This week, exactly the day after Brexit, I celebrated my 1st birthday in Berlin!

It was a very date symbolic for me since before coming to Berlin, I lived in Edinburgh in the United Kingdom – a city that I adored in a country, Scotland, which fascinated me! On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom left Europe and I found myself with friends from Diplomatic Choir from Berlin to sing the European anthem at the Brandenburg Gate. Here's a little video preview https://youtu.be/H34Zav7ArCY

Some journalists and TV were also there for this very special flashmob which started with Scottish bagpipes ! A joy for me and a lot of emotion.

There were among others South German Zeitung & RBB.

It was very moving ! The next day, February 1st, it was officially a year since I left Edinburgh to settle in Berlin.

As I myself invariably coach expatriates or people wishing to become one, I thought I could make a short post to share a little of my experience! Here I'm just going to talk about expatriation to Berlin, and not what I did before.

Finding your bearings

Sometimes we move, we arrive, we immediately feel at home! This has happened to me before, and it's a wonderful feeling. When I arrived in Berlin I felt lost, and on the contrary very far from being at ease. Personally, I needed 6 months to start growing my roots.

I think this can happen in particular when a person follows their spouse, or is transferred for purely professional reasons: in short, when it is not a decision which comes first from oneself and which makes sense first for oneself. We can adapt, be willing, without having all the elements in hand so that it “sticks” immediately.

However, if we wish give a chance at this new stage of our lives, how to persevere, in which direction ?

For me, the key has been to continue doing the activities that I enjoy and fill me with joy and energy! As far as I'm concerned, it's singing, meeting people, sport, and my work! I had to re-create new habits but with old passions who follow me.

• I registered for the choral even before moving
• I registered in a room sport arriving
• I tried to continue develop my business in learner new skills, by putting myself in networks professionals, and by agreeing to new customers
• The last step was the met, and this is the part that I am still developing the most at the moment! When you move a lot it can become exhausting to create a new network of good friends everywhere you go. I had to cultivate my well-being a little alone before you can be open to meeting.

Openness and present moment

The purpose of these first 6 months of installation is for me a openness to others, a desire to share, exchange, discover, including, among other things, my activity of coach in Berlin ! And in parallel and harmony with this opening, rediscover the self-presence, the present moment and more concretely, the meditation !

I even think about integrate meditation into my coaching practice, so much I find that it can unblock a situation when words are not the right tool. Maybe training in the fall? This would be a nice addition in 2020 which would be consistent with what I have experienced personally, and how it relationship with one's body is complementary to the art of unblocking situations through dialogue.

Kindness towards oneself at the bottom of the wave

If you have just moved and feel like you have lost your bearings, maybe ask yourself if you can get back to where you are now the pleasant sensations and feelings you had in the past ? You will not find exactly the same thing and you have to at some point to mourn what is no longer, but you can find similar feelings in another form ! If you have a passion, or something that you always wanted to do, such tgeographic transition is an excellent opportunity to renew oneself, to be creative.

The hardest ? It's probably not about having the idea, but rather about get started then, during your adventure when there are ups and downs, to stay kind to oneself.

Everyone goes through periods in their lives where they feel unlucky, lacking energy, and believe less in themselves – all to varying degrees! Tenacity and kindness always side by side and intertwined are, I think, our best assets in these moments. In my opinion the role of a coach – and anyone who comes along your way to help you – is to guide you in respecting your desires and your personality, with these two elements: tenacity (or “faith” or “optimism”) and benevolence. The more I experience formative experiences like moving far from everything we know, the more I am convinced of it!

According to you, what do you need right now for you feel good in your life ? What are your priorities ?

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