Today, it’s Thanksgiving here in the United States. It’s my favorite American holiday; a whole day dedicated to giving thanks. History tells us that this celebration began when colonists and Native Americans shared an autumn harvest back in the 1600s. Many cultures throughout times shared similar traditions commemorating the bounty of the fall harvest. With […]
Start where you are. Where you are is perfect. When you’re going through a life transition (divorce, marriage, empty nest,career change, etc.), or a location transition (moving for work, need or joy), it’s tempting to wait until things settle down, to then work on your goals. If you feel lonely, your furniture shipment is stuck […]
Did you know that moving is one of the major stressors in life? Surprisedly, it’s known to be one of the top five most stressful life events, along with divorce and the death of a loved one. If that’s so, how postponing settling down during an international relocation can affect expatriate transitions? As I embark […]
What do heart and spirit have in common? When combined they create courage. Accordingly to René Brown, originally courage meant “To speak one’s mind by telling all one’s heart.” However, how many women living between cultures dare to speak from our hearts when we first arrive at a new location? There are many reasons why […]
Most expatriates don’t fear a new adventure. That would contradict their chosen lifestyle. And a large number of expats seek out and thrive because of their new explorations. Recently, I was asked how a sense of adventure helped me during my international journey. Adventure is not hard to experience if you are open to new opportunities, […]
Open to the Unexpected It’s exciting and sometimes rewarding being open to the unexpected when we are arriving at a new location. Would you believe if I told you that my husband and I walked into an Alpine Descend of the Cattle Procession without planning? And, that our only intention for Sunday was to take […]
If you arrive at a new destination and keep longing for your prior one, have you arrived at all? Imagine instead, if you land somewhere in the world and feel at home, even temporarily, and create happiness for you and those around you. Aren’t you then starting your transition on the right foot while in […]
I’m currently in the middle of a big life (recent empty-nester) and location transition (moving to Switzerland from the United States), and decided to write daily blog posts and give you a peek into the life of a S.T.A.R. – Spouse Traveling and Relocating Successfully. I like to think that I’ve become a successful S.T.A.R. […]
When we’re moving to a new destination to embrace a new adventure or just because it’s the best opportunity for our families we often fantasied about our new homes. Our initial assumption is that if it’s abroad, it must be exciting. But the truth is most new things are appealing because they are a novelty. […]
Do you know that more than half of the world’s population is bilingual? Bilingual families are those whose members use two or more languages (or dialects) for communication. In our home, we speak mainly Portuguese and English. At occasions, when my husband and I don’t want to be understood by those around us, we speak […]
If you have been an expatriate for a long enough time you might agree that we all go through cultural surprises and some degree of cultural shock from time to time. Adjusting to a new culture can be challenging even when we have moved all over the world and may consider ourselves experts. Just recently, I notice […]
ExpatJoy Blog is becoming a reality due to my passion for communication, learning from others and sharing information on living the expatriate life. In my experience, our fellow expatriates are our best source of help and information when it comes to living abroad. There is a sense of camaraderie among the members of this community as […]
