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Should I Stay or Should I Go as an Expat?
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

Amanda Molenaar
5 days ago7 min read


How to Strengthen Your Intuition As an Expat (and Finally Hear Your Own Voice)
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

Amanda Molenaar
Aug 113 min read


Feeling Like an Outsider With Your Own Friends? Why It Happens When You Live Abroad
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

Amanda Molenaar
Aug 53 min read


Halfway Through the Year and Quietly Stuck? 12 Mid-Year Reflection Questions for Expats
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

Amanda Molenaar
Jul 314 min read


Why Expats Question Their Life Every Summer (and How to Use It)
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

Amanda Molenaar
Jul 223 min read


From Berlin to a new beginning: Laura’s year of transformation
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.

Amanda Molenaar
Jun 214 min read


Feeling Stuck at a Crossroads Abroad? The 5 Hidden Autopilots Behind Your Indecision
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

Amanda Molenaar
Jun 173 min read


Stuck Abroad? Here's How to Stop Waiting and Start Creating Your Next Chapter
Feeling stuck abroad? Discover practical ways to stop overthinking, regain confidence, and create your next chapter wherever you live.

Amanda Molenaar
Jun 143 min read


Decision Making: The 5 Hidden Autopilots Keeping You Stuck
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.

Amanda Molenaar
Jun 114 min read


Unmasking the driven expat: Martina Gastaldello's road from expat burnout to alignment
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.

Amanda Molenaar
Jun 76 min read


How to Make Big Decisions (Without Forcing Clarity)
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.

Amanda Molenaar
May 274 min read


Amplifying your most authentic self with Rianne Klein Geltink
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.

Amanda Molenaar
May 174 min read


How to keep momentum when you aren’t feeling good
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.

Amanda Molenaar
Apr 265 min read


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

Amanda Molenaar
Apr 193 min read


How to not feel lonely when you arrive somewhere new
How to meet people and avoid being lonely when moving abroad. Amanda shares 3 practical ways to build connections in a new city.

Amanda Molenaar
Apr 123 min read


The Big Decision, Moving to Mexico City & Trusting Myself
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.

Amanda Molenaar
Mar 293 min read


Expat Life Decisions: How to Stop Waiting and Finally Make Your Move (+ sharing my own!)
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.

Amanda Molenaar
Mar 175 min read


The Expat Waiting Room: The 3 things I say to Myself to Stay My Course after a Decision
Feeling stuck abroad and waiting for clarity? Discover what the expat waiting room is, why it keeps expats stuck in indecision, and how to move forward with confidence.

Amanda Molenaar
Feb 103 min read


Navigating expat life decisions as a couple, with Wiebke Anton
Expat coach Amanda Maxime breaks down the expat waiting room phase—the in-between state where many expats feel stuck, unsure, and passive. Learn how to recognize it and how to step into your next chapter with intention.

Amanda Molenaar
Feb 53 min read


My 3 goals and a big decision for 2026
Navigating expat life decisions can feel overwhelming. Amanda Maxime shares her 2026 goals and the bold decision to leave The Hague.

Amanda Molenaar
Jan 84 min read
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