What is Reverse Culture Shock and How to Tackle It
Many expats and travelers experience culture shock in a new place, but what about the reverse culture shock that happens when returning home? How hard can it really be to return home after years of living abroad? Most expats focus on the initial cultural shock they experience in a foreign country. But not to be ignored is the adjustment that comes with returning home to the country you’ve always known…this time as a citizen of the world. Kind of like visiting your favorite restaurant only to find everything on the menu has changed. It’s called “reverse culture shock” and refers to the emotions…
Advice on Getting a Job in Barcelona as a Foreigner
Moving to Barcelona is a dream but finding employment here can be a nightmare if you don’t have the facts and specifics. I’m often asked for advice on getting a job in Barcelona. People wonder how our family ended up moving abroad. And the truth is, we had my husband’s job as the vehicle which got us here and helped support our family’s life. We are expats. But what do you do if you’re someone that dreams of moving to this city but worries about finding employment? My husband, who has a career in Human Resources sees outstanding resumes cross his desk every…
An Open Letter to My Husband After 7 Weeks of Lockdown
What I’ve learned about myself, my husband and the strength of our marriage during the pandemic lockdown in Spain. To My Husband – The other day while standing at the sink washing what seemed like the thousandth dish, I started thinking about our wedding vows. Remember those? On that November day 11 years ago we shivered both from excitement and from the chill in the air. With stars in our eyes and lumps in our throats, we pledged our lives to each other and promised to love through the happiest of times…and the hardest. Couples commit, “through thick and thin” on their wedding…
5 Reasons Why Moving Abroad with Kids is Awesome!
Before we became expats and made the decision to move abroad, my husband and I would sit in front of the TV and watch HGTV’s House Hunters International. Each week a new family was featured relocating across the world to a life unknown. We marveled at how they did it. Left their familiar hometowns, packed up and shipped out – either because they had to or because they chose to. And of course every episode ended with happy smiling faces of parents and kids all settled in and thriving in their new foreign country. “Yea, right!” we would laugh. It can’t be that…
