I have been living in The Netherlands for more than six years. I am Italian born in Ethiopia. I came to Holland with my family after eight years living in the Philippines - initially for just two years. At the time, my children were two and a half and five years old respectively and my husband’s job required him to travel extensively
Now, as a long-term expat in Holland, I have gone through different periods of adjustments.
In the process I have met in addition to many international parents also friendly Dutch people - some of whom are very special to me. These friends have helped and have continued to help me through both the exciting and daunting times living in a different culture.When I look at my ever growing children, playing football with their Dutch friends and running around and mingling on the playground with their classmates, at the Arnhem International School , I think to myself: ”They are settled and at home here; what's next?”
Throughout my time in Holland, I have searched for solutions to daily practical issues, and have found comfort in sharing my experiences with other expats who encountered similar challenges. The website www.ircforyou.info is one of the ways in which I decided to communicate this information to the wider community. There are the recurrent questions of where to find information or how to deal with daily familial or occupational issues not easily dealt with by merely querying search engines. It takes much more than that, most of the time it takes a personal approach: talking to someone who cares about you; someone who understands your personal situation, someone who wants you to succeed and help you. Approaching an International coach could be a good option.
In April I attended a brain storming session together with other expats from different locations in Holland for to conduct Expat PhD level research. Talking about my own experience and listening to other expats stories helped me to realise that yes, the availability of written information is important. However, personal contact and exchange with a professional coach is also paramount in coping with and succeeding in settling as an accompanying partner in a new country - whether in your profession or in your life.
Through LinkedIn, the well known social network for professionals, I read about expatatwork and Eva Kempinger. Her international background combined with her extensive Human Resources professional experience pushed me to get in touch with her. While visiting Eva’s website, I identified myself with the issues she is raising “Where do I want to go? And “How do I get there?”
I felt with Eva I could not only share my professional experience and seek her collaboration but also help other people. It is together with her that we at ircforyou would like to offer insights on opportunities for you as an expat living in Holland. For workshops in Arnhem area contact us.
Edited by Linda Batley with the assistance of Samuel Yellen
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