Hi, I'm Katherine!
Your serial expat-turned-repat and clarity coach for expats who feel a bit upside down about life abroad.
Welcome to Bad Days Abroad – the place where you can stop feeling anxious about your future and find clarity on whether you should stay or go.
Bad Days Abroad exists because I understand one thing very clearly, and that is that expat life is not a never-ending vacation free of challenges. In fact, so much of expat life can make you feel isolated and alone.
Ever since founding Bad Days Abroad in 2019, it’s been my mission to help expats around the world feel that they’re not alone with their frustrations abroad.
What started out as a raw and honest personal blog about expat life has since turned into a thriving community and a signature coaching method, based on my own experience of solving my stay or go dilemma.
It’s my goal to help you figure out where your life is going and what your next steps should be so that, wherever you live, you can feel secure and fulfilled.
This is what Bad Days
Abroad stands for.
no stone left unturned
I believe in digging deep so we can get to the core of how expat life has shaped who you have become and what you need going forward.
When you can’t understand what you want or what you’re missing, or you don’t even know how to fix things, you risk making a decision that will only act as a bandaid.
That’s why I believe in looking honestly at everything you’ve experienced before carving a new path forward.
Carving out your
own path
I don’t believe in one size fits all life paths. I also can’t stand social comparison and trying to keep up with the neighbors.
I fully believe in doing whatever the heck makes your heart sing, even if it doesn’t make sense to others (especially if it doesn’t make sense to others!).
That’s why I will 100% commit to helping you discover your unique path forward and support you in feeling confident and secure about your choices.
Be(com)ing your own best friend
I believe in be(com)ing your own best friend – being self-compassionate when you mess up (we all do!), staying in touch with your changing needs and honoring those needs, whether that means pivoting when necessary or setting healthy boundaries.
Because when you don’t have a good relationship with yourself, you will struggle on many fronts in life, including in your life abroad or back home.
Telling it like it is, with kindness
One of the core values that Bad Days Abroad was founded on was honesty.
Without honesty, we can’t identify what’s not working nor can we find a solution that actually brings relief.
I value people who are kind and supportive and whom I can trust to be honest with me about where I’m getting in my own way.
You can trust me to be that one person for you.
media
Podcast episode with A Home Worth Having – How to make a level-headed decision in an emotionally-charged decision
Podcast episode with The Expat Cast – Bad days abroad and the big question – to stay or go?
Podcast episode with Transcontinental Overload – Finding your strengths in the transience of expat life
Written interview with The Adventures of Steffi – Should I stay or go? How expat coaching can help you find clarity
Review by Life Inspiration File – Reflections on expat life, answering the question “Should I stay or should I go?”
Things to know about me
I'm an expert on change
Change has always fascinated me and shaped my career in many ways. I help businesses envision and execute the change they want to create. I also hold an interdisciplinary PhD degree in Sociology & Anthropology on how people deal with change. I drew from all this experience in creating my signature coaching method for expats.
biggest lesson as a serial expat
There's no such thing as the worst country in the world in my view. Your success or failure in a foreign country depends on whether your current needs can be met in your new surroundings and on your ability to adapt to the things you can't change. That's why it's crucial to know what you want and why you want it, so that no struggle can throw you off track.
I'm an adult 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 spent my formative years in Estonia, Russia, Finland and Switzerland and I still have family living in Estonia, Switzerland and UK. Living cross-culturally is a normal part of my life.
Countries I've lived in
I've lived in Russia, Estonia, Finland, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Portugal and UK. Although my passport country and current home is in Estonia, I consider Switzerland and Portugal my other heart homes.
Things i love
While I used to be all about exploring the world and eating amazing food, these days I crave peace, simplicity and beauty (but also amazing food). I still love to explore, you're just much more likely to find me on a hiking trail or learning a new skill than globetrotting with my camera around my neck and a small suitcase in tow (I'm a minimalist).
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. While I have managed to learn 5 languages during my 30+ years on this Earth, these days I feel like I can't speak even a single language really well.