Girls just wanna have fun ...

Fun tips for repats and
​anyone else who wants more fun in life!

Adjusting to my new life in my "home" country, Belgium, has been an adventure in itself. I am now 4 years back in my home country after almost 15 years abroad. 
I am full of tips that I am constantly giving to those who start their journey back 'home'. These tips are all things I have tried or experienced and wished I would have known before I moved back to Belgium.
​I hope they help all you repats out there and make this transition a bit more fun.

1. ​Act as if you are a tourist in your home country. Explore your surrounding as if you where the first time to visit the place. Treat life as a tourist. Living your own rules. I hold my freedom fiercely and gracefully.
2. Explore what would be an added value to your move. Always wanted to try pottery? Interested in trying out for a sports team? Want to join a bookclub? Go for it! Now is the time to try new things and really, what do you have to lose? Some things will turn out horrible (trust me I have been there) but you never know when you will meet your new best friend or discover a hobby that you are passionate about.
3. It is oke missing your life from abroad. You might miss your lifestyle, the weather, the nature and/or your friends from abroad. I know I do. And that is fine it means that all the things you miss are the things you care about. It is good to miss things and people; it means you care for them..
4. Built your own network. When returning back from several years living and working abroad it might take some time to tap into a network again. Make new friends and hang out with your old friends, and make an effort to get to know the friends they have connected with during your absence. The world is a small town, and people, who know other people, will help you along your new path.
5. Run from the negative people. You can’t avoid it, there are always going to be those negative people running around, but when you are still adjusting you do not need that in your life. Surround yourself with friendly faces full of positive thoughts, you will need them on your speed dial on days when you need a reminder of why you chose to uproot your life.
6. Not all relationships stand the test of time. After being abroad, some relationships will stay the same, some will change, and some will fizzle out. That’s ok. Make sure you meet new people and make new friends. Your time away will have shaped you and evolved you. Continue to be the person you have become and are still becoming!
7. Don’t compare your re-entry experience to others’. In comparing ourselves to others, we often end up judging ourselves. Comparing ourselves with someone else is always inaccurate. Your experience is YOUR experience. Embrace it. 
8. Don't let doubt hold you back. I held myself back for awhile not wanting to let go completely of my old life and all it did was make me unhappy. Letting go and fully embracing life has made me appreciate and enjoy things so much more, which ultimately makes for a happier life.
9. Be patient. Trust the process and be patient with yourself. You are doing the best you can! It will take time to adjust to the place, even if you’ve spent most of your life there and everything is familiar. Give this time.
10. Be able to laugh at yourself. Laughter is one of life’s greatest gifts. It makes our complex and often confusing existence more tolerable. Humor and laughter are restorative forces and, even in the darkest of times, can help us find meaning and purpose. Instead of dwelling on missteps and embarrassments, look back and chuckle. In doing so, you acknowledge, accept and celebrate you being human.

With love,
Sarah