✨ Your Integration Bestie ✨

Last November, I packed up my life in Australia and moved to the Netherlands. It’s been 11 months now, and is my life here where I want it to be?
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Well, I’m getting there, proud of my progress so far, but still not quite, if I’m being honest!
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Just this past week, I had one of those moments where I felt a bit out of place in the Netherlands (Cue my “man, life overseas is so hard” moment 🙈)
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I think it hit me because, after spending 3 weeks in the UK, where it felt so easy and familiar to be in an English-speaking country again, coming back to the Netherlands – where I’m still navigating life and things – was a bit of a reality check. It also made me homesick for Australia.
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This got me thinking about a conversation we had in my Facebook group, “Thrive Without Perfect English.” A community member asked how to stay positive when their English skills still aren’t where they want them to be.
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I shared a mindset trick that’s been a lifesaver for me. And it was also something I needed to remind myself in that moment.
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I’ll spare you the details, but here’s the gist: think of a challenging situation like a jigsaw puzzle. Sure, there are a lot of pieces, and it might seem overwhelming at first. But the thing about jigsaw puzzles is that they will be completed, no matter how long it takes. The question isn’t if you’ll finish it, but how you’ll piece it together.
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Moving to a new country or mastering a new language can feel like tackling a 1,000-piece puzzle without the picture on the box. But here’s the good news – you already have all the pieces. It’s just a matter of figuring out where they go.
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It’s not about obsessing over whether things will work out; it’s about focusing on the steps you need to take to make them work.
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This is a mindset technique I revisit every time I’m faced with a challenge. It reminds me that life is less about “Will this ever happen?” and more about “How do I make it happen?”
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So, my “feeling at home in the Netherlands as an expat” jigsaw puzzle isn’t complete yet. But I know that as long as I keep picking up the pieces, I’ll get there eventually. And that’s something I can hold on to ✨✨