Western Europe (we have family in France, also), homeschool-friendly.

4.      What surprised you most about living in Georgia?

I’ll answer for Tbilisi because we haven’t explored much outside the city: it is in many ways still developing (e.g. terrible traffic and too-regular power outages), but there are pockets of Western-standard luxury as well.  I guess it comes down to your budget which side of Tbilisi you will see!

5.      Which neighbourhood in Tbilisi do you love the most, and why?

Personally, I love Vera for the coffee shops and beautiful architecture but as a family I’d say Vake for its parks.

6.      What are your kids’ favourite activities in Tbilisi?

Summer school at VKC, swimming lessons at 2P, art classes with Miss Kara at Creative Connections, and just pottering about in our garden and local street with the community dogs.

7.      What does a “typical” week look like for your family?

We tend to spend a lot of time at home as a family because we homeschool and my husband works from home.  For this reason, we chose to move from an inner-city apartment to a house with a garden in the outskirts of Tbilisi last year. Both of our daughters have additional needs but have just started attending part-time at the VKC micro-school in Didi Digomi.  They also do swimming lessons once per week, and church on Sundays.  

8.      Why do you think that Tbilisi is a good place to raise children?

As an older mum that grew up in the 90s, I find it very nostalgic that the children here seem uncorrupted by global media and are far less image-conscious than in the West.  Teenagers hang out with their friends in the evening in public spaces, alongside families with young children (bedtime here is late!), and it feels incredibly safe.

9.      Is there anything from your home country that expats shouldn’t expect to find here?

A warm welcome from the Georgian people.  Whilst not unfriendly, they don’t have an economy built on tourism and they see expats as foreigners with money who are pushing up the prices for locals.  The prices are not as low as you would expect because of the increased demand in recent years, and the standard of living is probably going to be lower than what you’re used to in Australia, the UK or USA. 

10.   Any services you’d like to see for English-speaking expat families in Tbilisi?

Well, this website directory is my offering to the expat community!  Otherwise, I’d really love to see something like a kids’ fitness bootcamp in the park or a Parkrun style event for families.  A world-schooling hub would be cool, too!

11.   Any advice for newly arrived or prospective expat parents looking to move to Tbilisi?

Get your kids into an English-speaking activity as soon as possible.  It takes a little while to find the English-speaking expats and there are many who are only staying short-term, which can make it difficult to find friends.  Chat to parents at the school gate or whilst they are doing their activities, attend a church, or start your own moms’ group!

12.   Where is your favourite place to spend time as a family in Tbilisi?

Last year, we spent a lot of time in Mziuri park last year as we lived right next door to it (the steps from the Gates of Mziuri are an adventure in themselves!)  However, now we live in a house on a hill with a beautiful view of the mountains, and being in our garden surrounded by nature is our own little piece of paradise.

We chose nature over proximity to the city