This Expat Life

How do you stay active, fit & healthy when you prioritise your career abroad? How do you stay committed to exercise when you’re just about to move countries and the overwhelm is real?  Questions I have definitely asked myself, as - even though I regularly exercise - my work & to do list often get priority over a gym class. I got impressed with fitgirl & content creator Amie Wiley who did the 75har...

How can you make this year different from the last?  I’m always incredibly intentional about how I want to start the new year, so that I can ensure my continuous growth and avoid autopilot mode. Many set new year’s resolutions, but these are designed to fail. In this episode I share 12 questions that will help you set your priorities and see how you can stay your course throughout the year. Prefer...

A new year is upon us! And many want to change something - big or small - about their lives. Getting into the habit of regular reflection is a great way to be more intentional with your time & energy, especially if you are as future-oriented as me. It’s tempting to always look ahead to the next month, the next promotion, the next country - but there are powerful lessons in your past that can make...

There comes a point in every expat’s life that you need to face the dilemma: am I staying or leaving? And this is often when you feel stuck, unfulfilled or in a struggle. It’s a natural response to change the outer circumstances to feel better, but as an expat, that means you’re also questioning your location! So should you change the country or should you change yourself? In this episode of This...

Doors to my 8-week program The Co-Pilot are open NOW! Join us for 8 live calls and experience more fulfillment, confidence & direction in your expat life, without constant overthinking (it's really possible). Sign up here ! Doors close again on the 15th because that's when we have our first call, whoop whoop. Help, how do I deal with inconsistent energy as I’m working towards a goal? This is what...

Doors to my 8-week program The Co-Pilot are open NOW! Join us for 8 live calls and experience more fulfillment, confidence & direction in your expat life, without constant overthinking (it's really possible). Sign up here ! It’s a cliche but it’s true… The magic really happens outside of your comfort zone. Now as an expat you have ventured outside your comfort zone already, but maybe you’re stayin...

< < Last chance to join my live event on Saturday 28 September! >> Akanksha is an ambitious management consultant and after two geographical transitions in 3 covid-years, she was left with a bit of a nagging feeling of something not being in place. Originally from India and now based in the Netherlands, she signed up for my 6-month group coaching programme to enable a shift. In this episode we tal...

How to find your soulmate when you live a somewhat unconventional life as an expat? Do you need to settle and compromise if you want to start a family? Where to begin if you keep moving around? These are some topics I (female, mid 30s, single) have thought about myself a lot in recent years, and some of my coachees as well. Expat life is great but it can also pose a barrier to your love life. In t...

[ Only a few tickets left for my live event in Amsterdam this month! ] September marks ‘back to school’ vibes for many of us, and makes us aware that we only have a few months left before the end of the year. So if you had a goal for this year, now is the time to get cracking on it! September for me also marked the start of a new period in my home country, and as with any new start (calendar-wise...

I went on a business & leisure trip to California and left with 3 big insights that led to a breakthrough when I got home 🤩 Insights that I think might be useful for other high-achieving, self-reliant & rational globetrotters.   < < There’s a long intro about the trip itself - Want to go straight to the insights? Skip to minute 12.30 >> These were things I sort of already KNEW, but this time I co...

What if a part of you feels unfulfilled in your expat life? Whether that's in your career, relationships, health, personal goals or just a general sense of unfulfillment. As a life coach working with high-achieving expats, I actually get a lot of coachees who struggle with this - and so I also know what you can do about it! In this episode I share the 3 perhaps unexpected steps that you can take t...

Why is it that so many expats start to wonder about their life choices during summer.. And why I also book client after client? In this episode I share what I think causes this and give you tips to make the most of this summer period. And if you want a proven method to review your life, set your priorities and get started with an upgrade, download my FREE resource The Wheel of Expat Life here: htt...

Download my new FREE resource The Wheel of Expat Life !  You bring yourself wherever you go and in Rio… I brought myself too. Towards the end of my stay I found myself in a bit of a funk, which was mostly the result of 3 mistakes I made. Mistakes I’ve made before, oops 😇 In this episode I share what they are, how they impacted me and what I’m doing now to prevent them again, even back home. Want...

The question I've asked dozens of time these past few weeks... What's it like being back home again?! And the answer surprised many - myself included 😅 So let the record show what I'm saying right now 😇 In this episode I share my personal reflection on being back home after living abroad for 6 months, plus 4 tips you can apply yourself as well when you are preparing / in the middle of a move. I'...

In this episode I sit down with Josh, an experienced expat who, along with his wife Callie, has lived in various countries since 2009, including Spain, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and now Portugal. We talk about their current challenge: investing in real estate in Portugal - something I was so curious about! Josh shares their journey of finding and renovating a property in Porto, the imp...

Whoa, the past 6 months have flown by and I'm ready to return home after almost half a year in Rio de Janeiro! And, what everyone is asking me... Will I return to the marvelous city? I recorded an open episode about my time in Rio to answer that question (and more). And when I say open, I do mean that: so you'll hear about what I struggled with, what I loved, my mistakes and lessons learned - I'm...

I know, grounding doesn't seem so sexy but it's KEY if you want to live a happy & fulfilling life as a busy expat. After all, there's a lot going on around you or asking of you, while you also constantly have to adapt to the new culture. To keep your energy high, to stay calm in busy times and to live from your authentic self, grounding yourself is a non-negotiable first step. And.. there's much m...

From jet setting around the Middle East as HR manager to finding your purpose working with kids in the favelas of Rio... Diana Nijboer made this incredible transition. Originally from the Netherlands, Diana shares her inspiring journey and what brought her to stay in Rio. Years ago, she enjoyed her exciting life in the Middle East but she realised that she was simply filling a void. She was living...

In this episode of This Expat Life, Amanda welcomes Keki Mwaba, founder of Expat Career Development, to discuss career advancement for international professionals. As an expat herself and having worked with dozens of expats, Keki knows first hand what kind of challenges international job seekers face. Like: selling 'gaps' on your CV, not speaking the language and where to start if you're brand new...

Living abroad can sometimes be a challenge or just simply super exciting, taking up all your time or headspace. Places to go, a job to excel at, decisions about the future to take, contacts at home to maintain... It's easy to be 'on', busy or in your head all the time - the opposite of grounded. And while being grounded in your expat life is already a challenge, I believe it's harder as a single....

Floor Oosterlee was living abroad and experiencing a vague, nagging restlessness when she saw one of my LinkedIn posts and decided to act on her intuition right away & book a call with me. Although she initially thought she needed some business coaching, she quickly realised there were more personal topics to work on. In The Coaching Journey that followed, Floor examined that restlessness and peel...

Being a female globetrotter in your mid-30s with big ambitions often means you're not choosing the conventional path, which comes with both pros and cons. Fellow international entrepreneur Delphine van de Smet and I have a very open chat about how that exciting unconventional path inspires us but also has an effect on our personal lives. Tune in to hear about the importance of taking care of yours...

Big life decisions can be difficult for anyone - but I think for expats even more! Think about it: a decision on your career automatically has impact on your location, and thus your social life, proximity to your friends, a relationships, etc etc. No wonder some expats find it hard to make a decision! I very often speak with expats who feel stuck and can't decide on their next move. Their thoughts...

There's something I started spotting within myself and with other high-achievers who get things done... Something that has often worked well, but which might also be blocking you more than you realise. At least it did for me! Curious what it is? In this episode I share my view on it & open up how it has been manifesting in my own life - and how it could be present in yours. And as always, a few ti...

Whether you have done so many different jobs in different countries, followed your spouse so there's a gap on your CV, or find it hard to break into the local labour market: selling yourself as the next best hire can be tricky as an expat. All the more reason to build your professional personal brand online! But how exactly do you do that?! Communication strategist Ashley van Heiningen is here to...