Expats and Emergencies Back Home

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The very worst part of expat life. The Dreaded Phone Call telling you of the death of a loved one back home.

And yes, this episode was prompted, and triggered, by the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth 2nd, as it came less than a week after the funeral of our own family member.

That Dreaded Phone Call triggers a whole heap of thoughts and emotions, that pile on quicker than your brain can process.

When you're living overseas and receive that call, the world feels huge and impassable, you feel small and out of control, and helpless. There is nothing you can do right now. It's beyond overwhelming.

Watching the news as Her Majesty’s children and grandchildren rushed to go to Balmoral to say their goodbyes will resonate with all, expat or not and parallels something many expats have to deal with.

Most of us don’t have a private plane to hail, or a helicopter standing by. And we don’t have staff to help with the kids, or get us to the airport or anything like that. Yet, even with all that help on hand for them, and being in the same country, they still weren’t able to make it to her bedside in time.

While our circumstances are wildly different, that journey is excruciating, regardless of your birth status. The journey will be burned into your memory yet blurred with pain as well.

I try to share the pain with you while, as ever, giving you some tips to help lessen the load.

• Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again! Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat.
• Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options here
• Visit ExpatChild.com for more free information about expat life!

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