It's All in the Attitude!

Moving around the world teaches you to be flexible in your outlook, open to new activities, and welcoming to new friends.  It is easy to become frustrated if your new environment does not offer you the same activities and facilities you previously enjoyed, but adapting is all part of the expat lifestyle experience!

When living in Asia, I participated in many different sporting activities, including Adventure Races in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand.  I did all sorts, from trail running and mountain bike races to abseiling and kayaking.  There were plenty of opportunities to enjoy such activities, and we quickly became part of a like-minded community, spending weekends exhausting ourselves.

Moving from Asia to the Middle East, I had to give all that up – it simply wasn’t available at that time in the Middle East.  Frustrating?  Yes.  BUT it is all part of the expat lifestyle, so I looked for something else.  It always takes a while for me to settle into a new rhythm, but eventually I took up running and swimming.  It was in the UAE that I ran my first full marathon, and participated in a long-distance swimming event! 

Moving back to the UK, the weather is definitely against me.  I am a warm-weather participant, and flatly refuse to venture out in the cold, wet, dark, inhospitable weather we seem beset with most of the year.  The gym became my go-to activity place.  To get to know people, I joined Boot Camps and Group Personal Training sessions.  I became hooked on weight-lifting, which is what I predominantly do now.

I’ve also found myself signing up for group trips that involve hiking and trekking – in destinations where the weather is a little more friendly and reliable than the UK, and always towards the end of the summer!  That way, I can train outside during the kinder months of the year, prior to any trip.  No way would I join anything that required me to be fit by April!  My latest adventure takes place at the end of July, when I join a group on an 8-day visit to Uganda!

Adaptability, flexibility, and an openness to trying new things and meeting new people:  that’s what an expat lifestyle teaches you.

How have you adapted to your global nomadic lifestyle, and what frustrations have you encountered?

If you are worried about returning to the UK, and how you are going to adapt to life ‘back home’ we should talk.  I work with expats planning their return home, to help them navigate the challenges confidently so they look forward to it, rather than approaching their return with dread and anxiety.

Drop me a message, and let’s have a 30-minute conversation about your fears, and how I can help you focus less on what you will miss, and more on the new opportunities that are about to present themselves.

Book a 30-minute call in my calendar using THIS LINK