About

Desperate Diplo Wife

Writer, Photographer and illustrator

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My name is Cécile and I’m what you could call a “Junior diplomatic spouse”. I left my career as an economist in Brussels, packed my 2 kids and 265 boxes to join my diplo-husband in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates, same country as Dubai).

As I entered this diplomatic world, I saw an exciting opportunity: misconceptions. Indeed, people don’t have the right image of diplomats, and even more so, of their partners. People see us as boring followers with a life made of champagne nights. To kill some myths but also tell our adventures (because, let’s face it, it’s a crazy life), I created this Desperate Diplo Wife character on Instagram and opened a blog. Until my husband is assigned a new posting somewhere else in the world, I’m taking care of my kids and I’m writing my devious way to see the world here, trying to be funny and real.

I’m also a photographer. I like to capture emotions not to forget them. Kids are my favorite models. They never hide their feelings! Abu Dhabi offers perfect backgrounds for photoshoots; beach, desert, oasis, architectural marvels, whatever you favor, the light is always perfect!

2020 made me discover a talent for illustrating! I started painting and drawing as stress-reliever and ended up taking commissions for custom art. Go with the flow they say…

Going from a full-time job, to stay at home mom, to freelancer made me appreciate each position for what it is. Reinventing yourself isn’t easy, but once you found something you like, go for it! You won’t regret it!

You might also have heard about me as the founder of the Diplomatic Spouses Association Worldwide (DSAW). A little connecting idea that became a big exchange platform for almost 5.000 diplomatic partners around the world.

I’m loving every minute of this expat life. The people we meet, the things we learn, it’s not always easy (it’s actually far from it), but it’s very rewarding. 

I’m happy to build a community of moms, expats, diplomatic spouses, food lovers, and open minded people!

Stay connected with me!

What Do I do?
  • Writing (Blog, article, copywriting,..)
  • Illustrations: water-colour paintings and drawings.
  • Photography (family – portraits)
  • Connecting (Networking)