Repatriating with children
Repatriating with children brings a new dimension to going home. Find advice for helping them adjust in this blog post.
Returning during the pandemic and grief
Re-entry is tough at any time, but returning during the Covid-19 pandemic is all the more tricky for a number of reasons. As things start to open up again (I speak from the UK here – apologies if you are somewhere who doesn’t have that hope…yet), the thing that strikes me most is that we […]
Coping in strange times
The lock-down continues. How are you coping in these strange and different times? Are you in your host country, unable to go out and work? Or maybe you’ve been repatriated to your home country and are trying to settle without the possibility of “normal” life. Or perhaps you were on leave when lock-down happened and […]
Re-entry seasons
The recent demonstrations from Extinction Rebellion have been quite a talking point in our house this year. My husband took part in the big one in London in April, but couldn’t make it in October. We love what it stands for and yet question the timing of it this time round, just as Brexit is […]
Resettlement coaching
Several people have asked me lately about what I do to help people adjust to their home country. Or they weren’t clear that it is something I do. So I thought I would try to spell it out in a blog so you have a clearer idea. Re-entry or resettlement coaching is about accompanying you […]
Finishing Well
It’s that time of year when many people are packing up, saying their goodbyes and leaving for other pastures. Whether moving on to a new assignment or returning to your passport country, finishing well in your current location is vital for a smoother transition. What happens if you don’t finish well? You may leave with […]
Films and Re-entry
I’m always fascinated when I find films that portray re-entry or relocation in some sort of way. Have you ever watched something then realised that the film-maker has nailed it? They’ve caught one of those moments that takes you right back into your own world. They always make me cry. Goodbyes and hellos in films […]
Endings
One of the key things about transition is that it involves an ending. That’s what sets it all off. William Bridges defines the stages in his book The Way of Transition: Endings, Neutral zone and new beginnings. He also goes on to break down the Endings into smaller components, which I will consider in this […]
Debriefing
Have you ever tried to talk to someone about your overseas experience and been met with a blank look, or the glazed-eye-expression? Or found that someone immediately moves the conversation on to their own favourite toilet story? Or that time when they were in that place the opposite side of the continent to you? In […]
Time to experiment
Transitions happen at various times in our lives. Relocation, retirement, parenthood, feeling stuck in our career, .. there are many things that lead to transition. And re-entry is one of them. There are loads of tips out there on surviving transition, things like: journalling looking at the big picture dreaming about / imagining what could […]
