New year’s resolutions
I read recently (thanks Jerry Jones) that only 8% of people reach their new year’s resolutions. Eight percent!! That’s hardly any! But wait – that number changes to 65% if we have someone who keeps us accountable to that goal. And 95% if you make regular meetings with that person. That’s massive! Intention gets us […]
Christmas adventures and experiments
To be honest, I’m finding thinking about Christmas a little overwhelming this year. I’ve always found it a little tricky. To add to the chaos, I’m adding in trying to use less plastic. And that just makes it feel like there are even more choices and decisions to be made. About which things we can reasonably […]
Reframe your re-entry
What do you think of when you hear the word “re-entry”? What does it signal to you? The end of an adventure? A new beginning? Something you don’t really want to do? A relief? Your attitude towards re-entry has an impact on how you experience it. So I want to suggest that sometimes you need […]
Motivations
Why did you really go abroad? A bit of distance enables reflection on things that we couldn’t see at the time. Motivations are always mixed, no matter how pure we think they are at the time. Whether I like it or not (and am willing to admit it to myself at the time or not), […]
After the honeymoon
My last blog looked at the honeymoon phase of re-entry. We talked about how to make the most of that time after re-entry when you are feeling buoyant and have some energy. But what happens once those feelings of excitement wear off? When life in your home country is no longer very appealing; when it […]
The honeymoon period
We pretty much all have training when we go abroad these days. You’re taught about the “transition curve” with its three main phases: the initial period of excitement at being somewhere new and different followed by a slump as culture shock hits and then the curve gradually moves back up again as you acculturate and settle in […]
Revisiting the past
How often do we get the opportunity to revisit the past? To see which of our memories are real and which have become twisted over time? Allow me some personal reflections on our recent trip to Kyrgyzstan. The place we left with very mixed emotions eight years ago. A country we lived in for the […]
Rose-tinted re-entry glasses
How often during re-entry do you find yourself mulling over the great things about the country you just left? It has to be better than being in your home country and this re-entry lark, right? We all have a tendency to put on rose-tinted glasses when it comes back to thinking about our host country. […]
Expectations
How much disappointment, grief, anger, and negative emotions in general in life are caused by foiled expectations? I think it’s quite a lot. How does that work in re-entry? Without realising it, you return “home” with expectations and assumptions about all sorts of things! Whether you’re already home, or just planning to go home, checking […]
Re-entry is exhausting
Let me say that again, just in case you missed it. Re-entry is exhausting! So many of my clients have said to me how tired they are, months after coming home. In fact it’s not at all uncommon for people to find themselves still struggling with fatigue 18 months in. I don’t say that to […]
