Mindful Expat Episode 42: Studying Abroad (Part 1): Learning Through the Challenges & Making the Most of Our Experiences (With Guest: Dani Jauregui)

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Today’s Mindful Expat Guest is Dani Jauregui!

Dani is originally from the Chicago area. While studying at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois – majoring in Sociology and Hispanic Studies – she decided to do a semester abroad in Alicante, Spain. After returning to the US to finish her degree, Dani then decided that she wanted to move back to Spain, so in 2013 she moved to Granada, where she worked as a teaching assistant in a bilingual elementary school. After a brief stint also teaching in Costa Rica, Dani missed Granada and decided to move back. Since then, she has been working full time as an online English teacher, reaching students around the world from Granada, which she now considers to be her home.

Dani and her friend Claudia – both of whom live in Granada and also both of whom have studied sociology – started a website together called Sincerely Spain, where they share their experiences and insights on topics related to living in Spain and cultural adaptation for students studying abroad.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Dani’s experience of studying abroad for a semester and how this experience inspired her to move back to Spain after finishing her studies.

• Some of the common challenges that young adults face when studying or living abroad during this time in their lives (and some tips on how to navigate these challenges).

• Some of the amazing benefits of studying or living abroad during this formative time in our lives and how this experience can increase our own self-awareness and lead to personal development.

• Some tips to keep in mind when planning or navigating a study abroad experience. Read More

Mindful Expat Episode 37: Self-Care Inspiration for the New Year (Featuring all of 2017’s Mindful Expat Guests!)

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What you’ll hear in this episode:

• We’ll talk a bit about New Year’s resolutions and making sustainable self-care a priority in 2018!

• We’ll hear from all of our Mindful Expat guests from the 2017, listening to their self-care tips from their own experiences as inspiration for our own self-care in the coming year! Read More

Mindful Expat Episode 24: The Source of Your Joy

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What you’ll hear in this episode:

• I’ll share with you some updates about the podcast and invite you to take a short survey I’ve designed to help me know what you’d like to hear more about in Season 2 of the podcast.
• We’ll discuss a quote from Thich Nhat Hahn that says, “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”
• I’ll share with you some fascinating research that shows that this quote is literally true, and we’ll also discuss some ways you can work to subtly shift your perspective to feel more joy in your life. Read More

Self-Care 101: Setting Healthy Boundaries

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I’ve been thinking a lot about boundaries lately: why they’re important — and yet why so many of us struggle with setting them.

I was talking to a friend in the US a few weeks ago. She was telling me how overworked she is and how she doesn’t have time for some of the things that are really important to her — spending time with her family, traveling, working on some creative projects, taking time to just relax and enjoy life. Even some parts of her work — the parts she finds most meaningful and satisfying.

The problem? Emails. Requests. Invitations to give workshops and presentations, to sit on committees, to write book chapters. Read More

Post-Election Self-Care

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long road aheadI’ll admit, I’m feeling a bit torn about writing anything about the US elections here on the blog.

But I also feel like I can’t just ignore it.

I know that many readers of this blog are not Americans. But a number of you are. And I am. And both Americans and non-Americans alike have been impacted by this and are likely to continue to be impacted for some time.

I’ve been hearing the reactions from many of my clients. I’ve been hearing from my friends on both sides of the Atlantic. I’ve been feeling the impact myself.

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Cultural Adjustment, Part 5: Wrapping Up & Food for Thought

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adventureIn the last several posts, we’ve been discussing various aspects of the cultural adjustment process that many expats may experience when moving abroad.

We’ve discussed the experience of culture shock, reviewed some models of cultural adjustment, looked into the experience of repatriation (moving back home after time abroad), and covered some topics specific to moving abroad with kids or teens.

While these articles have only begun to scratch the surface, I hope that they have given you some things to think about as you prepare for your international move or as you try to make sense of your current experiences living abroad.

I’m sure this won’t be the last blog post on cultural adjustment, but it is the final post in this Cultural Adjustment Series, and I wanted to leave you with a few take-home points.
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An Introduction to Mindfulness

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leaf with water dropletMindfulness is getting a lot of hype in the news and media these days. Sometimes it almost feels like it’s just become the next trendy thing, with people promoting it without truly understanding what it is. However, this is a trend that I think is actually worth your attention — so what’s the hype all about?

Mindfulness is not some mystical or mysterious experience. And although it comes out of the Buddhist tradition, it is not inherently a spiritual or religious practice (although it can certainly be integrated into such practices).

So what is mindfulness?

“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.”
— Jon Kabat-Zinn

Mindfulness is the intentional practice of being fully present, grounded in the here-and-now, and taking a non-judgmental, compassionate attitude toward our experience, whatever it may be. Or, as Jon Kabat-Zinn — founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and author of a number of books on this subject — has described it: “Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.” Read More

Welcome to Inner Journeys — A Blog for Those on a Quest for Both Inner & Outer Adventures!

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hikerDid you move abroad full of excitement and a spirit of adventure but now find that you’re feeling a bit lost and disconnected from yourself?

Or were you a reluctant adventurer, coming along with your parter — and now your relationship is feeling strained from the stresses of life abroad and your shifting roles?

Or perhaps you’re generally doing well and enjoying this expat adventure, but you’d like to make more space for balance, authenticity, and groundedness — and to deepen the sense of meaning in your life.

Wherever you are in your journey, I’m glad you found your way here. I hope you will find this blog to be a source of both information and inspiration as you navigate your own inner and outer journeys! Read More