What if the key to thriving abroad isn't just where you live, but how you feel inside? In this episode, I'm sharing three powerful takeaways that shifted my perspective and might just change yours too, from grounding rituals to emotional independence. Let's explore what it really means to feel at home wherever you are. Welcome to starting over in the USA, the Expat Woman's Guide to overcoming homesickness, embracing cultural differences, and creating a new home away from home. On this podcast, we talk about leaving behind the familiar, you know, the pangs of homesickness and culture shock to the journeys of reinventing yourself. I'm Yolanda Reshemah. And after relocating six times, I know firsthand what it's like to start from scratch, feeling like both a foreign child and a foreign adult in a new world. hello my friend. This is officially my return from that long summer break we'll be going back to a regular schedule of two episodes per week, one on Wednesday, which will be interviews with guests. And on Friday you'll be getting tools, tips and strategies to help you in our new home abroad. In today's episode, I'll be harking back to that discussion with Dr. Veronique episodes. 30 and 31. There are a few things that she said that I want to pull out because they've been on my mind and I keep playing over and over, and it's always the same Key things for me. First being present small rituals you and I can introduce into our lives today to help us stay grounded. The other thing I want to draw your attention to is our discussion around psychological independence as opposed to being codependent- relying on friends and structures to take hold of opportunities in making decisions and moving abroad is one of those decisions. My last big takeaway is simply this, the weather inside. Is the weather outside? Why that is, and what it means. Let's get into it. There are many things my guest, Dr. Veronique shared with us on episode 30 that will stay with me she shared a number of tools that she recommends we try. The first being, taking deep breaths, the second spending at least 20 minutes a day in green spaces. But the third, the one I really want to bring your attention to this idea of daily small pleasures, and she gave an example if you are having a coffee. Don't just drink the coffee, but take time, be present. Sip your coffee. Enjoy the aroma, the taste, enjoy everything about it. Don't just guzzle it as you check your emails. I'm not a coffee drinker, I am a big tea drinker. I love my Earl Greys and my lap San Ong and the rest of it. but my favorite thing is to sit in my kitchen with dark chocolate filled with ginger cinnamon and orange peels Whenever I break a chunk off. I am present in the moment. I roll it around my tongue. And that is so pleasing, but it's something so simple. That is what I'm taking away. Also, 20 minutes of quiet time per day to meditate and help you return to yourself. I interpret that as meaning. Shut down the phone, the laptop, turn the TV off, and I get that. I feel that sense of quiet and that sense of calm when, when I'm reading the word, when I'm reading any book, when I'm sitting in my garden, thinking about nothing. If that's even possible but for me it is. Saying nothing, doing nothing, just being quiet. There is a great sense of tranquility and it's restorative, but I also realize that these tools aren't just about managing stress. The tools are great, but the biggest takeaway for me is what she said about psychological independence. I've now come to learn that when we move abroad, we create distance so that we can intentionally become independent. It's a way of creating distance from the people and the systems around us that define us. Who influence the way we think, the way we speak, the clothes we wear, our beliefs even..When we tell ourselves, oh my goodness, I can't do it. I can't move abroad because I'm gonna miss my mom. I'm gonna miss my dad, my aunts, I'm gonna miss the cats. I'm gonna miss the pub. I'm gonna miss the shops and the lifestyle, everything. We do that, we talk ourselves out of this opportunity of seeing what's beyond the borders that we have created for ourselves, and that is about our ability to trust our own opinions, our ability to make decisions all by ourselves, for ourselves, and to handle the big issues, to handle the challenges that we face. It's about our ability to feel good in our own skin. And to stop outsourcing our own worth. We can trust our own opinions. The last takeaway brings me absolute joy as well. Dr. Veronica said. The weather inside is the weather outside. Whoever you are, whatever state you are in, when you relocate abroad, you travel with all of your skills, your abilities, but also your hangups. However you are feeling in your country of origin, you will also feel that in your new environment. Take care of how you are feeling internally first. I would say my discussions with Dr. Veronique brought for me a lot of clarity. It reminded me that the USA, this place that I never imagined calling home is where I became a mom. It's where I deliver these episodes and it's where I have become brave enough to do the two step down the aisle, in the supermarket, just for a little bit. If you are considering moving or you're living abroad, ask yourself. Do you feel good in your own skin? Are you trusting yourself, your own opinions? And what small pleasures will you allow yourself starting today? Before we go, I want to invite you into a small moment of presence. If you have something nearby, like a cup of tea, um, a piece of chocolate, or even a slice of fruit, I'm inviting you to pause with it. Just let it sit on your tongue, taste it, feel it, and let it remind you that joy doesn't have to be loud. It can be quiet and it can be yours. This is your reminder that you should feel good in your skin, and you should trust yourself wherever you are in the world. That's it from me today. Download the link and share it with your expat woman friend who needs to be part of this community. We'll speak soon. Bye.