After three international relocations in close to 10 years, expat partner Barbara Wardak is getting used to packing up and moving on, even if starting over is never straightforward.
Leaving places behind
“I find that a part of you gets left behind in each place, even if you are ready to relocate. Wherever you are living, you will have built up a life and established routines, so it’s hard to let everything go,” says Barbara, a mother of two daughters (aged 14 and 12 years old). She now lives in Ho Chi Minh City after spending four and half years in Quidong (China) and five years in Jakarta. “In some ways relocation does get easier as you know the drill. Although it’s harder for the expat partner, isn’t it? Your partner has a job. The kids have school. But you feel as if you have to reinvent yourself all over again.”
A need for flexibility
“At first, I imagined that I’d restart my career here in Vietnam. But as an expat mum, I need flexibility. The girls have numerous holidays throughout the year. Sometimes I have to accompany them on international trips, which means I’m not actually in a position to work full-time,” says Barbara, a former Business Development Manager.
Setting new goals
“Speaking with Ines Ahrens, my Global Connection consultant, helped me to gather some of my thoughts and make a decision, which is sometimes hard to do. I’m very passionate about sports nutrition and I have started an online course to learn more about this topic. Becoming a nutritionist is a new professional path for me, but one that I am very excited about,” says Barbara, who has joined a gym, where she practises muay thai and kickboxing. Her daughters also have their passions. “My eldest Aniela is a competitive swimmer. We couldn’t find a swim club at the same level as her old club in Indonesia but she’s still training hard and competing internationally. Her sister Natalia is more into the performing arts and she’s involved in a major school production. Relocating has definitely become more emotionally challenging for the girls; saying goodbye to friends, and trying to make new friends gets harder as they get older. My youngest really missed her bestie from Jakarta and at first felt a bit isolated in her new school. So I am very happy they can pursue their passions here, too. It definitely makes the transition easier.”
Photo: Barbara with her family
All Global Connection’s corporate clients are leading multinationals. Due to some of their policies, we no longer use their name in public articles. However, expat partners signed in to our private Media & Network can see the multinational’s name.
