Have you ever felt like this? 
How about like this? 
Culture Shock: Is the bacon really worth it?
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Tag Archives: Expats
6 Lessons From Change Ready Kids: On Life Outside of “Normal”
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Do you know anyone that is struggling with a change in his or her lives right now? Do you know any organizations that are in the midst of extreme change and sinking instead of swimming? Are you aware that 3 of the top 10 Critical Human Capital Issues for 2013 are CHANGE related?
A series of events in our expat journey has convinced me that anyone that has grown up as an expat child has developed wisdom and skills that will help others navigate change. So I asked a couple of friends to share their experiences. (Special Thanks To: Amy Murphy & Lynette Elrod Hudson for sharing their stories!)
After hearing their stories, 6 lessons stand out:
1. Provide vision and stability in the midst of extreme change.
“When we moved to a new country, my dad would go ahead and scope things out and then come back with great stories of what he had found. Sometimes he would be gone a month or two as he started a new job and found a house and we finished that year in school, so when he got home we were just happy to go wherever it was to be together.” Lynette
2. Form relationships with people based on their character, not the color of their skin …Or the shape of their face!
“The first time I realized that people of different races looked different was in 3rd grade. (I’d been an expat child since I was two.) I thought my classmate had a flat face and I asked, “Why?” Amy
Thankfulness, Beauty and Struggle ~ In a Foreign Land
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In my first two days in the midst of the foreign land that I struggled to move to, and as I began to wear my “cloak of invisibility” each time I left the compound ~ I met a family that had lived outside of Paris for a few years. (That is a destination I would have preferred!) The mother of this family shared how much more thinking and planning she had to do to get her two children around while they were there with no car. Planning transportation routes, figuring out how much time it would take, preparing snacks before they would get on the trains, having to go to multiple stores to grocery shop.
Wow, what a perspective change!
Immediately I felt a wave of thankfulness for all the things that are easy about my new world.
- I can either ride a bus that is provided by the compound to shop, or hire a driver that will take me wherever I need to go.
- Most places have signs in the native language of the area AND in English, making it easier to get around and much easier to shop.
- And in spite of my fear about living in a brown dusty desert – the compound I live in has grass, trees, and flowers.
What a powerful reminder that so many times the change we fear is not as hard or as bad as we imagined and that if we focus on “what is” instead of “what is not” – how much easier it is to find things to be thankful for!
My treasured moments so far have included:
- Opportunities to meet the women that I connected to virtually before my move that offered advice and encouragement.
- Opportunities to attend brunches and exercise classes with women from all over the world – I am enjoying both the beautiful bouquet that we make together and soaking in the conversation that is filled with different accents, and different experiences, and a genuine desire to help each other navigate this place together!
The toughest part of my experience so far:
The Secret Sauce: Social Media and Networking
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How often do you play video games? What is the first thing you do when you are playing a new game?
When I sit down to play a new game that is filled with scenery and objectives, every part of my being wants to explore and experiment. I’m curious how far I can wander before the screen freezes; I want to see where the path leads; I’m in awe of the creativity of the designers, and I want to know what happens when I push certain buttons! (I drive my husband crazy, because he wants to achieve as much as possible as quickly as possible!)
In the debate about Social Media and business, some say it is the future and it must be explored! Others say it is a source of information and connections and a critical marketing tool. While another group says it is a waste of time, a risk and that it must be tightly controlled!