Necessity is the Mother
of Reinvention
A 2010 survey by Brookfield Global Relocation Services found that almost 80% of expats go abroad with a partner. Moreover,
almost 90% of partners or spouses were
working before the move abroad, yet only
35% work after the move. And it is not for
lack of desire, Brookfield’s 2011 survey also
found that 75% of the partners that were
not working would like to be working.
Beware of the Expat Blues
The first few months in a new country
are usually a honeymoon of sorts. Life
feels full of adventure and an expat may
uncritically embrace everything about
her new home.
After the honeymoon period, however,
an expat and his family may start to dislike almost everything about the host
country. Everyday activities, such as taking public transport or shopping, might
feel overwhelming and homesickness
can become an almost-constant comWith visa and language barriers, a tradipanion. As Armstrong points out, culture
tional job may not be a realistic possibility
shock is something both partners might
for the trailing spouse. Dave Armstrong, a
feel, but the trailing spouse is unlikely to
seasoned expat who followed his wife to Inhave the same type of support, for examdia and then Germany, believes it is imporple, from work colleagues or professional
tant for trailing spouses to think about their
acquaintances.
CVs and remain active even if they are not
working. Armstrong, an engineer by trainArmstrong suggests that one way to
ing, coached children’s rugby in India and
overcome this negative phase of the
also helped a local micro-finance charexpat adjustment cycle is to find a ventity with business administration. He most
ing mechanism. Be it blogging, Skype, or
recently completed an online computer
Facebook, negative experiences can, at
course and now leads the only English-lanthe very lea st, be turned into ‘material’
guage Rhyme Time for toddlers in Hamburg
for a creative outlet. Who knows? In the
as part of the Bookstart program.
future, that record of international adventures and cultural mishaps might become
Diego Moppett, once a trailing spouse in
a memoir of sorts.
France whose work subsequently led him
and his family to the UK and Germany, recLikewise, although it is counter-producommends making an active effort to meet
tive to dwell on the differences between
new people and network. ‘Networking with
home and the host country, sometimes
other expats is a good way to get clued-in
a big bowl of comfort food, bad pop
on the local job market and can lead you
music or reality TV shows from back home
to meet people doing surprising things you
are just what the trailing spouse needs to
may have never thought of.’
make the transition to a new culture
easier.