After relocating to Phnom Penh and having her first baby, expat partner Asha Verhoeven admits she felt overwhelmed until she spoke to her Global Connection consultant and then a coach.
Caught in a whirlwind
“When I found out I was pregnant, we were in Ivory Coast, where my husband had a short-term assignment. We then relocated to Phnom Penh but we had already decided that I would go to Bangkok to have the baby. So it was a bit of a whirlwind for me!” says Asha, who is German-Thai. “Everything went super well in terms of the delivery. The Thai nurses were so caring and the hospital (Bumrungrad) was amazing – I didn’t want to leave!”
Down with the blues
“But when we returned to Cambodia, it was a really tough period. We were in a really nice apartment but there was a construction site nearby, so it was very noisy all day. I also had a nanny who seemed to manage to make more work for me! I was down with the baby blues and I was feeling very isolated. I missed my family in Germany and I wondered if I should just go back,” says Asha.
An instant lift
“It was then when I reconnected with Ines Ahrens, my Global Connection consultant. Speaking with Ines gave me an instant lift. She understood what I was going through and reassured me that what I was experiencing was quite normal. She also gave me a lot of ideas about how I could meet people or what I could do while living in Phnom Penh. On the advice of Ines, I also began to receive coaching, which has become a ray of sunshine in my life!”
Looking to the future
“Every time I speak with my coach it gives me such an energy boost but she also pushes me and motivates me. That has given me the courage to make changes – for example, I found a new apartment in a quiet neighbourhood, where I have met some other mums. So I have a social life again! I also got a new nanny who is excellent, which has given me the freedom to do things for myself and make plans for the future,” says Asha, who starts studying business psychology in early 2025. “But speaking to Ines and my coach really turned everything around. Now I’m back to being me again and for that I am very grateful.”
Photo: Asha and her family
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