Expat interrupted

How do you know when it’s time to move on?  How do you judge if those annoying little elements of your new life overseas become more than simple bugbears?  

A few weeks ago, I posted on the going getting tough for me in Sydney, about the minor gripes in my life becoming more than just that, and about a pressing need to re-assess the current situation. To understand whether this expat should in fact get going, I first needed to understand what was really going on and whether major change was necessary.

Too tough in Sydney?  Photo: Flickr Creative Commons xiquinho

To do this, I made use of a couple of expat-related resources to help evaluate my situation, to determine what I wanted with my life overseas, and where I might find it.


I sought the opinion of a well-known expat coach, Megan Fitzgerald, who suggested I complete a brief exercise to better assess what my ideal day would look like, how that compared to my current day, and what were those things I could live with and could quite easily live without. The outcome would be an understanding of the extent to which life in Sydney was, or wasn't, delivering my ideal day and I could then take action to fix the situation.

Once I knew what I was looking for to create my ideal day and preferred way of life, I used the recently released Expat Explorer tool, which is a handy online resource for expats or potential expats wanting to understand how their wants and needs match up with possible countries to live in, based on the experiences of expats across the world who were surveyed one year previously.

Selecting the right criteria.

By selecting my preferred criteria on the tool, I was able to draw down a list of possible places to call home that best matched that criteria. I could then compare these selected countries with my current home to see how each place stacked up. In other words, in which country would the local people make me feel more comfortable at work? In which country would I find a better work-life balance? Where would commuting be least painful? Where was the housing of best quality?

At the end of these exercises, I had a much better sense of what I originally went looking for, what was still important to me, and in which country I could have that different, less ordinary way of life. I reconfirmed that I went in search of a life that would involve more time with my family and less time spent in the office. I wanted a life less stressful and more relaxed, with increased time outdoors and stimulation from my immediate environment. Most of all, I did not want to be that guy sat in front of the TV night after night, full of regrets at passing up opportunities, unhappy with his lot in life, and destined to infinite suburban boredom. 

 

A life less ordinary by the beach?

And the outcome... just where is the best place for us to live such a life?

It will come down to one of three places. And with family and friends in all three locations, it will never be easy but, one way or the other, our interrupted expat life will get back on track. Watch this space. 

Are you deciding whether it’s time to move on? Have you tried any exercises to help evaluate what you’re looking for, such as the Expat Explorer tool or even the services of an expat coach?  If so, I'd love to know how you got on?