Expatability Chat

Moving overseas with teens - again!As my most downloaded podcast episode last season was about moving abroad with teenagers, I thought it was a good time to bring in an expert!So, this is an absolute mega-episode, where I have brought in the wonderful Emma Cochrane, Teen Confidence Coach.The wisdom and insight she has about this age group of children is astounding. Even if you don't have teens yet, you soon will do! You will be even better placed to prepare your children to move overseas with confidence.FIND EMMA HEREEMMA'S STOREHelping expats of all levels of experience build a successful life, career and family overseas.Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club - Your 'one-stop-shop' for succeeding abroad!Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options hereTake a look at my Expatability site for more details on how we can work together to make your expat life the dream life you want!Support the show

How to cope with feeling homesick as an expatMoving abroad is an exciting adventure filled with new opportunities, cultures, and experiences. An incredibly rich experience, offering opportunities to immerse yourself in a different culture, perhaps learn a new language and make new friends.   However, expat life is not without its challenges and there are bound to be a few bumps along the way.   One of the most common emotional challenges faced by expats, particularly those who are new to a country, is homesickness. (Well, the second most common – in my long experience in the expatosphere - the first most common seems to be expat guilt!).  Homesickness - This deep longing for one's home country, family, and familiar surroundings can affect expats at any stage of their overseas journey.   In this episode, we will explore what causes expat homesickness, how it feels, and strategies to cope with it. Helping expats of all levels of experience build a successful life, career and family overseas.Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club - Your 'one-stop-shop' for succeeding abroad!Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options hereTake a look at my Expatability site for more details on how we can work together to make your expat life the dream life you want!Support the show

Expats and emotional overwhelm: when everything just gets too much.It’s all just TOO MUCH!Emotional overwhelm that catches us at times regardless of where you are on your expat journey, whether this is your first move, or your 21st .Emotional overwhelm can hit anyone, at any time, in any place, and wherever you are in your expat journey. It can also be particularly strong at the start of a new school year as you work out new routines, timetables, expectations and challenges. When you just curl up into a ball and hide for a while but you can’t, because suddenly you have to do the school run again. When you’ve discovered school finishes at midday on Wednesdays, yet it takes you an hour to do the school run, so what’s the point of going back home… When your kids are having upsets, meltdowns, tantrums at least once a day and you feel like joining them.When you’re frustrated that your life isn’t the Insta-perfect expat dream you expected, when you’re missing the easiness of home.Discover what causes emotional overwhelm, how it can affect you, and most importantly, how to manage it to reclaim your brain and happiness.Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club - the only community you need, supporting you from home to away, and back again!Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options hereTake a look at my Expatability site for more details on how we can work together to make your expat life the dream life you want!Support the show

So, you want to move abroad? You're dreaming of retiring overseas? You've had enough of this country's weather/cost of living/government [delete as appropriate].You want to live somewhere else.But how do you make it happen?And where is the best place for expats, anyway?In this episode I will take you through all kinds of ideas and delve in to the 'Where', 'Why', and most importantly, the 'HOW' to make your expat dream come true,It's never too soon to make plans, but it may be too late. So you need to get cracking and listen to find out what to do.Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club - the only community you need, supporting you from home to away, and back again!Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options hereTake a look at my Expatability site for more details on how we can work together to make your expat life the dream life you want!Support the show

“I had to leave my baby in Dubai and return to the UK”No, this isn’t me being dramatic: this is the TRUTH for far too many expat parents. 😭 If you move overseas with your child, then spilt up with your partner, you may not be allowed to return home with your child.Immigration laws may also forbid you from staying in that country.You are stuck between a rock and a hard place. There is no happy ending.In this very special podcast episode I have the greatest honour to interview Roz Osborne, the Founder and CEO of GlobalARRK; the only charity specialising in helping stuck parents.Find out what a stuck parent is, how you can get help if this is you, and how GlobalARRK are working to get the law changed so that abusive and coercive controlling relationships overseas don't damage even more families and children.Please sign & share this petition to be a part of the change needed to ensure survivors reach safety and justice with their children after an abusive relationship abroad https://change.org/protecthaguevictimsVisit GlobalARRK for more details. To make a donation to our work supporting Stuck Parents please go to Just Giving: https://checkout.justgiving.com/c/3341832If you are a Stuck Parent do get in touch: info@globalarrk.orgGet expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club .Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options hereTake a look at my Expatability site for more details on how we can work together to make your expat life the dream life you want.Visit ExpatChild.com for more free information about expat life!Support the show

In this episode I dip my toes in to the world that is learning a new language. With a few quick tips on language learning for both you and your children.Even if you’re moving for just a couple of years or so, you’ll get so much more out of your stay if you can speak the lingo. I’ll share 5 reasons why an expat should learn the local language, however long you’ll be living in that country. And especially if you’re moving to an expat hub – get yourself out of the expat bubble and thrive!Also, I’ll offer you some quick tips to get you up and running. And most of what I talk about will apply to your kids as well as you.Then I move onto talking about what’s known as full immersion language learning, and the pros and cons of that... Whilst it’s generally acknowledged that full immersion into a language is the best way to become fluent, this is pretty stressful and not always possible. And I’ll share why I don’t believe that full immersion is always a good format for children and can be extremely damaging for some.Not learning the language will make your everyday expat life more stressful – like going to doctors, shopping or getting your paperwork done – simple things you’ve always taken for granted become minefields when you’re trying to navigate them in a foreign language.If you don’t speak the language, you will feel cut off from the country you live in.Remember, learning even a few words and phrases of a new language is inclusive and will open so many doors for you as well as boosting your confidence and giving you a massive sense of achievement.Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club so you can get your priority boarding pass when the doors to this very exclusive club are open.Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options hereAll my articles on Language Learning on ExpatChild hereCompanies who offer Language Courses on The Expat DirectoryTake a look at my Expatability site for more details on how we can work together to make your expat life the dream life you want!Support the show

How to prepare to receive your shipment – all the items that you packed into a lorry for container shipping.Or, to be more accurate, Preparing for the day all your shipped items get delivered.Because the actual unpacking takes way longer than a day… How to organise yourself before the lorry arrives so your unpacking day can go as smoothly as possible. What you need to have and do before the unpacking crew arrive.Tip: Don’t panic. And always know where your inventory is… 😉Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club.Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options hereVisit ExpatChild.com for more free information about expat life!Take a look at my Expatability site for more details on how we can work together to make your expat life the dream life you want!Support the show

From Malawi Expat to Mannequin Lady!This episode is a little different from all my others, as for the very first time, I have a guest on my show!This won’t be a regular thing, by the way, which makes it even more special. So, please meet the lovely Roz Edwards! Roz lived in Malawi for 10 years before repatriating, quite suddenly, to the UK back in 2004 with her two sons and four cardboard boxes.We talk about lots of aspects of expat and repat life, such as, raising kids overseas, entrepreneurship, repatriating, the timing of a move and, well, all sorts of things...!You can find Roz and her businesses here:RozEdwards.co.ukMannakinGet expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. If you'd like independent advice about your move overseas with a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options hereVisit ExpatChild.com for more free information about expat life.Take a look at my Expatability site for more details on how I can support you with your move abroadSupport the show

How to build an active and fulfilling social life for yourself overseas. When you live abroad an important element of your life is your social circle; your network, your support system. AKA Friends!“So, no one told you life was gonna be this way”Sometimes we can feel so lonely overseas that it causes big problems such as depression, wanting to go home and more. In fact, a lack of a support network is often cited as the number one reason for expat failure. So, let's prevent this from happening in the first place! Let's make sure that you've always got the tools to help you find your own support network, wherever you are in the world.So, how can you build an active and fulfilling social life for yourself overseas? In this episode, I’ll tell you how, and share 10 actionable tips you can use to build an active and fulfilling social life for yourself overseas.Making new friends as an adult can be challenging; making new friends as an expat doubly so, but it is definitely possible. It can take time and effort, but it's worth it.And I’ll share something really exciting to make sure that you always have your own support network with you at all times.So, whoever you are, wherever you are in the world, wherever you’ve come from, wherever you’ve been, wherever you’re going, I’ll be there for you. 🎶"I'll be there for you(When the rain starts to pour)I'll be there for you(Like I've been there before)I'll be there for you('Cause you're there for me too)"🎶Friends theme song by The RembrandtGet expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. If you'd like independent advice about your move overseas with a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options hereVisit ExpatChild.com for more free information about expat life!Take a look at my Expatability site for more details on how I can support you with your move abroadSupport the show

Did you move abroad for love?Long distance love stories for Valentine’s Day!Falling in love with someone while travelling or living in another country can be a magical experience. The thrill of adventure combined with the excitement of a new relationship can create memories that last a lifetime, and a relationship built on a mutual adventurous spirit.People move overseas for many, many reasons. Most move for a better life; however that may look for them.Some move abroad to study. Some move abroad to work. And sometimes those people end up falling in love – either with the country, or a person they meet there. Perhaps your partner has a career move abroad and you go with them. This is also moving for love, because you may have to sacrifice quite a bit - giving up your own career for example. This is the trailing spouse / accompanying partner story, and is mine – kind of… yes, I’ll share my own love story here too, of course!There are several variations on this theme as we’ll see in this episode of a compilation of love stories.Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. If you'd like independent advice about your move overseas with a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options hereVisit ExpatChild.com for more free information about expat life!Take a look at my Expatability site for more details on how I can support you with your move abroadSupport the show

How to cope with the comedown when you’ve moved overseas.Not long after you’ve arrived in your new country, there comes a time when it suddenly hits you – ‘Oh, is that it? Now what?’ You feel quite down and flat and wonder if you’ve made a terrible mistake.We all know that moving overseas is really exciting. It heralds great change, perhaps the hope of a better future and a better life. To most families it represents a new start in their lives both professionally and personally.But many new expats are shocked that it isn't all happy days and paradise living and begin to second guess their decision.It’s OK, this is a completely normal experience; and it can often hit harder after the holiday season, which is why I want to talk about it now.Why does this come-down happen? And what can you do to get through this feeling? Yes, through is the word I mean, because it is a transient feeling; it will pass.When it happens after you’ve moved, I call it the comedown, or the 6-month slump. And then we have the ‘expat blues’, which is a similar feeling, and is relevant to this time of year. See the links below for articles I’ve written about these.So, listen to this episode to learn coping methods, and tips to help you get through it, and once you understand why this feeling happens, you’ll be better prepared to power on through!Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options hereRead my article on The 6-month slump on ExpatChild.comRead my article on The Comedown on ExpatChild.comRead my article on The Expat Blues on ExpatChild.comVisit ExpatChild.com for more free information about expat life!Take a look at my Expatability site for more details on how I can support you with your move abroadSupport the show

Expect the UnexpectedCulture ShockExpats and the Holiday SeasonThese three topic were planned for separate episodes, but life events meant it made sense to see if I could fit them all into one episode, just in time for the Holidays! I think I succeeded 🤪 I wanted to talk about how strange and different, and sometimes upsetting these special holidays can be for expats living away from their home countries and families. And the reason these special, family-oriented dates feel so different and sometimes difficult is ultimately down to culture shock! As for the Expect the Unexpected bit? One of my favourite expat-mentoring mantras is 'Expect the Unexpected'. Some of the ‘unexpected’ is funny, some of it can be a bit frustrating, but we can usually steer ourselves through it all. Sometimes, however, that unexpected is a complete and utter blind-sider that nothing could have prepared me for. What happened? Well, listen and find out... Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options hereVisit ExpatChild.com for more free information about expat life!Join my Expat Parents' Support Group on Facebook Sign up to receive my Expat Newsletter to keep up to date and in the loop with everything I doSupport the show

Expat Guilt. The one topic guaranteed to fire some people up, the one topic that’s tormenting many of my readers, my groups, my tribe. The topic that gets the most attention, the most comments, the most bitterness, the most sadness and causes every shade of angst you can possibly imagine.Expat guilt can ruin your life overseas as you’re so busy thinking of others that you can’t truly live your own life. But you're not alone - believe me! Discover what expat guilt is about, what it’s for, how it can help you see your life choices from another’s perspective, and most importantly, how to manage these heavy feelings. Find out how to deal with your family’s feelings and how to cope with your own. I’ll give you the tools to help you escape the trap of expat guilt and move forward to a happier life abroad without neglecting your family and friends back home.Don't let expat guilt get in the way of the exciting life you deserve. You deserve to be happy in your life overseas!Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options hereFind my special 'Erase Expat Guilt and Reclaim Your Life' master class hereRead my article on Expat Guilt on ExpatChild.comVisit ExpatChild.com for more free information about expat life!Take a look at my Expatability site for more details"Guilt is a useless feeling. It’s never enough to make you change direction - only enough to make you useless."Daniel NayeriSupport the show

The very worst part of expat life. The Dreaded Phone Call telling you of the death of a loved one back home.And yes, this episode was prompted, and triggered, by the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth 2nd, as it came less than a week after the funeral of our own family member.That Dreaded Phone Call triggers a whole heap of thoughts and emotions, that pile on quicker than your brain can process. When you're living overseas and receive that call, the world feels huge and impassable, you feel small and out of control, and helpless. There is nothing you can do right now. It's beyond  overwhelming.Watching the news as Her Majesty’s children and grandchildren rushed to go to Balmoral to say their goodbyes will resonate with all, expat or not and parallels something many expats have to deal with. Most of us don’t have a private plane to hail, or a helicopter standing by. And we don’t have staff to help with the kids, or get us to the airport or anything like that. Yet, even with all that help on hand for them, and being in the same country, they still weren’t able to make it to her bedside in time.While our circumstances are wildly different, that journey is excruciating, regardless of your birth status. The journey will be burned into your memory yet blurred with pain as well. I try to share the pain with you while, as ever, giving you some tips to help lessen the load.Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options hereVisit ExpatChild.com for more free information about expat life!Support the show

Talking about reverse culture shock; the peculiar, alienating feeling you get when you move back home after living the expat life. And I do realise that I’ve not actually spoken about normal culture shock on this podcast yet (that’s a topic for the future!) but I wanted to get this one in now after the visiting home episode last month. Because a form of reverse culture shock can hit you even when you make a short visit to your home country after moving overseas. I’ll tell you what reverse culture shock is, how it shows itself and why it happens. And, of course, I’ll share tips on how to cope and work through any reverse culture shock symptoms.You’ll also learn the first rule of Ex-Expat Club… !“So, here you are too foreign for home too foreign for here. Never enough for both.”~ Ijeoma UmebinyuoGet expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options hereVisit ExpatChild.com for more free information about expat life!Support the show

Visiting your home country, maybe for the first time since you moved overseas, and how to plan it so you don’t have a nervous breakdown or fall out with everyone!For many expats this is the first opportunity you’ve had to visit your home country since the world turned upside down: since it shut down due to the COVID pandemic. Now the world is rebooting and you’re planning a visit to your home country – maybe for the first time since you moved abroad and will see your families and friends for the first time in about three years.Sharing tips for success from seasoned expats.Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options hereVisit ExpatChild.com for more free information about expat life!Take a look at my Expatability site for more detailsSupport the showSupport the show

Starting season 2 of the Expatability Chat Podcast with an episode all about me! Giving you a little insight into me, my life and what I do. Plus an explanation of what Expatability is, what that word actually means. Yes, I should have explained all that when I first started my expat podcast back in 2020 but I forgot!I also explain why I use the word ‘expat’ when it still upsets a lot of people – it will make sense when you listen, I promise.And I reveal a couple of case studies that give you an idea of why I do what I do – which is, of course, supporting expat parents with their move and life overseas.I’m here to help you live the expat life you dream about and deserve, with practical and sensible advice and information. Along with some sugar-free tips, no BS tips and tricks to help you on your way. If you’re planning a move abroad, or if you’re already living your expat life, or even if you’re planning a move back home, you’ve come to the right place! I offer you experienced insight, advice, and information so you and your kids can live your expat experience to the full.There are so many layers to this expat life that you need to know about, but often you don’t know what you need to know! And that’s what I aim to help you with. Knowledge is power!Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options hereVisit ExpatChild.com for more free information about expat life!Take a look at my Expatability site for more details, season 1 podcast episodes and ways you can work with me.Support the show

How to help your expat teen cope with movingA teenager is a young person in a transitional life phase – and you’re adding another transitional life phase on top of all this with the move abroad! This can be 'interesting'! Adolescence can be tricky at the best of times. However, if a teen is moved from their comfort zone and close friends without a lot of preparation and discussion, this stage of development can be more difficult to handle while in a strange place.Learn why moving is hard for teens and how what age you move for the first time makes such a difference.Discover what Expat Child Syndrome is, what to be aware of and how to prevent and manage it. Plus an insight into my views on the whole 'kids are resilient' belief.Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. To book a Power Hour call with me so we can dig deep into your plans, please check out my diary, here: Expat Espresso HourSupport the show

For very young children, moving house can be very hard indeed. They have become accustomed to their home, their room, their friends and their routines and to leave all this can throw them into confusion.Try to see life from a child’s-eye view. Without the benefit of years of life experience, with some extra imagination and knowing YOUR child’s foibles.The world of a child is unexpectedly complex and the things they worry about are not always the things we might expect. Added to this, their understanding of time, distance and space is very limited, so the concept of moving to a new home, in another part of the world, for a defined period, can be totally alien. By being aware of this, you will be able to help them understand it all a little better.It’s all basically down to recognising their child's eye view of life, communication, routines, and handing the some control in this big life-changing thing that's happening to them.Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. To book a Power Hour call with me so we can dig deep into your plans, please check out my diary, here: Expat Espresso HourSupport the show

Moving abroad with children; what to expect, how to prepare them and how to support them.When I started writing ExpatChild.com back in 2012 there wasn’t much information on moving overseas with kids. As I wanted a kind of guidebook to relocating with children, I decided to write one myself!This episode will be the start of a kind of series about this very topic: how to help your children have a smooth move into expat life.We all want the best for our children, and we all want them to experience the easiest possible transition, so in this episode I’ll start by sharing just a few of the amazing benefits your expat child can gain. You’re setting your child up to become a well-rounded, globally relevant and internationally aware adult. Then I’ll talk about timing: what is the best age to make the move abroad with your children? Is there a ‘best age’? And I’ll explain how different age groups cope and adapt. And also, the time of year can have an effect on how swiftly your child will adapt to their new expat life, so that’s something to consider too.Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options hereSupport the show