"Should I stay or GO?" SERIES
This is a collection of stories on how expats and repats around the world have grappled with the question whether to stay, move back home or move somewhere new.
I hope these stories inspire you to find the right answer for yourself.
Should I
stay or go?
STAY or go #12 – “Somehow I just knew I needed to be in my real home”
Reading Time: 11 minutes It’s never too late to make a change in your life. Amy, an American serial expat, shares her story of why they uprooted their family from an idyllic life in Germany to repatriate to the US.
STAY OR GO #11 – “An overseas job has to benefit both partners in a marriage”
Reading Time: 8 minutes Marcie has been a “tagalong wife” her entire expat journey and had to face the dilemma of staying or going along a total of 8 times. Her incredible journey shines light on the times when it’s worth moving for your husband’s international career and when it is not.
Stay or Go #10 – “Adjusting to motherhood and living abroad stretched me to my limit”
Reading Time: 10 minutes No amount of research can prepare expats for the reality of becoming a new mom while adjusting to life in a foreign country. Should you stay or move back home then? This is the question asked by this first-time expat and new mom living in Japan.
STAY OR GO #9 – “If I want to be in this man’s life, I need to stay”
Reading Time: 9 minutes Deciding whether to stay or go on your own is hard enough. But how do you make that decision as a stepmom in an expat relationship? Marissa, an American expat in the Netherlands, shares her truth about such a reality.
STAY OR GO #8 – “I didn’t want to give up when things got challenging”
Reading Time: 6 minutes You can only prepare so much when you move abroad. So when things don’t initially work out as you had planned or hoped, it’s easy to start thinking about giving up. This is Emily’s story of how she chose to push through anyway and continue building a life in Munich, Germany.
When is it time to go home? 6 signs expats should look out for
Reading Time: 5 minutes If you’re an expat wondering when is the right time to go home, here’s my ultimate list of signs to look out for.
STAY OR GO #7 – “It’s often hard to decide because we’re afraid to make mistakes”
Reading Time: 10 minutes Deciding whether to stay or go as an adult third culture kid can be next level complicated. This is something that Wiebke has faced several times as a serial expat. These days she works as an expat coach. In this post she shares how she helps her clients decide whether to stay or go.
STAY OR GO #6 – “No part of me was eager to start from scratch somewhere new” (American expat in Germany)
Reading Time: 9 minutes When a relationship breaks down while abroad, it’s easy to wonder whether you should stay or go. Nicole, a first-time American expat in Germany, chose to start a new life abroad alone. Read more about her thought-process and staying in touch with one’s inner voice.
STAY OR GO #5 – “I don’t know if I’ll always want to stay but for now the hardships are worth the rewards” (American expat in Italy)
Reading Time: 7 minutes Even when you feel like a foreigner and miss the familiarity of home, the rewards of living abroad can still trump the hardships. This is what Bella, a first-time American expat in Italy, has learned.
Stay or go? #4 – “Asking ‘should I stay or go?’ means that change is happening and no one but yourself can know the answer” (American expat in Morocco)
Reading Time: 9 minutes Expat life can be a recipe for identity crisis or profound self-growth. This is the path that Patti, an American expat, has been on since moving abroad in 2017. The experience has helped her realize that she is happy being away from the US.