Thrive On Through Blog

When you imagine life abroad, you might picture long café afternoons, weekend trips to charming villages, and a daily rhythm infused with...

Feeling lonely abroad? Learn why expat loneliness hits harder and simple ways to build real connection again—with practical supports and kinder self-talk.

Moving abroad can feel a bit like stepping onto a stage without a script. You know you’re supposed to be living this exciting new...

If you’ve ever moved to France thinking of long café afternoons, lavender fields, and endless glasses of chilled rosé, let me introduce...

What we don’t see behind the social media highlight reel — and what to remember when you feel like you're the only one struggling.

What no one tells you about the emotional cost of living abroad—and how to move through it with grace. When I first moved abroad 25 years...

When I first moved abroad 25 years ago, everything felt new and full of possibility. I wasn’t expecting life to feel like an extended...

There’s something intoxicating about starting over in a new country. The promise of fresh beginnings. The thrill of adventure. The quiet...

When I moved to France 25 years ago, I didn’t expect life to feel like an endless vacation (although if I’m being honest, I might have...

It's one of the most exhausting parts of expat life: decision fatigue. When you live abroad, your brain works overtime on decisions that...

You finally met someone who gets it. They know the weird supermarket brands. They won’t judge your accent. They also have no idea how...

You’ve made the leap. Signed the lease. Figured out (mostly) how to work the washing machine. And yet—despite the brave face and the...

It’s time we talked about that thing that every expat has to navigate at some point during their time abroad: Expat FOMO. You know, that...

It’s one of the greatest, most universal struggles of expat life: speaking the local language when you’re not yet fluent . You know the...

Let’s talk about the H-word. Not hello (though that can be tricky in a new language too), but home — that word that once felt so simple,...

Let’s talk about the Social Olympics — that exhausting daily event where you smile, nod, say the right things (in the right language),...

No one tells you that moving to a new country basically turns you into a confused toddler again — learning the rules, fumbling through small talk, and mixing up words like salut and salaud (true story, don’t recommend). 😅 But here's the truth: That awkward, humbling “kindergarten phase”? It’s where your real growth begins. I just wrote about why those messy, magical moments are totally normal — and why feeling lost doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re becoming. 💛

When I moved to France, I expected some culture shock. I'd prepared myself for the bureaucracy, the fashion pressure, and the existential...