EXPAT HEALTH Archives - following the funks

EXPAT: 5 ways to document your expat adventures

December 8, 2020December 8, 20202017, 2020, EXPAT, EXPAT LIFE, EXPAT YEARS, TRAVEL WRITING, WRITING Catie

Note: This article was first featured over at Expat Magazine at Expat.com titled “5 Ways to Document Your Expat Adventures.” – You can see all my published works on my portfolio page.

Quick Foreword:

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I LOVE talking about expat living. Not a traveling digital nomad, but a ‘we found a county and stayed put’ type of digital expat. Before I moved, I had this jumbled mix of what I loved writing about and I had a hard time narrowing it down to one specific area. But over the last 4 years of living in Turkey, my 2nd time to move abroad, and writing last weeks article about culture shock, I think I have found (one of) my niche!!

Even more than chatting about expat living, I love sharing the ways I have documented our expat adventures. *Spoiler* The most interesting way is through our FunkTravels Podcast and FollowingTheFunks YouTube channel! In the midst of moving, traveling, and adjusting to another culture, documenting our memories can be the one thing that is thrown to the wayside. It also becomes one of the biggest regrets of those when they journey onward to the next phase of life.

Ok, we are ready to move on! Here is the article:

I woke up one morning and had completely forgotten where I was. You know how a really deep, good sleep can disorient you? Something in the room made me think I was in Turkey on a cool fall morning, maybe how the sunlight streamed in through the windows just so or the smell of the crisp morning air coming in through the open window. Of course, I quickly realized that I was no longer living in Turkey, but instead, I was in my bed in the States.

It’s funny to remember that now because currently my husband and I now live in Turkey once again. The smells and sounds of the neighborhoods are ingrained into my memory and I know… this is our lovely Turkey. It is strange how our senses can spark the littlest memories about a place.

Sometimes I get completely transported back to the places I have visited, whether I want it or not, remembering the tiniest details that I didn’t realize I had forgotten – like the taste of butter, removing shoes at the door, or the certain fruity smell of a pipe from a hookah.

Over the last ten years, I’ve spent 5 of those as an expat; both single and married. I love being reminded of the journey and adventures we’ve had this year on our latest expat experience. I know that when we are back in our home country, I will enjoy looking back through the ways that I have documented our time abroad as well as sharing those memories with others.

Here are 5 ways I have used to document the adventures of our up-and-down, never-dull, fun, frustrating, and wonderful expat life.

1. KEEP A SIMPLE JOURNAL:

Keeping a journal has been proven to help people reflect and process change, but it’s mostly just a great place to hold memories. Keep a running list of things you love about the culture and place you live. Write stories of when someone helped you, a kind gesture on the street, or laughs of the neighborhood children after school. Journals are easy to take with you and write in at any time!

2. START A WEBSITE:

This is probably the most popular choice. It can be a digital journal option for you and a great way to include your photos. If you are super tech-savvy, vlogs are growing in popularity. If you enjoy writing as a creative outlet, a website is a great way to share your expat lives with others and find an online community as well.

3. START A PODCAST:

Audio series are a great way to share your stories with others! My husband and I enjoy listening to them together on road trips, while working, or on any lengthy public transportation rides! So when moving to Turkey together this time, we decided to share our expat journey with others via podcast! (Update: Via 50 episodes of our podcast we shared our move from the USA through our 2nd year living in Turkey – so January 2016 to spring of 2018. We now still published blog post like this and have ‘continued’ our podcast via our newer brand of FollowingTheFunks YouTube channel.)

4. CREATE A PHOTO BOOK:

Maybe writing isn’t your thing, but creating a photo timeline of your journey is! Photo books are one of my favorite ways to remember a trip, experience, or even an entire year. There are many websites to help you create beautiful digital photo books of your travels. Or if you enjoy crafty projects, make a photo book from scratch.

5. ORGANIZE AND PRINT THOSE PICTURES:

If possible, just taking time to organize your pictures is a way to document your expat life! Perhaps there isn’t time to do all the other things mentioned above! No problem, do what works for you! And when all else fails, just print those pictures! These days it is so easy to never go out and print photos. So every month gather your favorite photos and print them! Then move the old photos over to a photo album, and hang up your newly printed pictures! (Update: I have just gotten the hang of this and got a ton of photo books done!)

Those are just a few of the many ways you can document your expat journey! Overall, the main goal is to just do something! It doesn’t have to be perfect (which if I am honest, is very hard for me), but you just have to start!

Now to you:

Have you used any of the ways above to document your story?

How have you documented your expat adventures?

What tips do you have for others who want to start documenting their expat life?

EXPAT: 5 Tips to Overcoming Culture Shock

November 17, 2020December 2, 20202017, 2020, EXPAT, EXPAT HEALTH, EXPAT LIFE, EXPAT MOVING, TURKEY, WRITING Catie

When the excitement of moving abroad wears off

Note: This article was first featured first on the Expat Women in Turkey website. You can see all my published works on my portfolio page.

Spring is gorgeous here. The sun shines and the weather is just the right temperature. Recently, I went out for a few errands and just basked in the rays of sunlight peeking through as I weaved in and out of the shadows made from my neighborhood buildings and trees. In a split second, I went from gloriously praising MY lovely city to cursing the stinky rules of THEIR culture. Because, for the almost 1 millionth time, I barely missed stepping on fresh dog poop in the middle of the sidewalk….

Eight months ago (Update: now 4 years!) my husband and I moved from a small town in the midwest of the United States to Izmir, a busy apartment city of 4 million people. We moved from one set of cultural rules to another – spoken and unspoken. An unspoken one in America, you pick up your dog’s poop and throw it away (or take them to a dog park) and here in Turkey, leaving poop everywhere is totally acceptable. Amazing how one little thing can spark a moment of anger stemming from culture shock.

(Update: I have since come to learn that this is NOT a norm and street dog are a major culprit here with this issue. ALSO, I would like to point out just how amazing clean these major cities are kept!)

But this isn’t the first time I have moved internationally. Before marrying my sweet man, I spent 2 years in Turkey and 1.5 more years in Afghanistan. From my experience, the first few months can be hard because you have to adjust everything about your life. Other people seem to have a little honeymoon phase (maybe 2-4 months) before the frustrations hit them full-on.

Throughout these journeys, I have found a few ways to counteract culture shock:

1. KEEP A JOURNAL:

Keeping a journal has been proven to help people reflect and process change. However, many people end up using a journal to vent about things they don’t like or make them angry. While there is nothing wrong with that, I suggest using your journal another way. Keep a running list of things you love about the culture and place you live – especially in the beginning while the ‘honeymoon’ stage is still happening. Write stories of when someone helped you, a kind gesture on the street, or laughs of the neighborhood children after school.

2. BE A TOURIST FOR A DAY:

My best way to counteract the frustration of living in another country is to get out and explore. Sometimes it is easy to fall into the routine of work, eat, sleep and repeat. Make a list of places, festivals, and events to explore in your city then make a plan and go! It can seem intimidating, but the more you try new things, the easier it becomes to explore.

3. MAKE YOUR COMFORT FOOD:

While I promise you it won’t be the same, it’s definitely worth the effort! The first time I moved to Istanbul, I basically had to learn to cook my comfort food from scratch. But when I mastered my first banana bread recipe, it became a go-to for times I felt like everything I ate was foreign.

4. EXERCISE:

Sometimes moving to a new city can stop our daily routines. Maybe you exercised before moving, but now are lacking motivation. One of the best things I did my first year abroad was pay (way too much money, mind you) for a gym membership. It gave me a reason to get out of my house, interact with others, and meet new people.

5. MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS:

You may think “why would I meet new people when people are the cause of my culture shock?!” Believe me, it is the best advice others gave me when I was feeling frustrated. Creating deeper relationships with locals (or even other expats) helps you understand the culture more. Perhaps cultural frustration can be resolved by learning more about why people do the things that they do. Also, connecting with other people helps you notice individuals behind “those Turks” or “those Americans” or “those… insert people group here“. Grace and open-mindedness help you move past culture shock into an area of understanding and appreciation for another’s home country.

These are just a few ways I have found helpful to avoid and break through the culture shock in the 3 countries I have called home in the last 10 years.

Remember that you are not alone and there is always someone to talk to! So instead of withdrawing, maybe consider doing the exact opposite and see how it goes!

Which one sounds most appealing to you?

If you have moved abroad, what has helped you overcome culture shock?

COVID-19 + Turkey + Expat (Update 1)

March 30, 2020April 2, 20202020, COVID-19, EXPAT, EXPAT HEALTH, TURKEY Catie

Back from the depth of newish motherhood, language learning (yet again) and what life looks like for our expat family living in Turkey during the COVID-19 pandemic

If you are new here, welcome, and if you are surprised to see a new post, THANK YOU for sticking around. You see, motherhood is full-time work… motherhood and living in another country can feel like double time… FIRST TIME motherhood VIA adoption AND living in another country means a lot has just been neglected when it comes to our website. I think my last post was just over a year ago, but we did do some fun videos mid-year!

There are so many things to write and say but the most pressing one I felt should be shared (and maybe the last one you want to read about!) is COVID-19. While it may be interesting to our non-Turkey followers, I thought this may be of more interest to our English speaking expats living in Turkey.

First, let’s catch up on the COVID-19’s arrival to Turkey. For this timeline, I found the DailySabah and Wikipedia (oh the irony here) were helpful resources. I actually started this post a week ago and have be updating it as I come back to it. We are now 2 week into the ‘stay home’ and ‘self-isolation’ period. In this time, Turkey has jumped from 89 confirmed cases to 7402. This is not to scare anyone but it is to be expected that once you can actually start testing for the virus then the numbers will increase. (If you want a timeline from China to the present day, I found this article to be a good start.)

The timeline in Turkey:

February 3: Ankara stopped all flights to and from China.
February 23: It closed all air, land and railway crossings from Iran.
February 27: Turkey established field hospitals at its border gates with Iran, Iraq and Georgia.
February 29: All passenger traffic between Italy and Turkey was stopped.
March 10: The first case tests positive. (From what I understand, this is when Turkey actually started testing for COVID-19.)
March 12: Turkey closes all schools starting on the 14th, the postponement of public officials’ travels abroad and the playing of sports matches without fans. Turkey temporarily suspended the activities of entertainment venues such as bars, casinos, night clubs, museums and libraries where many people come together. They also banned public gatherings and pilgrimages, implements health checks at the borders.
March 13: All arts and culture events were postponed until the end of April. The number of COVID-19 cases rose to five in Turkey.
March 15: The number of COVID-19 patients in Turkey reached 18.
March 16th: Religious authorities announced that community prayers, including Friday prayers, would not meet. Turkey closes coffee shops, cafes, cinemas, theaters, concert halls, wedding halls, baths, sports halls, indoor children’s playgrounds and more. The Minister of Health announced that the number of people diagnosed with COVID-19 increased to 98 and Turkey lost its first patient, an 89-year-old citizen.
March 20: The government encourages everyone to “stay home” and “self-isolate”.
March 22: Those who are 65 years and older are told to stay home… maybe a little hard to implement when the old ladies hit you with a walking stick… BUT it has also brought back one of my favorite things here – basket deliveries!
March 23: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Level 3 COVID-19 Health Notice for Turkey and warned travelers to avoid all nonessential travel to Turkey. Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced that 3,672 tests have been carried out over the last 24 hours and 293 new [COVID-19] cases were identified. He also wrote that despite our best efforts, 7 more succumbed to the disease. AND we finally got anti-virus test kits sent over from China.
March 24: The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Turkey has increased by 293, making a total of 1,529. The number of deaths has risen to 37.
March 26: Turkey has 2,433 diagnosed cases and 59 dead. Schools and universities closures have been extended to possibly April 30.
March 28: All international flights have been shut down(besides a few exceptions) and restrictions placed on inter-city travel . 7402 cases of COVID-19 and 108 related deaths in Turkey

HOW DOES IT AFFECT TURKS?

Turks pride themselves on their cleanliness. Their homes are immaculate, shoes come off outside the door, and they have a deep love of their lemon “cologne” given to guests upon entering their homes. The main difference between perfume and kolonya is its ratio of oils to alcohol. Some kolonya can be up to 80% alcohol. Experts say this serves as an excellent preventative measure in spreading viruses and bacteria. Just don’t actually DRINK pure alcohol to ward off the virus…

Turkey has also been taking extreme measures to disinfectant public areas which has been applauded by WHO (World Health Organization).

I am not Turkish and neither is my husband. But just like everywhere else, COVID is taking a toll on people. There is fear, concern, and the struggle between needing to work and trying to self-isolate. Lots of places have closed by government mandate, but even more that have temporarily closed because they just can’t stay open. While we didn’t run out of toilet paper, there was no flour or pasta to be found one day I went to the market. Here are a couple of pictures from my local store back on March 14th ish.

When it comes to self-isolation… some (I would even dare say the majority) are doing well. But people have to work, get food… survive. However, there are some things that are still happening I don’t understand… Weekly markets are still happening. Restricted hours vs. closing. As well, there are still a good number of people out when I have to finally get out to run an errand.

The government has announced a TL 100 billion ($15.3 billion) economic package intended to protect Turkey from the financial effects. The package includes the postponement of tax duties, loans and social insurance payments as well as many incentives for Turkish businesses and citizens.

Even phone companies are pitching in by changing their names to support the “Stay Home” requests with “Evde Kal” or like below “Hayat Eve Sığar”

HOW DOES IT AFFECT US AS EXPATS?

This article sums it up well for expats that are supposedly “stuck” in Turkey. We have lived here 3.5 years now and have no plans to leave during this time. Most other expats we know are here to ride it out too. Everything has shut down so quickly that it would be difficult to get out and probably not the wisest at this time either. Plus, we actually can not leave the country because of our adoption with Sofia.

If you are a foreigner living in Izmir, Turkey, here are some action steps our embassy recommended:

U.S. citizens who are considering returning to the United States are urged to work with their airlines to make travel arrangements while flights are still available. 

Otherwise, the US Embassy sent out these action steps to citizens living in Turkey. I found this information and links could be helpful to any foreigner living in Turkey right now.

Carry identity and travel documents with you at all times. (This is not uncommon for us to do even when we don’t have a health situation.)
Visit theTurkish General Directorate of Civil Aviation for up to date information on Turkey’s international flights.
Visit the Turkish Airlines Coronavirus webpage for information on Suspended flight s, Travel restrictions , Zero change fee , Flexible change, Online transactions, and their Announcements
Visit the TCDD press release on suspension of inter-city trains.
Visit local resources for more information:
Visit our Embassy webpage on COVID-19  for information on conditions in Turkey.

What this means for Jason:

Since Jason has always worked online via his USA based business, not much has changed for us. We are thankful that his job is still in full swing and that he got a few new jobs to work on before things have gotten bad.

What this means for a Catie (me):

I finished my Turkish classes (which were every day) back at the end of January. We do have a house helper that comes to help during the week but isn’t coming this week. I have mostly stayed homed and took some measures to work on being prepared for a potential lockdown. My role looks more like caring for Sofia and less time working on my side projects.

What this means for Sofia:

We are blessed that our 16-month-old daughter Sofia is at an age that she doesn’t fully beg to go out to the park. But it’s hard because she is still active and loves seeing people and new things. Our apartment has a large terrace and we have rearranged Jason’s office so that we have full access to it. Thankfully the weather has warm up a little bit and we can enjoy it more. She has been confined to our apartment and while we did take her our for a few walks before, we are a little warier of it now.

Our daily life right now:

We have stocked up a good bit of groceries and other necessities, as well as prepared for April’s rent and bills, and have cash on hand for emergencies. We usually have help during the week to watching Sofia, but Jason and I are adjusting our “stay home” routine.

There are still beautiful moments of joy and laughter as we look around (virtually) and see who is still here in Turkey, and how we can help and support each other. It’s hard. But seeing God at work in the center of it is beautiful.

Here are some recent joys:

SO MANY COMPANIES have opened up free services and subscriptions during this time. I have a list below.
Seeing our daughter grow and learn new things every day. The other day she said the word guitar (crazy).
We have a balcony area that is great for Sofia to play outside on good weather days!
My favorite and we haven’t missed a night yet! Every night at 9 pm, everyone gathers on their balconies to applaud the healthcare professionals. It is so great to see Turkey rally together in this way!!!
The local churches are keeping in touch and meeting online now. Thank you technology!
Right now I’m thankful not to have been in quarantine for 2 months already
And I don’t have to worry about having enough TP in Turkey
Praying through this time using a sweet little prayer guide! (Thanks Lifeway!)

What you can do from your home:

Turkish Government is airing things live on tv- see photo below
Turkish – Online Kütüphane
Go to the Opera
Travel
Visit a museum
1 month free subscription on Scrib (1000s of books, audiobooks etc.) for everyone
Exercise with Peloton app (USA itunes acount)
Audible has opened up tons of books for kids

Just a couple of pictures of our self-isolation time below!

Finally, stay home and stay safe! We have a long way to go until we are back to normal.

Please let me know how you are doing and if you have updates or more resources I can share here!

LIFE: Jason’s first ever race

October 9, 2018October 9, 20182018, EXPAT HEALTH, TRAVELS, YEAR GOALS Catie

Jason has to be the best husband ever (proud wife bragging rights). We for sure have our multiple disagreements about how to most everything – yep, we are complete opposites for the most part. BUT he is definitely the one who adapts and shifts his desires to suit us way more than I seem too. Maybe because I like everything? 😉 jk.

Last fall Jason started running – for me. The last 4 years of our marriage, he has seriously and politely denied all my attempts to start running with me consistently. But he saw how happy it makes me to run with someone and decided that, with my other running buddy eventually moving away, he would fill the void.

Plus, running/exercising is good for him – the hard working, computer engineer that he is.

It was tough at first, but he pushed through. By December, he was able to do a 5k without stopping. Every other day we went out and did his exactly 5k route while listening to a podcast(mostly to distract him from the fact that he was actually running).

And Christmas 2017, he gifted me with a 10k race that we would run together in February 2018 Dubai Desert Road Run in the UAE! IT WAS THE BEST SURPRISE.

We started to train together and did a few longer runs to prepare for the 6.4 ish miles to come.

And in February, JASON RAN HIS FIRST RACE EVER.

Y’all, I was GIDDY with PRIDE! You see, I grew up running with my family. Heck in 2016, before we moved to Turkey, my family based our get-together around the Chicago Half-Marathon with my mom and sister. Jason by that point had learned how to find us multiple times on the route to take pictures of us and cheer us on, all happily from the sidelines.

But this time, we ran with me!

And the race was HOT and SWEATY and the course was NOT SO FUN. But we both finished it!

You can LISTEN to our experience via Episode047 of our podcast.

The following are pictures from a proud wife loving every minute of this first race with her hubby:

So proud of you babe! (Jason, if he reads this! That would be creepy if I was talking to you the reader!)

Questions for you:

What is your favorite way to exercise?

Have you done something you didn’t like just because you knew it would bless you significant other?

GOING HOME SERIES: 7 self-care tips and why it is important for expats returning home

December 14, 2017December 4, 20172017, EXPAT, EXPAT GOING HOME, FAMILY Catie

With all your de-stressing, prepping for your travels, and organizing your responses and expectations for your expat return ‘home’, you should feel completely ready to go home now! Just one last article left and may be the most important one. Which brings me to my last post of the GOING HOME SERIES, 7 ways to schedule in self-care and why it is essential for an expat returning home.

Just like self-care is vital for everyday life, it is also important, if not MORE important for your travels home. Scheduling even one of the items below with give you a little breather from visits and help you care for YOU!

Here are 7 tips for self-care during your expat visit home:

1. Read about reverse culture shock.
  
  Read about how to deal with your transition and reverse culture shock. Consider reading other blog posts of people who have gone through it as well and learn about how they coped. Find a healthy outlet for your emotions. Let yourself feel, recognize the feeling, and then, perhaps laugh a bit at yourself. Consider keeping a list of gratitudes during your visit or writing in a journal to help process your thoughts and feelings.

1. Make time for a couple of real ‘vacation’ days with just your family or take a personal retreat.
  
  I talk about this here as well, but I will also shout out to this as a great way to care for yourself. Jason usually works while we travel, but we try to make sure we are clear on our actual ‘no work’ vacation days. We also try to travel and explore someplace new in the states we have never been. When you take these days, make sure to work in good ‘debriefing questions.’ I will write more about those in a future, but for now, here are 10 questions your friends may ask you when you return home for a visit.

1. Do something you CAN’T do in your expat country.
  
  This could be going to a water park or camping. In our case, we eat lots of good pork products (ribs and lots of bacon), fresh blueberries on the cheap, and drive a car everywhere (we don’t own a car in Turkey!).

1. Pamper yourself a little.
  
  The first time I lived in Turkey, I was so afraid to get my hair cut by the hairdresser. In fact, I only went to the salon ONCE in the whole two years I lived there. Maybe that was vain of me, but I was so scared I would come out with crazy hair. This time around I have found a hairdresser that I love and trust, but that is nothing as good as a hairdresser you trust and love back home. Or better yet, get a pedicure/manicure with a friend. Guys, get that massage you have been wanting!

1. Eat some good food.
  
  Put your diet on hold and eat all the food! There is nothing like getting the food you love and have missed from the true source. For me, it can be a favorite local restaurant or our family recipes.

1. Don’t forget to exercise.
  
  This may seem like a silly one, and you may debate me and say… “I’m on vacation!” With all the eating and visits you will be making, trust me, just a good 30 minute walk a day will help give your body some movement and keep your systems semi-regular! (You can thank me later.)

Consider processing your past year with a counselor.
YES! While you may not want to admit it, this is an excellent form of self-care. The great thing here is that they are there to listen, not to judge, and to give you the space you may need to express these deep-seated feelings that friends and family may not be equipped to handle.

Here is your FREE worksheet to make sure you cover your expat visit home well!

Questions for you: