Today I would like to introduce you to Mirjam who is the person to contact for “what every expat or international needs to know before entering the Amsterdam region housing market”.
And what better way to introduce her than for her to tell you her own story:
“For me my abroad experiences have been a tremendous opportunity. Without it I could never have experienced myself in so many different ways.
Trying to settle in a foreign country challenges your values and beliefs. Automatically you will be more conscious of the things that really matter to you and the ones that are secondary. This goes for all areas of life: housing, relationships, work, health.
As they say “the magic in life happens outside of your comfort zone”. Not always pleasant, yet an invitation to get rid of what’s not really valuable and change them for the things you do love (more).
There is one major obstacle before you can take advantage of this opportunity. You have to know how to manage the practical and emotional challenges that an international life brings. Too many times people get stuck because of the overwhelming amount of practical and emotional changes. Up to 25% of them even go back to their homeland before their time! That’s not outside of the comfort zone; it’s right into the panic zone.
In order to be of the best help to expats who just landed, I ask internationals that have been in the Netherlands for some time and got to feel at ease: what would have helped you in the beginning? The core of the answer is mostly something like: if only I had had someone I could ask questions in the beginning. Someone who could explain and show me the way. That would have made my life so much easier!
That’s exactly what I experienced myself when I was starting up my life abroad several times. And that’s exactly why I started the Expat Life company when I moved back to Amsterdam a few years back: to support expats with making a smooth landing through on- and offline life coaching. The immediate result is that their time and energy is free to make the most out of their international life.
What I didn’t realize when I started my business is that I had to learn so much about marketing. This has been a big challenge and still takes up more of my time than I could ever have imagined. Luckily I have found my way to some wonderful experts in that field 🙂
To find out more about Mirjam and Expat Life and what she does visit www.expat-life.com. You can also contact Mirjam direct via email: mirjam@expat-life.com or call +31 (0) 6 18946497
