This Expat Life

Before we dive in, last chance: doors to The Space - my DIY solo retreat for expats - close in a few days, on July 31st!

For years, business coach Elke van Eijk has built an international life shaped by curiosity, courage, and a willingness to embrace change, and based on one core value: freedom. But like many people living abroad, her journey hasn't always been straightforward. Behind every move, career decision, and new chapter came moments of uncertainty, self-reflection, and learning to trust herself.

In this episode of This Expat Life, Elke shares the experiences that have shaped her perspective on living internationally, navigating transitions, and creating a life that feels aligned with who you are—not who you think you should be.

Together, we explore what it means to build a meaningful life across borders, why personal growth often comes from the unexpected, and how embracing uncertainty can open doors to opportunities you never imagined.

Whether you're an expat, considering a big life change, or simply looking for inspiration to create a life that's true to you, this conversation is full of thoughtful insights and practical reflections.

Links & Resources:

📸 Connect on Instagram: @amandamaxime

 💌 Share your reflections: [email protected]

 🌐 Explore more: amandamaximecoaching.com

 📰 Subscribe to my weekly Air Mail

At the halfway point of the year, I opened my journal, looked back at the 3 big goals I'd set in January, and asked myself one simple question:

Am I becoming the person I wanted to become?

In this episode, I'm taking you behind the scenes of my first six months of 2026. I'm sharing where I've made progress, where I've fallen short, and the unexpected wins that I wasn’t seeing yet back in January (and they are GOOD!).

This check-in and my 3 goals come directly from my solo retreat that I do every December for the new year. And because I know summer often serves as a reset time too, with back to school vibes in September, you might also want to have a process that sets you up for the change you desire.

That’s why I re-opened doors to my DIY solo retreat The Space! I offered this two-day experience last December and it was a hit. You can join again now. Sign up, book yourself a nice cottage and go through the material that I’m giving you - yours to keep, so you can do it as often as you’d like!

Doors close on July 31st, sign up now! https://www.amandamaximecoaching.com/the-space

By popular demand, I put the replay of my masterclass Out of Expat Decision Limbo back up! Listen here. Available till Tuesday.

And then in this episode, I'm answering:

- Will you host another round? Because this is not the right time for me.

- What is the group like?

- When do we start?

- What do I exactly get?

- What if I can't make the live calls?

- I'm already doing therapy, is The Co-Pilot the right move now?

If you have another question that's not here, come to the Zoom session or send me a DM!

By popular demand, I put the replay of my masterclass Out of Expat Decision Limbo back up! Listen here. Available till Tuesday.

Lol 'a quick episode' has never been my thing but here's an episode with everything you wanted to know about The Co-Pilot before joining!

You'll hear:

- What exactly you're getting 

- The practical details

- Who is inside this community of amazing people

- What is possible for you after The Co-Pilot 

Ready? Sign up now! https://www.amandamaximecoaching.com/the-co-pilot 

Doors will close this Tuesday for the rest of summer. 

Laura had been living in Berlin for more than nine years, but after returning from a three-month sabbatical, she realized she couldn't ignore the feeling anymore. She was deeply unhappy in her corporate job and knew she wanted to move back to the UK - but instead of taking action, she found herself stuck in a cycle of overthinking, overworking, and waiting for life to change.

For two years, she poured all her energy into a job that no longer fulfilled her, while putting her own dreams on hold. She wanted someone - or something - to come along and change her situation for her.

Fast forward to today, and while Laura is still living in Berlin, everything has changed. She's back in the driver's seat of her life, creating the life she wants now instead of waiting until after the move, and confidently working towards her next chapter in the UK.

Listen to this episode to hear how Laura shifted from waiting to taking action - and why small steps can completely change the direction of your life.

And crave the same transformation as Laura? Let's have a call to see if The Co-Pilot is the right fit for you.

Links & Resources:

📸 Connect on Instagram: @amandamaxime

📰 Subscribe to my weekly Air Mail

What is the most expensive mistake I see high-functioning expats make? In this episode I share my observations!

Links & resources:

Visit my website

Book a call for The Co-Pilot 

Get out of expat decision limbo with my new FREE mini-journey The Roundabout Exit

Before we dive in, last chance to get your DIY solo retreat designed for expats! Get your two-day reset for just €149 (forever access). Doors close on July 31st. Sign up here: https://www.amandamaximecoaching.com/the-space 

Soraya - a Belgian coach living in Spain - rated her life abroad as a 7 out of 10, but still felt stuck. So stuck that she felt like living in a waiting room. She knew Spain wasn’t here long-term place - but where was her place?

Months passed and she wasn’t investing in her home, relationships and more. Till she realized no one was coming to change it for her, and decided to get into action.

Fast forward to today, and she’s moving to a whole new country - one that was never the easy choice. 

Listen to this episode to hear how Soraya made this happen!

Links & Resources:

📸 Connect on Instagram: @amandamaxime

🧳 Sign up for the priority list of The Co-Pilot

📰 Subscribe to my weekly Air Mail

Have you ever felt stuck at a crossroads, unable to make a decision no matter how much you think about it?

In this episode of This Expat Life, I explore something I see over and over again with expats and globally mobile professionals: the hidden autopilots that quietly influence our decisions.

What if the reason you're struggling to move forward isn't because you need more information - but because an unconscious pattern is running the show?

I share the five most common autopilots that keep people stuck, from overthinking and fear to busyness and guilt. You'll learn how these patterns show up in everyday life, why they can be so difficult to spot, and how to start making decisions from a place of clarity rather than autopilot.

If you're navigating a big life decision, feeling stuck between options, or wondering why you keep postponing the next chapter, this episode is for you.

Let me know which autopilot you recognized most in yourself!

Links & Resources:

📸 Connect on Instagram: @amandamaxime

🧳 Book a call to see if The Co-Pilot is the right fit for you

📰 Subscribe to my weekly Air Mail

Before we dive in, did you know that doors to The Space - my DIY solo retreat package for expats - are open just for the month of July? 😌 Book it here! Doors close on the 31st.

A few years ago, Martina and I met when she joined one of my coaching programs. At the time, she was deep in a burnout. After years of working in the humanitarian sector across the Middle East, South America, Eastern Europe, and Africa, her body had finally forced her to stop.

What struck me most about Martina wasn't just her impressive international career, but her willingness to honestly look at the patterns that had brought her to that point, like perfectionism and the belief that her worth was tied to how much she achieved.

In this episode of This Expat Life, Martina shares what burnout looked like from the inside, what recovery really required of her, and how her life has changed since.

We talk about working in high-pressure international environments, the warning signs she ignored for too long, and the mindset shifts that helped her rebuild her relationship with herself, her work, and her definition of success - especially now that she’s preparing for motherhood.

If you've ever struggled with burnout, perfectionism, people-pleasing, or the feeling that slowing down somehow means falling behind, I think you'll find a lot in this conversation.

Want to connect with Martina and hear her story? Tune in to the episode and let me know what resonates most with you.

Links & Resources:

📸 Connect on Instagram: @amandamaxime

💌 Share your reflections: [email protected]

🌐 Explore more: amandamaximecoaching.com

📰 Subscribe to my weekly Air Mail

From being a desert girl in Sedona, Arizona to now a single mom by choice of two back in Amsterdam, with a stop in NYC in between: in this episode I catch up with Charlotte van ‘t Wout.

Charlotte (also known as Celine Charlotte on Instagram) is a multiple 7-figure entrepreneur and has lived a global life. She was one of the first guests on the show (her saying yes to my pitch actually was the kick in the butt I needed to get started!) and shared about her life in the US in episode 3.

But a lot of things have changed for her since. She moved, twice. And she became a mom, twice.

In this new episode of This Expat Life we talk about these changes, how she’s finding life back in Amsterdam, now in a completely different phase of her life, and the cultural differences in motherhood.

Want to know more about Charlotte? Follow her on Instagram.

Let me know what you thought of this episode!

Links & Resources:

📸 Connect on Instagram: @amandamaxime

💌 Share your reflections: [email protected]

🌐 Explore more: amandamaximecoaching.com

📰 Subscribe to my weekly Air Mail