Feeling Alone or Lonely as an Expat and Learning Yourself

The Ebony Expats Podcast: Living, Working, Retiring and Thriving Abroad as a Black Expat

During this holiday episode, we talked about what it really feels like being a traveler or pioneers of our families and communities: feeling alone, the pain, doubts, and how our families and society view us. We're making decisions that are different. It's risky. It's life-changing. It's beautiful. But, it also has its pains, especially during the holidays.
Now more than ever, this podcast feels even more relatable as expats and travelers #StayHome and quarantine around the world during the outbreak of coronavirus. As expats, we often feel alone and cope with the long distance that prevents us from having access to our family and friends. Keep your head up! You're not alone. Keep going.
Timestamp Highlights
1:44 - The Exchange | 2:27 - Intros | 3:34 - Guided Meditation with Tori J | 6:23 - How everyone’s feeling about the holidays | 8:19 - Holiday Traditions | 11:10 - Hardly Having Any Family/Friends Visit & It Hurts | 12:10 - Our Friends Are Scared of the Long Flights | 18:10 - It’s Hard Accepting That You Won’t See Your Family | 21:11 - Calling Expats “Brave and Lucky” | 21:38 - How to Prioritize & Save for Traveling | 24:00 - Privilege of Traveling | 24:40 - Perception of the US vs overseas | 25:15 - Recreating Yourself | 26:10 - The Reality of Traveling vs Social Media | 26:40 - Building Character + Higher Frequencies | 27:35 - Feeling Alone When Making the Move | 30:00 - People Holding You Back | 30:54 - Support & Gap Years In Black Communities | 31:39 - What Society Places On Us vs Becoming the Outlier |
32:00 - There’s No Guideline for How You’re Supposed to Live Your Life|
32:30 - We are the Pioneers

35:00 - Being different can be lonely / Creating New traditions

37:50 - Dealing with Deaths while living overseas

40:00 - Feeling Guilty about being overseas and not going back home. Missing funerals, graduations, etc

44:45 Home is where the heart is / The world can be your home

46: We can start new traditions

47:50 - Feedback after being overseas 4 months now

49:10 Feeling Lonely

50:18 Developing Close Relationships -

51:25 - Making New Friends as Adults

52:30 Being Alone & Learning Yourself

53:10 - what do you like to do and what you don’t

54:10 - Create what you want. Friendships have a responsibility

54:31 If it’s not aligned, it has to go

55:10 Playing small out of fear

57:35 Follow your intuition. Find out what you like.

59:35 - But also allow yourself to mess up and learn from decisions

60:55 There are no bad or good decisions. Don’t beat yourself up

61:10 The Higher Good has a path for you

Loss & not having comfort while being overseas 62:49 -

64:40 Go towards the things that make you feel good

66:59 It takes time to settle in and get comfortable again - Being Married - Therapy

68:28 - You Don’t Have To Stay

70:45 We need to call each other more

Song: G R L S by Devana Turner @simply_dv