This Expat Life

It's one of the things every expat at some point struggles with: friendships. It may be hard to find them abroad, to maintain your friendships back home, or to stay connected to new friends as you or they move again.

But here is Sarah Siegert, expat friendship coach who's dealt with all of the above herself. Having moved abroad to the UK for her partner, she found herself feeling lonely as it struggled making new friends. After applying techniques she learned in coaching, she was able to turn her situation around and find meaningful connections. And now she helps other expats with this!

Tune in to hear:

- Sarah's story (you're not alone!)

- Why you should break down & change your thoughts when you find it difficult to make friends abroad

- About an exercise to slowly change & practise your new beliefs

- What to focus on when you’ve just moved abroad and are looking for new friends

- About staying connected to friends back home

- When new friends in your host country move back home

You can find more about Sarah here. And you can download the free pdf guide she mentions in the episode here.

When I shared that I was moving to Rio I got the same questions over and over again.. Some of which even made me laugh! In this episode I answer them all, also hoping to inspire you to make a similar move, whether that's to Rio or elsewhere.

Listen to this episode to know:

- Why I chose Rio

- If I'm going to work there

- Why 6 months

- If I still have a lot of friends here

- What visa I'm on

- What happened to my cats

Let me know if this episode helped you in any way and if you have any other questions!

Expats do one thing more often than those who stay at home: moving! I feel like organising & clutter are relevant topics for expats simply because they have to go through their belongings more often than others. And plus, all the things you keep because they remind you of when you lived in country X...

Because I struggle immensely myself with decluttering and organising (😅), I've invited professional organiser Manuela Weiss on the show. Manuela is Brazilian, has lived in Italy and is currently based in the Netherlands, so also from a personal point of view she's knows expat moving all too well.

Personally I always like to use the end of the year for some decluttering, so I can make space for the new year. You might want to try this out as well.

Listen to this episode to hear some valuable and practical tips on organising your home! 

If you want to know more about Manuela and her services, you can find her on Instagram. 

Christmas... I LOVE the holidays but they are also a trigger for me. Having grown up with difficult and unconventional family dynamics, the who/what/where of Christmas was always a question mark, bringing up a lot of anxiety.

I assumed that things would get better as I got older, but this year as I find myself single & parentless in my mid-30s, I've realised that damn, Christmas is still a question mark 😩 I'm craving some unconditionality around my favourite holiday so that I don't need to wonder where I'm going to celebrate it this year.

But no need for a pity parade as I learned about a principle that helped me change my mindset many years ago, when I was stuck in Brazil, with a rare parasite, my dad in the hospital, no family or boyfriend around, and a tiny fake Christmas tree in a tropical environment 😅

A not-so-perfect Christmas but the mindset shift worked its magic. And it's a principle I still apply every year!

Listen to this episode how you can apply the principle yourself, and to hear some additional tips I have for you, whether you are far away from your loved ones, single, heartbroken, grieving or dealing with challenging family dynamics. You are not alone! 

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New Year New You... Is it really possible? I think it is!

Listen to this episode to hear what has been a game-changing method for me when it comes to reaching my goals and what has helped me to go confidently from diplomacy to coaching & entrepreneurship.

I also share the 4 elements that I include in my loooong 'December ritual' every year to create a super strong foundation for myself for the next year, so that I can really live my best year yet.

Careers... One of the main topics for high-achieving expats! But  what can you do to build your professional personal brand, find job leads in the host country, and stay up to date on opportunities in the home country if you know you're returning?

LinkedIn is the place to be! According to Nyna Caputi, LinkedIn expert and one of LinkedIn's Top Experts in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

In this episode, Nyna shares how she got started and what you can do to make LinkedIn your professional playground. Besides a ton of practical tips to get the most out of your profile, network & content, she repeatedly shared one nugget of wisdom which I truly agree with. A mindset shift that will get you into action.

Curious to find out? Tune in!

You can find Nyna here on LinkedIn, and me here (feel free to connect with us!).

PS. My new course Touch Base is out! Join for just €97, doors close on 3 July

The one part of expat life I don't know at all... Moving abroad with your family! I always moved abroad as a solo expat so what it's like to move with kids is very foreign to me. Reason to speak with Betina Pflug, a Brazilian expat in Australia who helps expats & their families to navigate life abroad!

Listen to this episode to hear how Betina approaches family life and expat journeys, and the practical tips she has to help families feel at home abroad.

If you would like to know more about Betina, follow her on LinkedIn or take a look at her website Wity Coaching.

Taking small decisions in daily life? Not my forte. But the big bold life moves? No problem!

I recently decided to move to Rio and I took that decision in just 4 days. Easy peasy! But I know not everyone finds these big decisions easy. So in this podcast I share how I came to that decision and what helps me generally in the decision-making process, hoping to inspire you to decide on your own bold moves.

Like my tips? 

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Expat life takes a lot of energy and just like with entrepreneurship, you also need to rely a lot on yourself. Whether it's about finding friends or mentally picking yourself up during a low, it's all down to you.

That's why it's KEY to keep your energy in good shape. If you want to thrive in your expat life, you want to ensure your energy supply.

In this episode I share about:

- the different types of energy that I see

- what I do when one of them is lacking

- my non-negotiables to keep my energy high

- things I do when I'm experiencing low energy.