#13. Should You Celebrate Your Move Abroad If You’re Struggling To Adjust? The Answer Might Surprise You

Thinking about moving abroad—or already living overseas—and wondering if you’re really cut out for this adventure? Spoiler: you’re braver than you think.

Host Yolanda Reshemah speaks directly to expat and immigrant women who’ve made the bold move to the U.S.—or are still dreaming of it. This episode is your reminder of the courage it takes to start over abroad, and why simply making the move is already a victory worth celebrating. 

Through a personal story of a fearless trip to Belgium at 18 and years of international relocations, Yolanda reflects on how small acts of bravery shape a bold, regret-free life. 

In this episode:

• Discover why your decision to move abroad is one of the bravest, most powerful choices you’ll ever make.
• Learn how even the smallest triumphs abroad—ordering a meal, making a friend, showing up—build the confidence you need to thrive.
• Be inspired to embrace your bold beginnings and see your journey as the foundation for lifelong growth, resilience, and adventure.

Listen now, celebrate your courage and feel empowered to keep moving forward—because the best is yet to come.

To share your own migration story, or  feedback email  [e-mail] 

This compelling podcast dives into Expat and immigrant women (and men) stories. Those who immigrate to the USA, tackling the struggles of homesickness, identity crisis, and culture shock in the USA while adjusting to expat life and navigating cultural differences. Through conversations on starting over, reinventing yourself, and finding purpose, it highlights success stories of women's tenacity, and the resilience of expats in the USA. It offers insights into bicultural identity, language barriers, and the challenges of living overseas. The podcast emphasizes the importance of a strong support system and wellbeing for women in pursuit of the American dream.

https://www.instagram.com/theplaces_wecallhome

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome to starting over in theUSA, the Expat Woman's Guide to
overcoming Homesickness,embracing cultural Differences,
and creating a new home awayfrom home.

(00:22):
Dear Expat immigrant woman.
I'm going to share with you whyit's so important for you to
celebrate the act of movingabroad.
whether you see yourself as anexpat or an immigrant, you are
the woman on a journey ofreinvention.
Moving to a new country is noteasy.

(00:42):
I don't know if you are feelingoptimistic right now or
wrestling with waves of doubt.
Should I do it, shall I not?
Or if you have recently landedor you've been in the US for a
little while now, yes, you mightbe feeling-- like I certainly
did and so many of us do--feeling a little bit

(01:03):
uncomfortable and feelinguncomfortable is well, it's not
pleasant.
You are wondering how things aregonna work out, but I am here to
tell you that you are going tobe perfectly fine.
You are going to have some harddays, some terribly difficult
days, but you are also going tohave some triumphs as well.

(01:26):
You are going to be so surprisedby the things that you do, by
the skills that you discover inyourself.
You will sit down at the dinnertable, even if it's by yourself,
or lay down in your bed at nightand you'll just wonder, wow, I
did this.
Did I really do that?
I say this because I've justrelocated again with my family

(01:50):
this time back to England, andalthough I have moved a few
times I still have moments whereI think, did we just do that?
Did I just do that?
I know exactly how you arefeeling.
I'll tell you why I feelpassionate about the courage it
takes to move.
At the age of 18, I woke up onemorning, and on the spur of the

(02:12):
moment, I decided to pack mybags and go off to Belgium.
I'd never been before, but Idecided I'm gonna buy a ticket
on the Euro train.
I'm gonna go to Belgium, andwhen I get there, I'm gonna find
a little hotel and I'm gonnastay for two days.
I packed my bags, got to thetrain station and ran across a

(02:33):
family friend.
This is a woman who at that timewas in her forties, and she said
to me, where are you going?
I'm going to Belgium for theweekend.
She said, by yourself?
I said, yeah, why not?
I have three days and nothing todo.
I've never been there.
How could you go by yourself?

(02:53):
I would never do that.
But of course you can.
Book a hotel, jump on the trainand just do it.
It's exciting.
But she said, no, I would needto go with some friends.
I wouldn't feel safe.
I wouldn't know what to do.
I wouldn't know, and there wasso many reasons why she could

(03:14):
not take a trick by herself.
That moment will stay with meforever I made a promise to
myself, I would live a lifewithout regrets, not just about
traveling, I want to live a lifewhere I'm brave, where I will
never get to an old age and lookback and say, oh, I wish I had

(03:37):
the courage to go.
I wish I had the courage to moveto France, or just do anything.
But it starts with one simpleact, the first time you are
brave and you make the move byyourself, and you sit in a
restaurant in a foreign country,you look at the menu in a
foreign language and you ordersomething.

(04:00):
You decide to go out and meetpeople, to sit in the cafes,
strike up a conversation, tofind a job it's all so very
daunting.
Yes! It absolutely is.
But what's the alternative?
For me, that alternative waslistening to that woman and
possibly living a life likehers.

(04:23):
I didn't want that.
So I say to you, expat immigrantwoman, you are extraordinary.
And I really truly mean that.
Very brave.
You need resilience, so muchcourage to decide, to do your
best to start a new life, topursue a dream, explore that job

(04:47):
opportunity, to have anadventure, to meet new family,
whatever your dream might be.
And looking back at my18-year-old self, if I didn't
have the courage to take thatjourney for three days.
I would not be the person withthe courage to move to the US to

(05:08):
face homesickness, culturaldifferences of trying to make
friends with the locals if I hadnot taken that initial step and
decided that I was going to livea life without regrets.
So Expat immigrant woman, yourkey takeaway is to embrace your

(05:29):
bold beginnings Find andcelebrate your first triumph
because this act of moving,being brave in just that very
act alone, that is thefoundation for your future
growth in the USA, especially inuncertain times.
So whether you are feelingconfident or overwhelm, just

(05:50):
taking that first step, securingyour legal documents and
stepping into the unknown, thatis a testament of your strength
and your resilience.
And for me.
On top of that, I alwaysconsider, am I safe?
Will I feel safe?
Am I going to be okay?

(06:11):
Is there a threat to my physicalwellbeing?
And if the answer is no, then Ialways proceed.
If you are thinking about movingto the US already living in the
US and it feels really tough andyou're trying your best to make
friends and make connections,but it's not working, I really

(06:32):
hope that you will not give up.
I'm going to talk about thatspecific issue of making
friends, I'm gonna share withyou what I did to overcome those
challenges.
So stay with me.
I'm going to direct you over toepisode one where you can hear
what happens when an expatAmericans, uh, dreams unravels

(06:56):
into bankruptcy and legalbattles, and how one authentic
friend was all it took to helphim through a world of pain.