You're back in the country you grew up in. Someone starts singing a song, or mentions a film, or a piece of news from a few years ago - and everyone gets it except you. "How do you not know that?" You weren't living under a rock. You were away. But now you have to explain that, in the place that's supposed to be familiar. I know that moment well. When I was a diplomat I worked with Dutch people and read the Dutch news every single day, and I still missed so many things. Peopl

This is part 2 of a little series about why expat decisions get stuck, and how to get them moving again. (Missed part 1? You can read it here.) On Thursday I told you about my client in Switzerland. Months of asking ChatGPT the same question... and then clarity in one sentence, the moment she realized her anchor was gone. I promised to show you how to find out what’s on your own scale. And I told you it starts somewhere you normally wouldn’t look. So here it is: right now you

She typed the question into ChatGPT once again: should I stay in Switzerland, or go back home to the UK? Like every time before, she got a beautiful answer. A neat table with pros on one side and cons on the other, plus some thoughtful questions at the end (Chatty loves a few questions to keep you in the echo chamber). It all made sense and... She was exactly as stuck as before. When we first spoke, she’d been in Switzerland for five years. She’d struggled with the culture fr

Unfortunately there's no universal right answer to whether you should stay abroad, move back home, or move to a new country. Many expats make the mistake of focusing on the external circumstances as input for their decision-making, whereas the real question isn't about the country at all - it's about identity, values, priorities, and the fear that is quietly running the show. Most expats who feel stuck already know their answer. What's missing isn't more thinking - it's a str

A few months ago I was on my bike when a clear voice said: pause your 1:1 coaching, stop taking new clients. On paper it made no sense - it’s a big part of my income. I trusted it anyway, and it turned out to be one of my best decisions. My energy came back, and I had my second-biggest revenue month ever. That's intuition. If you feel like you've lost yours, like you make every choice from your head and can't hear your own voice anymore, you haven't lost it. As a life coach f

Do you love your oldest friends and still leave every reunion feeling like you don't quite belong? Like they're talking about a life that isn't yours, and you're the outsider looking in? When two of my clients brought me this exact feeling in a single week, I knew it deserved an episode. Here's what most people get wrong: it runs deeper than moving abroad. As a life coach for expats, I see the same pattern underneath it, and once you spot it, you can feel like yourself with y

Halfway through the year, most of us are so busy living it that we never stop to ask whether we actually like where it's taking us. You set intentions back in January. Then life abroad happened — the move, the job, the endless visa admin, the friendships you're still slowly rebuilding — and the year quietly ran off without you. So here's your gentle interruption. Before the second half slips away too, sit down for a proper mid-year review with these 12 mid-year reflection que

Every summer, do you start quietly questioning your whole life abroad? Whether to stay or move home, your job, your relationship, the next chapter you can't quite picture yet. You're not imagining it, and you're not the only one. As a life coach for expats, I watch this happen every July. There's a real reason the questions surface in summer, and once you see it, you can use the season instead of being ambushed by it. Why summer makes you question your life abroad Summer is m

An expat new beginning doesn't always look dramatic. Here's Laura's honest story of going from grounded to taking flight — one small action at a time.

Have you ever felt completely stuck between two options, thinking it through for months and still landing in the same spot? Maybe it's whether to stay abroad or move home. Maybe it's a job that no longer fits, or a next chapter you can't commit to. If that's you, the problem probably isn't the decision. It's the hidden autopilot quietly making it for you. As a life coach for expats, this is the pattern I see most, and once you can name it, everything starts to move. Why makin

Feeling stuck abroad? Discover practical ways to stop overthinking, regain confidence, and create your next chapter wherever you live.

Struggling with decision making as an expat? Discover the 5 hidden autopilots that may be keeping you stuck at a crossroads and learn how to make clearer, more confident choices. Based on a new episode of This Expat Life.

Martina Gastaldello went from severe expat burnout and depression to alignment, peace, and pregnancy. Here's the honest story of what it took — and what she wants every expat woman to know.

From writing my first book to planning a move abroad, here's the exact process I use to make big decisions — even when my head and heart don't agree.

Discover how embracing your authentic self can create more confidence, connection, and alignment in everyday life. Learn powerful insights on authenticity, identity, and self-expression from Rianne Klein Geltink.

Feeling stuck between wanting to move forward and not having the energy to? Here's how to navigate low periods without losing momentum on your next chapter.

Why your next chapter in life requires an identity shift. Learn how to align who you are with the life you want to create.

How to meet people and avoid being lonely when moving abroad. Amanda shares 3 practical ways to build connections in a new city.

In Episode 100, I talk about my decision to move to Mexico City, feeling stuck in The Hague, expat life, big decisions, fear vs intuition, and learning to trust yourself when building a life abroad.

Expat life decisions don't have to keep you stuck. If you've been waiting for the perfect moment to make your move, here's what finally creates the clarity you need.