Season 2, Episode 5: Rhiannon, Temporary Repatriation Lasts Way Longer Than Expected

Between you and me, Rhiannon, an Australian-Swiss dual citizen who left the land down under to move to Switzerland directly after finishing school, has been one of my favorite blog readers for the last few years. In 2014, she repatriated to Australia after falling in love with Zurich and her Swiss partner because she felt immense pressure to obtain a degree as she had always planned to do.

With a countdown set on her phone, Rhiannon enrolled in a midwifery course, and then for one reason and another, her repatriation ended up lasting way longer than she had originally planned. Because she had not expected for repatting to be so difficult or painful, Rhiannon took to the internet and happened upon my blog around three years ago. Thankfully for both of us, a virtual connection centered on a shared struggle was formed.

On today's episode, Rhiannon and I talked about how we tend to get comfortable where we are and the reality of confronting what we must in turn give up when we make a move; she got into the nitty gritty of the comparison trap that is so impossible to avoid when first repatriating. And, finally, Rhiannon shared her best advice for expats preparing to repatriate back home, including what to do if you discover that moving back home wasn't the right move for you.

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And, if you're curious to see my blog after today's episode, just head on over to Swiss Lark to read up on my time in Switzerland, and to see all of my posts on repatriation. 

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Season 2, Episode 4: Mini, Memory Lane

Earlier this evening, I took a trip down memory lane, looking at old videos and photos from our time in Switzerland. In doing so, I realized that this is something I never do, and pondered why.
As expats and repats, we share many commonalities. One big one is that we learn to erase our expat lives after we return home. Does this sound familiar to you? Do you avoid photos and videos of your time abroad, too?

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Season 2, Episode 3: Heather, From Successful in Sweden to Underemployed Repat

This week, I interviewed Heather, a former American expat in Sweden. Heather seized the day and learned the Swedish language, attained further qualifications and landed a job in a Swedish public school. Heather was fully immersed in Swedish culture and would have been happy to stay forever, but divorce and other life circumstances brought her back to the US.

Heather's repat adjustment has been difficult. All of the professional success and accolades she worked so hard for in Sweden were overlooked by US employers. And daily life and the rhythm of the year were completely different to what she had grown accustomed to. Heather and I talked about how she harnessed the power of LinkedIn to get her career back on track, the major differences between Sweden and the US and how she prepared for repatriation and found closure ahead of her journey back home.

Referenced in the episode: Internations, click through to find your local chapter.

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Season 2, Episode 1: Luke Mitchell, From Surviving in Singapore to Thriving Back Home

Welcome to Season 2! My first guest this season is Luke Mitchell, an urban designer and fine art painter living in Boston Massachusetts with his wife and two young children. Luke has had experiences abroad in Japan, Spain and Singapore. We spoke about the contrast between his first and last repatriation experiences and how homesickness and the desire to be close to friends and start a family of his own intensified during his last expat assignment. I know you'll enjoy listening to Luke's open, honest and keenly observant interview. Please let me know what you think in the comments after you listen.

I'm really looking forward to another season of Expat Repat stories and I'm so grateful that you're here! Please remember to subscribe, rate and review the show over on iTunes and please consider becoming a member of our Patreon campaign. Thank you so much for listening!

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