Archive for the ‘Expat Life’ Category

When I talk to students about college, we naturally talk about their future career plans and goals. And not surprisingly, many Third Culture Kids or international students in my practice who have had an international experience while growing up seek other international experiences as adults. I have other students, too, who have never been overseas but love the allure of an adventure abroad, and thus dream of doing “something international”.

Students crowd the table to talk to the interior architect

I was once that kid, too. I had stars in my eyes about doing “something international” when I grew up, though I really had no idea what it might be. My thoughts and dreams were limited to what I considered an international career – diplomacy. And I didn’t want to do that, really (but ended up marrying a diplomat, so things have a funny way of working out!). In my own journey, I did my undergraduate majors in International Studies and German, then went on to get my teaching credential, a graduate degree in education, taught overseas, then worked for the State Department, and now consider myself the luckiest person in the world to have my own international educational consulting practice. I’m definitely doing “something international” now!

What I wish young people knew is that diplomacy is not the only career out there for people who want to work overseas or have a profession doing “something international”.

Students worked the tables in the crowded gym

This point was brought home to me recently when I participated in the Career Fair at ABA Academy in Muscat, Oman. I had a very small role, manning a table for my friend and colleague, Marcie Frederickson, who is the high school counselor extraordinaire there. She asked if I would stand in for her as an international counselor, and answer a few questions about the profession as well as college. I had just arrived for a short visit in my former home of Oman, so was thrilled that I got to play any role at all.

What impressed me at the career fair was just how many different professions were represented in that room – and all were international careers. The students, who represented about 50 nationalities, were all eager to talk to the various professionals to find out more about “the world of work”.

In sum, here are the various professions represented at the fair. They included:

• Architect
• Bankers
• Creative art director
• Creative director of fashion design
• Business consultant
• Advertising executive
• Archeologist
• Environmental engineer
• Environmental health professional
• Family counselor/psychologist
• Marketing consultant
• Musician
• Trainer
• Attorney
• Hair stylist
• Nurse/midwife
• Doctor
• Physical therapist
• Surveyor
• Speech therapist
• Restaurant/hotel manager of major brand
• Soccer coach
• Magazine editor
• Yoga instructor
• Writer
• Veterinarian
• Teacher
• Mechanical engineer
• Technical director
• Health and safety project manager
• Geologist
• Chemical engineer
• Orthopedic surgeon
• Oil and gas logistics
• Telecommunications
• International educator and university advisor
• Interior architect
• Radio announcer/producer
• College advisor/US non-governmental organization
• University professor
• Hospitality industry instructor/trainer

As you can see, there are a huge range of options for international careers. And this is by no means a comprehensive list of all the potential careers. In my 30 years of experience living overseas, I have met a lot of people working globally, and the conclusion I have come to is this. People who work overseas have found their passion, love what they do, are really good at it, and thus are in high demand to bring much needed professional expertise to a country. If the country doesn’t need it, then there isn’t a need to import the professional.

Omanis were also present at the career fair

So my advice to students is this: follow your heart. Do what you love, be good at it, and maybe one day, you, too, will find yourself working on the international stage.

When Bing Crosby first crooned the lyrics, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”, I wonder if he ever dreamed it would become a seasonal theme song for expats and their families!

As I watched the news last week of thousands of stranded travelers across Europe due to blizzards, I wondered how many of them were humming this tune to themselves and hoping it would not be “if only in my dreams.” I personally knew of several students as well as parents who were caught up in the mess as they desperately tried to get home to be reunited with family for the holidays.  In my mind, I could see the zig-zag patterns of movement as they each tried to reach the destination of “home” across the globe.

Mr. and Mrs. Claus wish you a Happy Holiday

Home for the Holidays

Thinking back on my own years of raising children overseas, the holidays were easiest and perhaps the most fun when the children were young and we were already “home for the holidays” in our own expat world. We brought our traditions with us. As a family that celebrates Christmas, we decorated the tree with the ornaments collected from our travels, baked all our favorite cookies, sang carols in our living room, and invited our new friends and “adopted” family into our home to share the holidays with us. Many of our “adopted” family members did not share the religious aspect of the holiday with us, but we all still enjoyed the glow of goodwill and warmth that comes from a shared joy-filled experience.

After 7 years abroad we moved back to the U.S., and those were also happy holidays. I distinctly remember the feeling of moving back into our house, and the holes for the nails where we had always hung our garlands were still there. Touching that rough spot in the wood reassured me that we were home again, and that there was some continuity in our lives after all.

Home Keeps Moving

When the last of the kids started college, my husband and I moved overseas again. Though we were returning to a country where we had lived before, most of our children’s “TCK” friends had, as expected, moved on. This time our kids were going home to mom and dad’s house – not necessarily their own home, or to a place where they still had a significant stake. We did our best to find fun things to do and make it feel like home for everyone, but there were still times when they felt like visitors to an alien land. And in fact, they were.

Time passes and life changes. Now the kids are out of college, living their own lives in various parts of the United States. My husband and I have lived in two more countries in the last three years. Our parents are aging and not able to travel. It seems our family is flung from one end of the earth to another. Gathering everyone together for the holidays is something of a logistical nightmare – as well as expensive. Friends and family who don’t live this nomadic life wonder how we manage and how we stay together. But to other expat families, our family’s scenario is not unique and is being repeated with multiple variations around the world.

The Glue

But somehow we do stay together. The beauty of family is that whether we are global nomads or stay in one place all our lives, we have a commitment to one another and to our family. That is the glue.

This year's makeshift Christmas tree

It’s not always easy, but somehow we make it work. The kids could not come to us overseas this year – so my husband and I went to them. Being overseas, we don’t have our own home in the U.S. to go home to for the holidays, so we rented a vacation home for our reunion. We made our list of things to do as soon as we got there and agreed on the things we wanted for the holiday:  a tree, some gifts, the holiday foods we like. It’s much simpler and streamlined than in years past. The important thing is that we are together. Never mind that in a basement 10,000 miles away I have 2 Christmas trees, the ornaments collected from around the world, and enough Christmas decorations to decorate a Macy’s store. Things will stay in boxes this year, just like they did last. But at least we are together.

The holidays are full of sentimental songs about being “home for the holidays”. But for the internationally mobile family, being “home for the holidays” is not always about a place. It’s a state of mind. I’ve been living the expat life now for over 30 years, and I realize now more than ever that “home is wherever we are”.

I wish all of you and your families very happy holidays, and that you feel “at home” – wherever you are.

When members of the audience were asked to stand if their own life had been touched by either Robin Pascoe or Jo Parfitt, almost everyone in the room stood up. Jo and Robin have authored numerous books on expat living, lectured around the world, and inspired others to find opportunities and humor in the challenges of expat life.

After the introduction, Jo got to talk about Robin, and Robin about Jo, and as would be expected, each was full of admiration and affection for the other. But lest you think it was sappy and sugar-coated, they both had the audience roaring with laughter.

Some of the better known books by Jo include Career in a Suitcase, Find Your Passion, Expat Entrepreneur, Grow Your Networks, Expat Writer: Release the Book Within, and 21 other books. If you ever wanted to write your own book, Jo is the one to coach you through it since this is her full-time business now.

Robin is best known for A Movable Marriage, Raising Global Nomads, A Broad Abroad, and Homeward Bound, and her humorous and inspiring lectures to parents around the world.

If you aren’t familiar with their books, blogs, or tweets, go to www.joparfitt.com and http://www.expatexpert.com/.

In the world of expatriate living, it’s nice to know that we have our heroines and “Trailblazers”, too!

Robin Pascoe, left, and Jo Parfitt, right, receive "Trailblazer" award