This Expat Life

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...

Before we start: I share all my woo woo practices (AND SO MUCH MORE) in my new course Touch Base! Get in for just €97 - doors close on 3 July. When I was a busy diplomat trying to excel at my career AND enjoy Brazil to the fullest, I was most of the time living in my head. My head & nervous system were always 'on' and I realised I needed a practice or habit to ground myself more. I started meditat...

What if you're a strong, independent woman with your own career, and your partner of 1.5 year asks you to follow him abroad? Nathalie van Haaren knows all about it. Even though she's been internationally minded from birth, she did have to adapt moving to Senegal now as the spouse of an expat. In this beautiful conversation, Nathalie shares openly and vulnerably what it meant for her identity and h...

I'm halfway into my 6-months stay in Rio and that got me thinking: How am I finding it?  Listen to this episode to hear: - what I've been up to  - how Rio has been treating me (spoiler alert: very good!) - if the fears & doubts before leaving came true - how I deal with lows when living abroad  - what plans I have for my 2nd half in the marvelous city As always I'd love to hear what you thought of...

And following up on the open conversation with Tamara Stroop (see the previous episode), here's part 2... With a plot twist! We had another call about 6 weeks after we first spoke, to see how we were both doing and what had changed for us. Well, for Tamara quite a lot! Listen to this episode to hear what that was.  And are you an expat who's also struggling abroad? Know that I offer a listening ea...

Business coach Tamara Stroop and I had each just moved abroad - Tamara to Barcelona, me to Rio - and as we were talking about our experiences, we figured it would be nice to record an open conversation about journeys! This is not the usual interview but rather a candid conversation between two women in their mid-30s who decided to take a chance and enjoy life abroad. You'll hear us speak very open...

There's one thing that's essential if you desire a big change in your life, which is also often overlooked. If you are ready to achieve a big goal, go off the beaten track or just want to follow your heart, make sure to include this key element. It has been crucial in my own journey. Listen to the episode to know what I'm talking about!

As a seasoned female, latina & expat engineer in tech, Iliana Quiñonez knows what it's like to move abroad and stand out from others in the workplace. Iliana moved to the US in her 20s and through trial and error learned to adapt to - and embrace - the American work culture. Now with over 20 years of experience, this trailblazer is passionate about DEI in the work place. In this episode Iliana giv...

Today I'm sharing two personal stories of my time in London and Brazil when things were NOT going so well. An almost burnout and grief knocked me off course and looking back, I wish I had a coach by my side. Tune in to hear these stories and why I believe every expat should hire a coach at some point in their life abroad. Want to hear how my coaching could work for you? Find more here: https://www...

Today I'm sharing my 'origin story', the story of when a perfect storm really kickstarted my personal growth and made me the person & coach I am today. This is my most personal story as of yet and I'm sharing it in the hopes that it might inspire you. Listen how returning back home, grief, a pandemic, heartache and a coaching training all at once nearly broke me - but in hindsight, really resurrec...

It's one of the things every expat at some point struggles with: friendships. It may be hard to find them abroad, to maintain your friendships back home, or to stay connected to new friends as you or they move again. But here is Sarah Siegert, expat friendship coach who's dealt with all of the above herself. Having moved abroad to the UK for her partner, she found herself feeling lonely as it stru...

When I shared that I was moving to Rio I got the same questions over and over again.. Some of which even made me laugh! In this episode I answer them all, also hoping to inspire you to make a similar move, whether that's to Rio or elsewhere. Listen to this episode to know: - Why I chose Rio - If I'm going to work there - Why 6 months - If I still have a lot of friends here - What visa I'm on - Wha...

Expats do one thing more often than those who stay at home: moving! I feel like organising & clutter are relevant topics for expats simply because they have to go through their belongings more often than others. And plus, all the things you keep because they remind you of when you lived in country X... Because I struggle immensely myself with decluttering and organising (😅), I've invited professi...