Repatriating with children

repatriation with children - culture curve

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

returning during the pandemic - stay home

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 #2

coping in strange times 2 - gratitude

My last blog covered some of the basics of coping in these strange times we’re in: looking after ourselves, the importance of touch, imagining the future whilst also remaining fully rooted in the present. This post will offer a few more strategies and thoughts. Gratitude Many people incorporate some sort of gratitude practice into their […]

Covid-19 and reentry

covid and reentry

Who would have thought 2020 would start like this? Life re-defined as never before. Change happening so fast that you turn off your TV / phone and you’re out of date. As I write, the UK has just been tasked to go into greater lock-down because of Covid-19. No outings apart from the necessary; only […]

De-cluttering

Decluttering

We’ve just gone through practically the whole house, including the loft, getting rid of things we don’t want or need any more. We didn’t intend to do the whole lot – it just seemed to snowball from one room to the next. De-cluttering and making space. Children’s books; old lego models; games; annuals; DVDs; clothes; […]

Re-entry seasons

re-entry seasons - spring

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

resettlement coaching - seedling in hands

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

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

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

endings - signpost dead end

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 […]