Expatriation is a complicated phenomenon. You are going through many changes accompanied with lots of emotions. I think being able to understand and explain what you are going through exactly, makes it easier to find a way to deal with it. On my blog I will share my own experiences with living abroad and how I would have done it with the knowledge I have now.
Understanding yourself
By trial and error I had to discover what is so complicated about expatriation. I think I understand it now partially and I think my outcomes can be very helpful
- for those who are thinking about expatriating,
- for those who live in another country at the moment,
- and for those who have been through all of this but decided to return home.
Understanding what expatriation has done and is still doing to me, is one of the most relieving things I have achieved.
Explaining to others
I also realized how difficult it is to explain to others what this expatriate process is about. Now that I have more insights, my family and friends in the Netherlands are able to understand my situation a little better, as well as my new friends in Mexico. This doesn´t only make me feel better, also my dear ones I left behind are happy to know more about my new life circumstances. This has just become another stadium of the expatriate experience.
So do as Steven Covey suggested: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood.
I guarantee that you will feel much better!
Habit 5 of Steven Covey´s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Obviously, experiences with expatriation are highly personal and depend on many factors such as country, culture, age, character, family situation, etc. My point of view is only one way of how you can see it. I can share my experiences and advice but all expatriate situations differ. There is no general recipe of how to do this right. Please use whatever applies to your expatriate experience and let me know how you are doing 
What is your experience with expatriation? Do you find it complicated and overwhelming as well? Please share your experience, ideas and feedback via the comment section below. Feel free to share this blog post via Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest. Thank you!
