When I arrived in this country for the first time, I cried all day long.
Lost in a new land
It was cold, rainy and grey.
I couldn’t speak the language. I couldn’t understand the people. Everything was so different.
It wasn’t what I had expected. The house was smaller and older, the town was crowded and polluted, everything was so expensive!
I was lost, lonely and powerless.
I felt I was in jail.
Except I hadn’t committed any crime.
Except I had chosen it: I was an expat and an accompanying spouse!
After a while though, I began to find my way.
I knew where to buy food that I could cook. I learnt a few words. I finally got an Internet connection!
It took me hours to sort out all the paperwork, arrange the furniture, open a bank account and secure a car.
It took me months to help the children settle. As an expatriate family, I worked hard to establish a close relationship with the school, the principal, the teachers. I can’t count the play dates, birthday parties and sleep-overs organized to help the kids building up a network of friends. I gave a hand for homework, drove everywhere for activities and lent an attentive ear for their joys and deceptions.
It took me a year to reconcile with myself. After having left my job, I realized that I was only defined by my relationship to others: mother of xxx, spouse of xxx. I had lost my financial independance and my place in our couple. I felt guilty. I grieved.
Time went on.
After I had finally begun to build a new life for myself and my family, after I had made a few friends, starting to enjoy life again… we had to leave. This is often what we have to live with as expatriates: uncertainty.
I felt empty.
All I had built fell apart.
Starting all over again?
I was desperate.
Was this supposed to be my life?
If you don’t want to spend your life starting all over again, you can choose to stay here and make friends for life.
Stability in an ever changing world, an anchor in the sea.
We all need stability in a moving environment: this is why I created this website, Expatriate Connection.
We all need to understand what happens to us: culture shock, third culture kids, struggle with identity, unresolved grief…
Come in, grab a cup of tea or coffee, make yourself comfortable. You’re at home.
Join our caring and vibrant community
Receive our FREE 7 part course to beat the expat blues
Get psychologically proven techniques to raise happy and healthy children (even teenagers!)
And start feeling better…
Oh, and if you’d like to have a chat or ask a question, connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter or send me an email at anne@expatriateconnection.com
You can also “like” the Facebook page of our little community. Looking forward to seeing you on the other side 🙂