……finding a better way to make positive change
Niki’s story
While moving to a new country can be exciting and adventurous, it also has the potential to be challenging and sometimes can range from a little to completely overwhelming. In fact, in my own experience it can be all of those things in any given day!
For the majority of my adult life, I have been a nomad. I grew up as a third culture kid, and since leaving home at 18, I have “started over” in 5 different countries and lived on 3 continents. I have leapt into the unknown and made changes when I had nothing but the deep desire for a new adventure. I have moved to a new city with a job and I have moved to a new city without one. I have relocated with a partner, and I have moved alone.
Although many people thought I was living the “expat dream”, often I was struggling internally feeling very alone, isolated and overwhelmed. There are some hard truths about the expat lifestyle:
- Finding your new “tribe” takes time and effort and a willingness to step out of your comfort zone
- It can feel like you are on a rollercoaster of emotions
- Communicating in a foreign language can leave you feeling frustrated and misunderstood
- Culture shock is a real thing
- Your relationships back home will change
- Comfort eating doesn’t help 🙂
But after having completed so many moves of my own, I started to realise that although there is no formula for a smooth expat life (well, there is no formula for a smooth life for that matter!), and each experience is totally different and unique, there were some “basics” to focus on. With these in place you can make the transitions smoother, start thriving sooner and enjoy the many benefits an expat life can give you.
And simply by a lifetime of trial and error, I now feel like I am in a position to help those who are dealing with similar issues. After a career in global communications, I decided to retrain (which is a whole different story & blog!) to “pay it forward” and became a holistic coach. Through my coaching practice I support those dealing with big life transitions as well as those in burnout. Given my own background and experiences, I have attracted a client base mainly of expats – from the private sector, to large NGOs and UN agencies and third culture kids.
I work with people who don’t want to be paralysed by the often temporary nature of expat life, but who want to take charge of their life. My goal is to help my clients make sustainable and realistic changes to their lives and enjoy the process while doing so!
If you fancy having a chat to see how I could support you on your own journey or you’re curious about coaching and how it could help you, feel free to reach out on [email protected] or 079 368 0337.
A couple of quotes that inspire me:
You’re never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. – C.S. Lewis
Everyone smiles in the same language. – George Carlin
Do you agree with Nikki, is there no magical formula to making life work in a new place?
Has anything specific worked well for you?