During our time living in Southeast Asia, homesickness would sometimes creep in, especially when the differences in culture and daily life felt overwhelming. To cope, we developed a blend of old routines and new traditions that gave us a sense of comfort and excitement.

Resilience is born from facing that toll, owning it, and finding a way to carry it forward without letting it weigh us down. That’s the work of being an expat, of coming home, and of living authentically through all the changes life throws at us.

What if your experience abroad wasn’t just for you? What if every lesson, every struggle, every breakthrough was preparing you for a bigger role?

Being mindful of these five things will go along way in helping you adapt to your new home.

Do you know what’s the worst thing you can do when you move abroad?

But by avoiding these common pitfalls, you can navigate it more effectively and start embracing the adventure that lies ahead.

I created this course-in-a-workbook to help you take back your agency and feel empowered to move through homesickness.

Homesickness is a significant, but manageable, challenge. By providing the right support, companies can help their employees handle it, leading to a more resilient, engaged, and productive workforce.

Expats who repatriate successfully usually share a few key traits that help them handle the transition back home smoothly.

This planner is designed to help you find peace of mind as you prepare for your move abroad and help you be better prepared!

After returning from living four years abroad—not just once, but twice—I realized how important debriefing those experiences were. There are probably dozens of ways debriefing benefited me, but here are three:

Military children face a distinct set of challenges. Frequent moves, parental deployments, and the need to adapt to new environments and schools are just a few of the hurdles they regularly encounter. Despite these challenges, military kids often develop an impressive set of skills that can serve them well throughout their lives.

Research has shown that having a mentor is one of the key protective factors in developing resilience and promoting positive outcomes in various professional and personal domains of your life. Having a mentor is especially helpful during major life transitions and can be truly transformative. Here are some key benefits:

These characteristics not only aid in personal adjustment but also enhance professional effectiveness upon returning, helping expats reintegrate into workplaces that may have evolved in their absence.

After living abroad and returning to my home culture, there were moments when I found myself thinking, “No one else feels the way I do; no one understands me.”

The Harvard Business Review has published several insightful articles on expats and how companies can better equip them for success.In "The Right Way to Manage Expats," they offer several keen recommendations for employers. One is helping them repatriate well.

Life is a journey marked by a series of transitions from the moment we are born until the moment we die. Each transition—be it physical, mental, emotional, relational, or professional—has its own set of challenges and opportunities for growth.

Navigating homesickness abroad is a significant challenge for many, but—believe it or not—it's also a profound opportunity for personal growth and the development of resilience. So how does homesickness contribute to resilience?