Hi I’m Melissa

Welcome to my blog! I’ve been working with the expat community for many years, first as a therapist and now as a coach. I know firsthand just how difficult it can be to live abroad because I was an expat myself for 10 years. However, my personal and professional experience has also introduced me to a number of tools that can help you navigate the ups and downs of expat life and learn how to live your own best life abroad. You’ll find many of these tools here on my blog. 

Dealing with imposter syndrome as a writer

Dealing with imposter syndrome as a writer

I recently shared that I’m currently in the process of writing a book and I promised to share some of the "behind the scenes" of my writing process. One of the reasons I want to do that is because the thing that's been the most helpful in getting me to the place...

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How I Finally Started Writing a Book

How I Finally Started Writing a Book

I've dreamt of writing a book my whole life. Even before I knew how to write I would dictate stories to my dad to put down onto paper for me. I wanted more than anything to be an author. However, as the years went by, I got distracted from my dream and eventually...

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Is imposter syndrome holding you back as an entrepreneur?

Is imposter syndrome holding you back as an entrepreneur?

Fear and lack of confidence are things that stop so many talented entrepreneurs and particularly expats from succeeding in business. However, after years of working with my clients, I have realized that you can’t get rid of those feelings, but you can work with them!...

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Are You Struggling With Expat Guilt?

Are You Struggling With Expat Guilt?

Does this sound like you? You imagined that moving abroad would be an incredible experience, but now you find yourself plagued by doubts of whether or not it's the right choice. Should you move back home? Should you stay where you are even though you feel guilty?...

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How to be Guided by Your Values

How to be Guided by Your Values

Decision making as an expat If you are an expat and have been living abroad for awhile, you might be facing a very common dilemma for many expats: should you stay in the country you are living in or should you go home? Perhaps you are also contemplating the...

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Should I stay or should I go? The expat dilemma

Should I stay or should I go? The expat dilemma

Making a decision as an expat At some point in their time abroad, almost every expat is faced with a dilemma - to stay or to leave the country that they are living in. It can cause a lot of distress and sleepless nights. It is, in fact, one of the biggest reasons why...

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Are You a Highly Sensitive Expat?

Are You a Highly Sensitive Expat?

Do you feel different? Have you ever wondered why you sometimes feel different than other people? Maybe you have noticed that it is harder for you to adjust to new circumstances, especially after moving abroad as an expat? Or perhaps you tend to get overwhelmed more...

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Surviving Loneliness As an Expat

Surviving Loneliness As an Expat

What is loneliness? Loneliness is an incredibly uncomfortable feeling to experience, but it's also more common than you might think. Loneliness is especially common for people who have lived outside of their home country. Are you living abroad and experiencing...

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How to Deal with Fear

How to Deal with Fear

Our Initial Instinct Today we are facing many uncomfortable feelings that might be hard to deal with. Spring of 2020 has certainly brought more fear, worry, and even anxiety into our lives.How can we deal with these uncomfortable feelings? Our initial instinct is to...

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Why Happiness is Overrated

Why Happiness is Overrated

Can you feel happy all the time? Living your best life does not mean being 100 percent happy all the time. The idea that we can or should be always happy - is a myth. Being a human being means feeling a whole wide range of emotions. By not letting ourselves feel all...

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5 Ideas for a Smoother Repatriation

5 Ideas for a Smoother Repatriation

Repatriation Process Are you planning to move back home after living abroad? Or maybe you've already moved, but find it difficult to readapt in your own country? This is quite common for expats to experience when they move home and it's often a big surprise! If you're...

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Moving Home After Living Abroad

Moving Home After Living Abroad

Where do I belong? Moving home after living abroad is something we don't talk about often enough. Mostly because we assume that it's an easy and joyful process. If you are an expat and currently planning a big move home - this vlog is for you. I'll explain why moving...

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Surviving a Long Distance Relationship

Surviving a Long Distance Relationship

Are you in a long-distance relationship? Being in a long-distance relationship can bring a lot of challenges, confusion, insecurity, and pain. Not only have I supported many clients in long-distance relationships, but I also speak from my personal experience. The...

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Making Your Intercultural Relationship Work

Making Your Intercultural Relationship Work

Communication in Intercultural Relationships A relationship with somebody from a different culture can be very exciting but very challenging at the same time. Every culture understands life and interacts differently. Are you in an intercultural relationship at the...

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The Most Important Relationship Advice

The Most Important Relationship Advice

Relationship Difficulties Relationships can be complicated. Often times we feel disappointed with our partners and start noticing that nagging has become present in our everyday conversations. This is the time when we need relationship advice! Mostly, we point fingers...

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Motivate Yourself with Self-Compassion

Motivate Yourself with Self-Compassion

How do you talk to yourself? How you talk to yourself is directly related to how much you achieve and how effective you are with your daily work. Yes, you heard me right, negative self -talk can be harmful and inhibit our ability to achieve your goals and dreams. Even...

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Tools to Overcome Procrastination

Tools to Overcome Procrastination

What is procrastination? If we indulge in it sometimes - procrastination is not a bad thing. It becomes a problem when it creeps upon us and we don't have a toolbox to confront and overcome procrastination. Let's talk about how you can get more awareness about WHY...

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A 6 Stage Model for Long-Lasting Life Changes!

A 6 Stage Model for Long-Lasting Life Changes!

Are you one of these people who struggle to keep your new year's resolutions? Do you tend to set goals for yourself, hoping to make life changes, but slip and become easily discouraged? If the answer is yes, then you are not doing it the right way! I've been there...

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The Difference Between Self-Compassion and Self-Pity

The Difference Between Self-Compassion and Self-Pity

Despite the fact that there is a great deal of research to support the benefits of self-compassion, many people still have a lot of resistance to this word and to giving it a try themselves. In this video and blog series, I'll be addressing the common myths of...

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The Common Myths of Self-Compassion

The Common Myths of Self-Compassion

Despite the fact that there is a great deal of research to support the benefits of self-compassion, many people still have a lot of resistance to this word and to giving it a try themselves. In this video and blog series I'll be addressing the common myths of...

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The Secret to my Smooth Repatriation Process

The Secret to my Smooth Repatriation Process

Before I began working with international clients, I, like many people living abroad, wasn’t fully aware of the challenges that come with moving back to your home country. It wasn’t until I started supporting clients who were going through the difficult process of...

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I Almost Left My Silent Retreat. Here’s What Helped Me Stay

I Almost Left My Silent Retreat. Here’s What Helped Me Stay

I honestly don’t know if I would have ever signed up for a silent retreat if it wasn’t a stepping stone to something else I wanted. Although I've developed a daily mindfulness meditation practice over the past few years, and enjoyed my experience at a day-long silent...

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How to Make Hard Choices: My Decision to Move Home

How to Make Hard Choices: My Decision to Move Home

We're a few weeks into spring up here in the Northern Hemisphere and it’s that time of year when many people who are living abroad find themselves dealing with a particularly difficult dilemma:Do I want to stay here? Or would I rather move home? Or would I...

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5 Reflections From My Year of No

5 Reflections From My Year of No

Did you start this year with any goals or ambitions? Anything you wanted to learn or ways you wanted to grow? After reflecting on 2017, I started off 2018 hoping to live out these words of wisdom: "You can do anything, but you can't do everything." Throughout the year...

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Creating A Location Independent Mental Health Toolbox

Creating A Location Independent Mental Health Toolbox

What tools do you have inside of We all have our own set of strategies for coping with the inevitable hard moments in life, but we're not always aware of what they are. These coping skills are important, wherever in the world we call home, but often we don't realize...

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An Intro to Self-Compassion: The Self-Compassion Break

An Intro to Self-Compassion: The Self-Compassion Break

I just returned from attending this year's 7in7 conference for digital nomads in Medellin, Colombia. It was an incredible conference designed for experienced location independent professionals.  And unlike other conferences I’ve attended in the past, it combined...

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Coping with Life Abroad: A 30 Day Meditation Challenge

Coping with Life Abroad: A 30 Day Meditation Challenge

Want to join me for a 30 day meditation challenge? Life abroad is full of ups and downs, changes and transitions. Meditation can be a helpful tool for riding the waves of uncertainty and difficulties that will inevitably arise now and then. Not only that, but it can...

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Living a Meaningful Life Abroad: Identifying Your Values

Living a Meaningful Life Abroad: Identifying Your Values

Many of the international clients I work with made their initial move abroad in order to live a more meaningful life. However, with the challenges that come with living abroad, they often find themselves dissatisfied and wondering if they truly can live a meaningful...

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How I Support My Clients Coping with a Breakup Abroad

How I Support My Clients Coping with a Breakup Abroad

Several years ago I went through an incredibly difficult breakup abroad while living in Spain. It felt like my life had fallen off of a shelf and shattered into a million tiny pieces, and I really wasn’t sure how I was going to put it all back together, who I could...

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Navigating the Season of Goodbyes When You Live Abroad

Navigating the Season of Goodbyes When You Live Abroad

Last summer I had to say goodbye to the home I grew up in. After living there for over three decades, my parents decided that it was time to move elsewhere. It was an experience heavy with emotions and I’m so grateful that despite living half a world away, my visit to...

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Online Counseling: Why I Took My Private Practice Online

Online Counseling: Why I Took My Private Practice Online

"Online counseling? How'd you start doing that?" This is a question I frequently get at networking events and one I answer in my latest YouTube video. For those of you who don't want to watch the video, you can also read a summary below of why I made the switch from...

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Love Warrior: Why I’m Recommending This Book To My Clients

Love Warrior: Why I’m Recommending This Book To My Clients

I fell in love with Glennon Doyle Melton's book "Love Warrior" earlier this year and can't recommend it highly enough! Here's why-- In February, I traded in the gloomy winter skies of Amsterdam to spend two weeks in sunny, tropical Costa Rica. I visited a volcano,...

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Combatting Your Inner Critic

Combatting Your Inner Critic

One of the areas I frequently work on with my clients is learning how to deal with their inner critic. All of us have this critical voice inside of us, to a greater or lesser degree, but we’re often not entirely aware of it. Even if we are aware of it, we may not...

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My 2017 Year in Review

My 2017 Year in Review

While we’re nearly one month into the new year, I'm just now wrapping up my reflections on last year. I think I’ve needed an extra month to properly reflect on it because so very much happened between January and December of last year. 2017 brought many big changes...

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Dreaming of Traveling the World? Meet Kayla!

Dreaming of Traveling the World? Meet Kayla!

Along with working as coach for global nomads living around the world, I also post an Interview Series on this website where I share the stories of global nomads who have moved abroad, are traveling the globe, or are transitioning to life back at...

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5 Tips to Set a New Year’s Resolution You Can Stick To

5 Tips to Set a New Year’s Resolution You Can Stick To

Truth be told, I’m not a huge fan of New Year’s resolutions. I think that any day of the year is a perfectly good one for reflecting on what you’re unhappy with and brainstorming how you can overcome whatever sort of obstacles may lie in the way of making changes....

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Coping with Family During the Holidays When Living Abroad

Coping with Family During the Holidays When Living Abroad

I originally wrote this article with the December/January holidays in mind, but since then have shared it with clients visiting home during other times of the year as well. It's supposed to by the most wonderful time of the year, right? But is it really? During this...

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Searching for Inspiration to Live Abroad? Meet Berta!

Searching for Inspiration to Live Abroad? Meet Berta!

Along with working as coach for global nomads living around the world, I also post an Interview Series on this website where I share the stories of global nomads who have moved abroad, are traveling the globe, or are transitioning to life back at home.  Today's...

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Filling Your Cup: The Importance of Prioritizing Self-Care

Filling Your Cup: The Importance of Prioritizing Self-Care

Do you struggle to practice self-care, and instead put your energy into taking care of others? Read below for a metaphor I share with clients about the importance of prioritizing self-care, especially if you want to be able to care for others!  Early on in my...

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4 Lessons as an Accidental Entrepreneur

4 Lessons as an Accidental Entrepreneur

This summer, Intentional Expat celebrated its 3rd birthday! Unfortunately, I was too busy with all sort of projects and important life events that this big day came and went without me blinking an eye. As a belated celebration of the past three years, here are four...

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Moving Overseas With Your Family? Meet Tanya!

Moving Overseas With Your Family? Meet Tanya!

Along with working as coach for global nomads living around the world, I also post an Interview Series on this website where I share the stories of global nomads who have moved abroad, are traveling the globe, or are transitioning to life back at home. Today's...

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Pursuing a Career Overseas: Meet Katie!

Pursuing a Career Overseas: Meet Katie!

Today's interview is with Katie, whose managed to turn her love for travel into a career overseas that's helped her to live all over the globe. Born and raised in Iowa (USA), she got a scholarship in 2007 to spend a year studying environmental science in Iceland....

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Life as an Adult Third Culture Kid: Meet Alaine!

Life as an Adult Third Culture Kid: Meet Alaine!

Along with working as coach for global nomads living around the world, I also post an Interview Series on this website where I share the stories of global nomads who have moved abroad, are traveling the globe, or are transitioning to life back at home. This week´s...

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From West Michigan to Living in Sarajevo: Meet David! 

From West Michigan to Living in Sarajevo: Meet David! 

Along with working as coach for global nomads living around the world, I also post an Interview Series on this website where I share the stories of global nomads who have moved abroad, are traveling the globe, or are transitioning to life back at home. This week's...

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From Hong Kong to London: Meet Louise!

From Hong Kong to London: Meet Louise!

Along with working as coach for global nomads living around the world, I also post an Interview Series on this website where I share the stories of global nomads who have moved abroad, are traveling the globe, or are transitioning to life back at home. This week's...

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Living Abroad in India and Studying Buddhism: Meet Klara!

Living Abroad in India and Studying Buddhism: Meet Klara!

Along with working as coach for global nomads living around the world, I also post an Interview Series on this website where I share the stories of global nomads who have moved abroad, are traveling the globe, or are transitioning to life back at home. This week's...

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Looking for Inspiration to Move Abroad? Meet Minna!

Looking for Inspiration to Move Abroad? Meet Minna!

This week's interview features Minna and is certain to speak to you if you're looking for inspiration to move abroad!  Originally from The Midlands in England, Minna left her hometown back in 2014 and hasn’t looked back. Despite having to move back to the UK to save...

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10 Travel Quotes to Inspire and Encourage You

10 Travel Quotes to Inspire and Encourage You

Whether you're considering leaving your home country or already abroad, I hope these travel quotes might help with some of the ups and downs that come with taking the plunge to travel or live overseas. I know that inspiring quotes have been helpful for me during much...

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Finding Comfort in the Chaos: The Importance of Acceptance

Finding Comfort in the Chaos: The Importance of Acceptance

Why is acceptance so essential?  I've had two thoughts shuffling through my head on repeat the past few weeks: Life abroad is an emotional rollercoaster. Life as a therapist is an emotional rollercoaster. But actually, the truth is, that life, wherever you live,...

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Are you an American Looking for Work in Europe? Meet Rapha!

Are you an American Looking for Work in Europe? Meet Rapha!

Today's interview features Rapha. Originally from New York, she moved to Europe at age 22 and has now managed to secure EU citizenship. Currently she lives in Copenhagen, Denmark, has  a passion for helping Americans looking for work in Europe and has some invaluable...

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When the Honeymoon Stage Ends: Adjusting to Life Abroad

When the Honeymoon Stage Ends: Adjusting to Life Abroad

What did you imagine it would be like to live abroad when you first started planning your move? When I made the choice to accept a position as a Teaching Assistant with Spain's Ministry of Education back in 2009, I was full of excitement for what the ten months of...

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A Married Couple on the Road: Meet Taemi and Josh!

A Married Couple on the Road: Meet Taemi and Josh!

Today I'm featuring an interview with a couple who is sure to inspire you to pack your bags and head out on an adventure. Taemi and Josh are a married couple, originally from New York, who have been on the road for the past two years. After calling various places...

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My First Day of Teaching in Spain

My First Day of Teaching in Spain

This fall I'm ringing in my six year "Spain-versary." While you'd think that after over half a decade living in this country it would feel completely normal for me to live here, I still have moments where I suddenly think to myself "What!? I live in SPAIN?"...

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Monkey Mind & the Importance of Prioritizing Self Care

Monkey Mind & the Importance of Prioritizing Self Care

I have a confession to make: I fell off the wagon.  The meditation wagon that is. After four months of meditating at the very least five minutes a day, and many days up to fifty minutes, I stopped in early June. Life got busy. I had a trip planned to...

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Traveling as a Couple: Meet Miguel and Yvonne!

Traveling as a Couple: Meet Miguel and Yvonne!

I'm pleased to present to you today the very first couple that has been featured as part of the interview series. Miguel and Yvonne are the travel bloggers behind Trip Bitten, where you'll find the following story of how they met, and all about their adventures of...

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How to Cope With Uncertainty: Finding Comfort in the Unknown

How to Cope With Uncertainty: Finding Comfort in the Unknown

About a week and a half ago I wrote a post (that has now received over 5,000 views--thank you!!) about how to reframe the decision of whether to stay abroad or move home. Big decisions like these are largely stressful because they bring us face to face with a reality...

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Ten Tips for Keeping a Positive Attitude Abroad

Ten Tips for Keeping a Positive Attitude Abroad

I'm republishing this post I wrote last summer with tips on keeping a "Glass Half Full" mentality while living overseas. If you have more suggestions for how to keep a positive attitude while abroad please add them to the comments section!  1) Remember that...

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Meet Ruben! Studying a PhD in Neuroscience in Madrid

Meet Ruben! Studying a PhD in Neuroscience in Madrid

Today's interview features a global citizen from Mexico who is studying a PhD in neuroscience in Madrid at the world renowned ¨Instituto Cajal.¨ Read on to see how he keeps a positive attitude while living abroad and pursuing his doctorate.  Hi Ruben! Can you tell us...

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Helping International Professionals in Madrid, Meet Pierre!

Each and every Tuesday I publish an interview with someone who is living outside of their home country. Today’s interview is unique in that it’s the first one I’ve done in-person rather than via email. Last weekend I had the privilege of sitting down with fellow...

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Meet Amelia! A True Global Citizen Pursuing Grad School Abroad

I'm really excited to share with you this week's interview with an expat who is fulling embracing her experience abroad. Born in the U.S.,  and currently pursuing grad school abroad in Ireland, Amelia's path towards becoming a global citizen first started back when...

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My 15 Favorite Inspirational Quotes on Courage and Fear

My 15 Favorite Inspirational Quotes on Courage and Fear

The past few weeks have been incredibly busy and I'm finding it hard to carve out time in my schedule to write content for this site. Each and everyday topics come up in my coaching sessions that make me think "ooh! That would make a great blog post!" Unfortunately,...

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Meet Gian Luca, an Italian Blogger with a Passion for Travel

It´s Semana Santa, the official Spring Break of Spain, and the perfect time to escape from the city and visit the travel destination you´ve been dreaming of. But lucky for all of you, I´m unable to get away from work for the week which means the Interview Series that...

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Just who is an Expat Anyway?

Just who is an Expat Anyway?

Expat? Immigrant? Refugee? Global Citizen? World Nomad? What word should we use to define those people who have left the country they were born in? In the past couple of weeks I've seen a number of articles circulating the web regarding the use of the word "expat" and...

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Savoring Life Abroad: Meet Lauren!

Welcome to the latest edition of the Intentional Expat interview series! Each and every Tuesday I post an interview with either an avid traveler or someone who is fully embracing life abroad. Today's featured expat is no exception. Lauren Aloise is a Madrid based...

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You Can’t Hug Over Skype: Receiving Bad News While Abroad

You Can’t Hug Over Skype: Receiving Bad News While Abroad

In so many ways, Skype is a godsend for those of us living abroad. It allows you to stay in touch with family and friends back home, virtually attend important events, even connect with therapists who speak your language when outside of your home country. However,...

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