There has been something in the works on the family front that happened slowly at first, then all of a sudden.
Today, I am finally able to share it with you. The footprint image I´ve included is a “tiny” hint.
Big Announcement Nr. 1: Our next steps lead to South Africa.
At the end of the the month, I will be packing my bags to return to my “womb” home to spend a few weeks with family and do coaching while my kids get spoiled by their grandparents. We will hop back into a plane in the direction of South Africa in July so we can get settled before the start of the school year.
Among other reasons, this move is welcome as it brings our family split across continents together sooner than expected.
This also means I am halfway through being a de-facto single mom while my husband is away. It goes without saying that I have immense respect for single parents (including military spouses who hold the ship down for months on end while living with uncertainty).
The unending effort required to keep the ship afloat while your other half is away, managing a family and building a business is certainly a test of the mind, body and spirit.
So you have got to celebrate the little wins.
Looking back at the past five months, I am celebrating:
- Delivering a 4-day training on global collaboration to top talent for an industry leader.
- My youngest son only had to wear his big brother´s underwear once.
- I´ve managed both my client load and made it to my children´s special school events.
- Bringing healthy food on the table for my kids – and yes pizza counts as healthy in my book.
- I´m still standing!
You might also be in the middle of a big transition or particular challenge that is testing you on many levels. If so, I want you to take a step back right now and reflect on what you are proud of accomplishing in the last few months. Be especially mindful to celebrate the little stuff.
The good news for you?
- New challenges and a new cultural context for me means on-going fresh insight that I am happy to share with you every step of the way.
- For those of you who have been with me since Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso I am most excited about the high-speed Internet and ability to do video without the headache (if you missed the article Expat Life is a Pain in the *** you might want to check it out to see what I am talking about.)
- If you are currently a client, this also means no big timezone disruptions, so business as usual (apart from a few days off while I am slurping down airplane food and bribing my children with gummy bears to hold out for “just one more hour” as we cross the globe).
One special request: If you are South African or have lived as an expat in South Africa, I would love to hear from you!
- What are your top 3 tips to make the best of it?
- What are 3 common mistakes that I should avoid?
Send me an email or add a comment below to let me know.
Big Announcement Nr. 2: If you are in Switzerland, we can meet in person this weekend!
Join me on 12 June in Basel at the Expat-Expo – it is free!
Please drop by and introduce yourself. If you get there early enough, I will have a special little treat for you. Plus you´ll get the chance to win a special prize from me valued at 400 CHF.
You can find all of the details at Expat-Expo.
Big Announcement Nr. 3: I have invited a special guest, just for you!
We all know how much planning, preparation and endurance vacations abroad entail – especially if you are hauling around children, car seats, suitcases and jet lag.
That is why I did a special summer video series last year on all that you need to know before you go, how to make the best of it once you get there, and what to do to best cope with expat re-entry blues when you get back. This year I am taking it a step further by inviting Krisha Young, a health and lifestyle expert, to join the conversation.
Krisha is an unapologetic food nerd who helps her clients learn how to easily achieve and maintain optimal health. Starting 21 June I´ll begin sharing with you an exclusive three-part video series on how to make the best of expat vacations through the lens of health. Don´t miss out on these expert tips, including how to maximize your energy, simple tricks to boost your immunity when traveling, foods to include and avoid, and even how to avoid feeling like crap the next day if you plan on celebrating with friends! I´m so excited to share this with you!
Here is to new adventures.
