It’s January 2025 and like every other year, I’ve hit the ground running…again. This isn’t uncommon for me or my family and has been our norm since my husband became an expat 13 years ago. We have busy December holidays, with minimal rest in between and that continues into the New Year…every single year. If I sound tired, its because I am and that’s probably one of the main reasons (among plenty others) that I’ve decided to write a series of articles about a life that not many choose to speak about – navigating life as an Expat family. This is something that I’ve been wanting to do for the longest times. In a series of articles, I’ll get personal by sharing as much as I can about our experiences over the last 13 years, including challenges, as well as what and how we’ve managed to overcome and thrive as a family.
For those who are not familiar, an expat, as per Google: Someone who lives in a country other than their own. The term is often used to describe people who live abroad temporarily for work or study, but it can also apply to retirees and artists.
In truth, there is so much more to this definition and only those who live through it, can attest to the truth. When we first discussed taking this route, we were somewhat aware of what we would be getting ourselves involved in. We had witnessed my father living as an expat for a couple of years, so we had a small understanding of how things worked. When a work opportunity in Saudi Arabia presented itself, my husband and I agreed that it would be better if I stayed in SA with the kids while he worked abroad. This was mainly because our support system was here, our life was fairly established and there was no need to be making any drastic changes just yet. If we could decide over, we’d still make the same one – stay in SA. By no means am I trying to deter you, but I do encourage you to do as much research as possible as each country comes with its own set of pros and cons and only you know what is best for your family.
Along with this life, comes no set number of advantages and disadvantages. As we have grown, different things have presented themselves as both. The question of longevity was also a long discussion. How long do we plan to do this for? If you don’t have a goal in mind, it’s a fruitless experience. Initially, we had one plan and that was working well, until we had to adjust. And adjust you will have to – no questions asked. If I could sum it up, the main advantage is the financial reward we’ve been blessed with, and the disadvantage would be the time we have had to spend apart. There are of course plenty others (advantages & disadvantages) but that’s a whole separate article on its own.
We know that support comes in all forms – family, friends, school, work – so in the next article, I dig into the importance of support structures, community and how to choose your village wisely.
Till then, hold yourself with grace & vulnerability but most importantly, please be kind to yourself.
T
The Author: Taryn Nunn (Specialist Wellness Counsellor)
More about Taryn Nunn: https://www.vitanova.co.za/meet-the-team/taryn-nunn-specialist-wellness-counsellor/
To schedule a session with the author or any of our counsellors at Vita Nova, please contact us on 0712979992, or go to www.vitanova.co.za. We offer a range of counselling services and have interns that can provide you with assistance for free if you are not in a position to afford therapy.
For 24 hr assistance on mental health matters contact SADAG on 0800 567 567
Help is always available.