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Loneliness During Holidays
It’s Christmas season and there is a cheerful buzz coming from everywhere. Stores have been selling Christmas presents, trees, ornaments since October. Christmas music plays everywhere. Cinnamon and nutmeg fragrances remind us about Christmas baking and cooking. People are buying gifts wrapping paper and sending cards, having parties at work. Kids are practicing Christmas songs getting ready for concerts in schools and nurseries. Christmas comes with all kinds of manifestations, which bring joy, cheer, warmth and a sense of belonging. Loneliness During Holidays For many expats, who are away from home, their loved ones and friends, a sense of belonging vanishes. More often we experience loneliness and isolation, especially during…
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Expat Mindset
Expat thinking wasn’t a norm to me when I first went on an assignment overseas. I didn’t know much about the expats then and I also never even considered myself as an expat. Traveling the world appealed to me and I willingly and happily embarked on this journey of following my husband to different countries for work assignments. I became a trailing wife without even realizing what it would require of me and how it would transform me. Many would see an expat lifestyle as glamorous and exhilarating, and the people, who can afford it, as lucky. All of this is true, but everything has the other side which can’t…
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Empathetic Expat
Challenging experiences shape world travelers' perspectives and teach them to be empathetic and accepting humans. Traveling with a baby in your arms can be difficult but it is a rewarding endeavor, the one to be cherished forever. These life situations teach us to be resilient, loving and understanding.
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What Makes a Home Your Home
International traveling is an exciting opportunity to explore and learn. Are you missing a feeling of home, when you are away from home? Or have you even thought about that? How does it feel home away from home? Everything can make more sense when you take a feeling of home with you.
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Your Creativity is Your Calling
Creativity adds a sense of hope and possibility to anything you choose to do. While traveling the world I meet many people who have to do the same thing again and again – pack their stuff, move to the hotel, hop on the airplane, move to the new home and try to settle in just for a while with the vision that in a year or two, they will have to do this all over again. While this lifestyle can be exciting and rejuvenating, eventually you start thinking “Is this what I am going to do forever?” “Does this make me feel happy any more, content, fulfilled?” Living in the…
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Home for a Change
Alla took a long awaiting trip to Minsk the capital of Belarus last month. It was an exciting full of novelty and learning opportunity. She joined a group of other like-minded women, jumped on a long-haul express tour bus, and off they went – to a foreign country for a celebration of the 25th anniversary of Nature Sunshine products on the post-Soviet market. What a delicious treat!!!!! New city, happy people, intricately decorated dishes, inspiring music, wild dancing, lights and lots of cheer and sparkle. Two days of joy and delight! She came back home to Ukraine and her life felt upside down. Everything around her seemed wrong. She shared…
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Commit To Your Neighbor
When you move into a new neighborhood, step out of your comfort zone, go and say "Hello!" to your neighbor. A safe world starts from a safe neighborhood.
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I Dreaded the Start of the School Year
I dreaded the beginning of the new school year. Making a small goal to stay aligned and connected the first morning helps change the perception. The motivation is the loved ones. I wanted my son and my husband to start off the right note so I took care of myself first by taking one step at a time with one small goal in mind.
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Preschool or Homecare for Your Child?
Looking for a day-care for your child? I was always a nervous mother. This is the way I am most of the time. I thought nobody can take better care of my son than me. I had a horrible time trusting anybody when it came to my child’s care. Coming back to the USA from our overseas assignment our son was just a little bit over 3 years old. The time was coming close to the beginning of the school year and my father in Ukraine started asking me whether I decided against sending our son to the day-care. My husband didn’t mind. He was OK with the idea of…
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Deer In My Way
Baby deer came to see me today. It was a young fawn exploring the neighbourhood and I had a privilege to watch him very closely while doing my morning jogging. I saw the spots and admired his gentle beauty. What an encounter. Such a treat!
