When Your Move Abroad Doesn’t Work Out

Four Common Disruptions and Five Ways to Keeping Moving Forward Sometimes, despite our thorough planning, preparations and intentions, the move to another country does not work out as expected or what you hoped it would be. For reasons beyond your control, the relocation can take an unexpected turn and have you headed to the airport and on the next flight!  Other times, the reason for leaving can simply be an intentional decision you made based on personal factors. Whatever the ...

Four Avenues to Explore a Higher Education Career Globally

Ways to Work in Academic or Student Administration in Other Countries Working abroad in higher education is not a new exploration, as faculty have been moving and working in other countries in their areas of expertise for decades. However, working in the administrative side of higher education in other countries has been rare because it typically requires fluency in the official language. Due to the nature of their duties, administration positions connect with local staff and support systems ...

Holiday Season Tips for New Expats, Home Away from Home

Making your new location ‘home’ for the holidays Being in a new country before the holiday season can be overwhelming. Whether you have been in your new location for days, weeks, or months, I hope you can find ways to enjoy the season rather than just muddling through it. The holidays can seem long depending on your location. They can stretch for several months, from November to February, based on which holidays you celebrate or those commonly observed in your location. Regardless ...

Expat Living: Giving Back as an Act of Thanksgiving

Thankfulness by Giving to Others As you can expect, there is a privilege that accompanies living, working, and thriving in another country. That privilege often comes with both financial, emotional, professional, and physical well-being. One of the things I think is essential in our journeys from country to country is to contribute intentionally and personally to your environment — give back. As I am from the United States, I think about November and its major holiday at ...

Could Impostor Syndrome be Interfering with your International Move?

Recognizing and Managing Impostor Syndrome while Moving Abroad Moving abroad can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but for many people, it can also be accompanied by feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, and self-doubt. For some making this leap of faith, impostor syndrome can creep into your mindset and distract your planning. It may be true for those who experience impostor syndrome, a phenomenon where individuals feel like they are not good enough or don’t belong, despite having ...

Six Ways to Use Your Existing Career for a Move Abroad

Expat employment options for career professionals or freelancers to explore opportunities abroad In recent years, we’ve witnessed a noticeable shift in the way people work, and it has been accompanied by a fresh new perspective on the workspace and employment options. The pandemic was a catalyst that helped many employees and employers realize that work no longer needs to come in the form of a commute, cubicle, 9–5, rinse and repeat! Moreover, this has also fueled curiosity and ...

The Value of Taking a Sabbatical as a Higher Ed Administrator

Why taking a career break is self-care In the world of higher education, a sabbatical is typically associated with faculty members. Tenured faculty take their sabbatical for up to a year; it is typically to conduct research, be a visiting professor at another school, or pursue something of interest within the academic career. Sabbaticals are not often given or associated with university administrators, even at the senior level of administration. Not only are they not often associated, but ...

Take Your Career Abroad Tips 

Seven action steps for planning your career transition to another country As you contemplate your monthly, quarterly or yearly planning, have you been thinking about taking your career abroad? Guess what - it is always the right time to get started. Now is the perfect time to create a plan to follow your dream of becoming an expatriate (expat). I’m here to share seven personal career actions you can start now. We will use the upcoming weeks left in the year to do active planning toward your ...

Downsizing to Become a Digital Entrepreneur

Empowering aspiring globetrotters to try global mobility I’ve gone from being a full-time expat living and enjoying the comforts of home in one country to being on the ‘road’ in many countries. As such, my life has transformed significantly in the past three years. When I started this journey, I left Singapore in June 2019 with 34 boxes that went into storage for an unknown final destination. Amidst the global shipping challenge of the pandemic, in June 2020, those 34 boxes ...

Expat Health Insurance — Choosing and Staying Protected

Your Health Matters — Are you Insured? Your health is important, and having Expat health insurance helps you protect it. We are here to provide you with various considerations to help you plan for Expat health insurance needs. Before taking the plunge to move to a new country, it’s important to have a roadmap for all aspects of your new life abroad. Every country or location has the potential for interruptions or disaster. Also, if you wait until you are sick, your business ...

Four Ways to Socially Adjust In Your New Country

Simple steps to help ease expat anxiety and build community Relocating to a new country, be it a city or countryside, can be an emotional rollercoaster, even if you have moved a few times before solo, with a partner, or as a family. The first week or two can be fun as you learn about your new location. In fact, it might start to feel like you are on vacation. However, as time moves on, you will need to do the actual work of settling in and making this new place your home. Having solo traveled, ...

Four “Getting Settled” Tips for a New Expat

Expat Transition becomes easier with these initial steps As you pack your suitcase, manage your emotions of leaving, and say your goodbyes, you also need to think practically about your new location. Whether you are a new expat or a long-term nomad, there are four crucial activities you should complete as part of your move-abroad preparation. Previously shared Four Tips for Moving Abroad but now that you have taken the leap, here are four activities you need to do or think about ...

Are You Ready to Reposition?

Take a pause to assess how life is going and what matters Occasionally, we need to pause and reflect on what is happening in our life. If for no other reason other than self-awareness. It will lead us to seek our best interests and direction. As a career professional in my 30’s, I learned the hard lesson of not prioritizing myself and my well-being. I had transitioned to the corporate world from higher education and loved what I was doing, but it took its toll. Even since then, I ...

Being Thankful for the Intangibles

As we close out the Thanksgiving season in the United States, I want to share what I'm thankful for this year although I am not there. Giving thanks and expressing gratitude is an intricate part of my life that I do not often share except with those in my inner circle but this year, I would like to take the time to publicly share five simple things from my expat life that are important to me. Sunshine I love the sun but the sun doesn't always love me because I get sunburned. I treasure the ...

Reflection: Women & Self Worth

In the early months of 2021, I recall seeing an article floating around social media in my higher education spaces. The headline “Lesley Lokko resigns as Dean of CCNY’s Spitzer School of Architecture” and the black woman’s composure in the photo struck me, so I clicked and read it. By the time I got to the end, I experienced a range of emotions from anger to sadness, and finally gratefulness. I was thankful for the action of Dr. Lokko and her ability to place her mental health, ...

Do I Need to Learn a Language to Live Overseas?

You have been thinking of moving abroad, but your less-than-positive language experiences have you thinking twice. No need to be overwhelmed; learning the local language or dialect is not always a necessity for a move to all countries. Yes, not knowing the language can get you frustrated, whether you’re at the grocery store or completing paperwork. But let’s face it; you have some of those same nuances at home now. So wouldn’t you rather be living abroad and gain experience, ...

Stress Less: Managing Those Expat Frustrations

Your dream move and location will frustrate you, guaranteed! Even after all the planning, preparation, connecting with others, and checking all the boxes on your list, life in your new location will come with some headaches. Some may be familiar while others will be quite different. Regardless of your level of experience living abroad, be prepared for frustration when you arrive in any new country, as both new and long-term expats are not immune from some discomfort. While you adjust and ...

How Expat Life Intersects with Maslow's Theory

Blending my work and lifestyle together - Student Affairs at Work As an expat or digital nomad, you can have a life of being on the go. You may change your country every few years or cities every few weeks. In either case, you might find yourself managing some typical interpersonal emotions associated with your chosen lifestyle. Being an expat myself, I find that my path has been filled with a constant change in relationships. Actually, this can be quite common for many of us who are global ...

Expat Life in Singapore

Facts About Singapore Singapore, known as one of the world’s wealthiest countries, is located in Southeast Asia. Its capital is #Singapore as this is a city-island nation with a population of approximately 5.8 million. Its diverse culture emanates from the Chinese, Indonesian, Malaysian, Indian and Western civilizations. The most predominant religion is Buddhism. Other celebrated religions are Christianity, Taoism, Hinduism, and Islam. Singapore is a unitary parliamentary constitutional ...

Pursue Your Move Abroad, the World Needs You

Start Your Move Abroad Planning We have learned alternative ways of managing our life during our global health pandemic,  political challenges, or economic changes. With this in mind, have you been rethinking your #moveoverseas? Or have you changed your mind about moving? Delayed for the time being, or now more convinced to pursue your move? I am here to tell you not to discard your dream or plan. Yes, the world is experiencing unprecedented shifts from a health crisis to a geopolitical ...


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