Story 9 of 52 /// Henry & Max
Your worlds spread out over two homes, two mothers, two languages, two countries, and two lives. You are brothers.
Your dad’s world is a constant effort to foster permanence and security in your brotherhood. He is battling systems that were designed for families living in one home, with one set of parents, one language, in one country.
Sometimes things are made easy: when an employer recognizes your family as an opportunity and facilitates whatever they can, when schools make exceptions so you can spend holidays together, and when courts recognize you are one family, not two.
Sometimes things are challenging: when international travel restrictions keep you apart, when your stories are not represented, or when you are made to feel your family set-up is unique in its kind.
Your family is beautiful in unique ways. Henry helps Max to improve his English during their Skype sessions. Max sends silly postcards with an app to Henry which are printed in the UK. Your family set-up has allowed you to travel the world, learn languages, and embrace different cultures.
You don’t know any better than that this is your brother and he is your family. Now let’s have the systems that supposedly care for your wellbeing, start recognizing you as you are.
Story 9 of 52 /// Henry & Max
Your worlds spread out over two homes, two mothers, two languages, two countries, and two lives. You are brothers. Your dad’s world is a constant effort to foster permanence and security in your brotherhood. He is battling systems that were designed for families living in one home, with one set...
Read moreStory 35 of 52 /// Family Rituals
I could tell by the look on my mom’s face that something terrible had happened. She looked as if she had been crying. She sat us down, and said: “Nan has passed away. It was unexpected, she never had any pain.” We last spoke three days ago. We last hugged...
Read moreStory 32 of 52 /// Bittersweet
The coming six months we’ll be getting ready to go back home. My mom is stressing out already. My dad is wrapping up his project in three months, and most likely he’ll have to fly out to his new job for a few weeks already. We can’t leave yet, as...
Read moreStory 22 of 52 /// It strangely felt like coming home
Moving to a new country was such a blessing for me. My parents never really made it explicit to me, but I was a gifted learner. And I was really bored in school. I was born while my parents were on assignment, I always identified myself as someone from another...
Read moreFamily Adventures: Ensuring a Successful Pre-Assignment Trip Together
The decision is made, or it is close to being made. You are relocating internationally to take on a new position, and you are now in full preparation mode. There’s a mix of excitement and apprehension for what lies ahead. To help you prepare, your company has generously offered you...
Read moreStory 8 of 52 /// The epitome of a Third Culture Kid
“I’m sitting here thinking that we have to rethink the way we look at this. This is how the world is turning. Instead of having to make a choice, why can’t she be both? Eileen Gu is living her best life. She loves both countries and feels just as American...
Read moreFinding a Budget for Successful Family Relocation Experiences
Before Expat Valley existed, there was no global solution for internationally mobile children and their families. This was one reason why such solutions were not widely adopted by organizations that sponsor family relocations in order to fulfill a human resource need. Now that is out of the way, another major...
Read moreStory 24 of 52 /// Look Jana, a German car!
I moved to the Netherlands for university, and have stayed ever since. I speak the language fluently, and my appearance does not make me stand out from locals. Some people still recognize my accent though. And of course, my friends all know of my German descent. In their eyes, I’m...
Read moreStory 16 of 52 /// We now share childhood memories
We moved to Australia when she was only 10 months old, with the intention of never going back to the Netherlands. She attended a local Kindy as soon as she was old enough, and though we spoke Dutch at home, she always felt that English was her first language. Watching...
Read moreThree Tips on the First Day of School (for international families)
The first day of school is often filled with a mix of emotions when it is experienced in one’s passport culture, but the mental, emotional and even academic complexity can often be significantly magnified when it is experienced internationally. Students living abroad have the normal first day nerves, along with...
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