After four years in Papua New Guinea, repat partner Inge Oreel knew that repatriation might be a ‘strange experience’, so she decided to talk with a coach to help her readjust to a very familiar place.
Home at last…
“Before we left Port Moresby, my Global Connection consultant Josien Berkenvelder had forewarned me that coming home would probably be more challenging than moving to PNG – and she was right! Relocating to PNG was a big adventure and a chance to explore a world of coral reefs, rainforests, waterfalls and tribal villages. By contrast, repatriation isn’t such a thrill, even if I’m very happy to be home,” says Inge, a manager in welfare. Unable to work while living on an island in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, she took several online courses.
‘Who am I now?’
“As I was planning to return to the workforce (which I did on 1 September 2024), Josien connected me with a coach. But besides asking the coach to review my CV and LinkedIn profile, I was very keen to talk about the emotional side of being home. I told the coach I wanted to actively reflect on my time in PNG and figure out who I am now, four years later. She asked me some very good questions that really got me thinking.”
Curious but…
“One thing I’d noticed, since coming back home, is that most people are quite curious when they discover that I was living in PNG. However, if they have never been expats themselves, many of them can’t relate to many of my experiences. Some people also seem to assume a lot of the cliches about expat life are true – living in luxury with a glass of wine by the pool and that kind of thing,” says Inge. “I wondered how I could answer people’s questions to give them a more accurate impression of my time in PNG without boring them with a long-winded tale about expat life.”
Sum it all up
“So I told the coach that I wanted to be able to articulate some of my experiences as efficiently as possible. Subsequently the coach helped me to come up with a few sentences to sum it all up. It’s proven to be very beneficial, giving me more self-confidence both in social and professional circles. I’m very grateful that my husband’s employer continued to offer me support via Global Connection after I repatriated. It’s made a big difference.”
Photo: Inge Oreel and her family, after returning from PNG
