I know, it sounds counterintuitive to plan for the unexpected, but just hear me out – there is a case to be made for doing just that. One of the big questions for anyone relocating to a foreign country is how to handle relationships and practical matters back home. It’s an issue that gets easily lost […]
While cleaning out an old moving box recently I found a list tucked inside an old diary. It was a to-do list of sorts and the three top items said: Get a summer job Buy/find/make a pair of black pants Cut hair short I was 14 when I wrote this list and I did get […]
At about halfway through the summer each year, I start noticing newspaper articles discussing the strain vacation puts on couples. The gist of most of these articles is that heightened expectations (that are not well communicated), in combination with spending extended time together without the regular framework of everyday life, exposes communication deficiencies within a […]
This month has been all about communication and language and the impact both have on those settling someplace new. It struck me that the two have a lot to do with one of my favorite pastimes: reading. And since we’re in the middle of summer vacation, I figured – what better time to share some […]
If our ability to communicate is what defines us as humans, then why aren’t we better at it? If you consider that something as simple as the “V-sign” hand gesture has completely different meanings depending on where you are – it’s a symbol for peace in the USA, while signaling contempt and rudeness in some […]
As I am writing this, I have just spoken to my mom back in Sweden about the day’s Midsummer’s Eve festivities. It was getting to be evening, and things were winding down, but it sounded like they had had a really good time. It’s morning for me so I still have time to figure out […]
Watching my now mostly adult children navigate the world around them, I can’t help but think that this planet would be a more understanding and tolerant place if more of us had grown up the way they have, with several cultural heritages to influence them, and with the opportunity to get to know different parts […]
Whenever I speak to fellow internationally relocated people about their first few years abroad and how they went about building a social life, I am struck by how almost all have stories about this one person who was the “initial difference maker”. These are the people who get you comfortable and confident enough so that […]
Managing the excitement and the expectations of a summer visit home can be tricky – it’s not only your own expectations you have to consider, but those of your friends and family back home as well. Time, or the lack thereof, is probably the biggest problem for expats returning home on vacation. It’s not uncommon […]
It’s no secret that helping others makes you happy. It’s been studied and documented that the brain releases feel-good chemicals when you do something good for others. So it’s probably not news to anyone that the act of volunteering has a positive effect far beyond the actual volunteer work performed. It’s pretty well established that […]
For many, the opportunity to live abroad is a dream come true. And really, who wouldn’t be excited about the chance to develop a deeper knowledge about a new culture, its people, traditions and foods. The possibility of exploration is one of the great draws for many expats — it was certainly one of the […]
It’s amazing what a difference a couple of months can make. When my son was heading back to his overseas college after Christmas break, he was feeling pretty down about spending the next few months far away from home. He had a tough first semester, feeling very homesick and out of place. He was thinking […]
