Years as expat
Countries lived
Months as repat
how it all began...
It's my curiosity that led me to becoming a self-initiated expat for 15 years. Like many others, I thought life abroad would be an adventure. And it is! Except nobody prepared me for the rough parts of the adventure.
Struggles with feeling at ease in a new culture, making meaningful connections and establishing a career in a foreign country - these were all things I had to figure out by myself. But I was determined to keep going until I had made it work.
Over time I began to notice how other expats were quietly struggle just like me. It dawned on me that there's not enough honesty about the bad days of life abroad. So, in 2019, I started Bad Days Abroad to normalize talking about expat struggles so we don't have to deal with them alone.
Since then I've moved on to helping expats discover their real needs and thereby help them decide whether to stay or go - because without a deep understanding of ourselves we won't feel good anywhere.
Struggles with feeling at ease in a new culture, making meaningful connections and establishing a career in a foreign country - these were all things I had to figure out by myself. But I was determined to keep going until I had made it work.
Over time I began to notice how other expats were quietly struggle just like me. It dawned on me that there's not enough honesty about the bad days of life abroad. So, in 2019, I started Bad Days Abroad to normalize talking about expat struggles so we don't have to deal with them alone.
Since then I've moved on to helping expats discover their real needs and thereby help them decide whether to stay or go - because without a deep understanding of ourselves we won't feel good anywhere.
Quick facts about me
I'm a Third culture kid
Someone who falls between the cracks of several cultures, not really belonging anywhere and yet knowing exactly how to navigate unfamiliarity. I have family in Estonia, Switzerland and UK and I spent my formative years in Estonia, Russia, Finland and Switzerland.
Countries I've lived in
I've lived in Estonia, Russia, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Portugal and UK. Although my passport country is Estonia, I have a much deeper connection to Switzerland and Portugal. There's just something right about those two countries.
Why I repatriated
A combination of expat burnout, identity crisis, need to settle down and curiosity about life in Estonia after 15 years abroad. It was a decision I made after several years of quiet pondering. Read more about it here.
biggest lesson
There's no such thing as the worst country in the world. Our success or failure in a foreign country is very individual. It depends at least partly on our current needs and values, whether those can be met in our new surroundings and our ability to adapt to things we can't change.
Things i love
I'm very passionate about good food and trying out new dishes - it's the most exciting part about traveling for me (that and taking photos). I also love hiking in nature and I feel particularly at peace in the forest (that's those Estonian roots in me!).
Language nerd
I've always been good at picking up new languages. In contrast, I'm terrible at math or any hard sciences. Growing up it was my goal to become a polyglot. Well, I did manage to learn 5 languages but on an average day I feel like I can't speak even one language well.
"I'm thankful to have stumbled upon your thoughts. Sometimes honesty stings, but it's better than vague "inspirational" quotes. You are appreciated."
JD
EXPAT DAD