This Expat Life

Amanda Maxime
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Semiweekly

While life abroad is often amazing, it is not only rainbows & butterflies - as all experienced expats very well know. From the pleasures of drinking from fresh coconuts to dealing with a personal crisis, This Expat Life opens up space for all facets of life abroad. And more importantly: what you can do to thrive in it.Certified coach, former diplomat and forever globetrotter Amanda Molenaar dives into the good, the bad & the ugly of expat life. Expect hands-on tips, deep dives, and relatable stories by fellow expats. Whether you're about to take off on your first international adventure or have been repatted already: This Expat Life is your place to find real understanding and to grow from the inside out.Find more about Amanda and her programs here: https://www.amandamaximecoaching.com.

  1. 18h ago

    108: Unmasking the driven expat: Martina Gastaldello’s road to alignment

    Before we dive in, did you know that you can now sign up for the priority list of The Co-Pilot? Get early access and a very juicy offer just by leaving your name on the list. A few years ago, Martina and I met when she joined one of my coaching programs. At the time, she was deep in a burnout. After years of working in the humanitarian sector across the Middle East, South America, Eastern Europe, and Africa, her body had finally forced her to stop. What struck me most about Martina wasn't just her impressive international career, but her willingness to honestly look at the patterns that had brought her to that point, like perfectionism and the belief that her worth was tied to how much she achieved. In this episode of This Expat Life, Martina shares what burnout looked like from the inside, what recovery really required of her, and how her life has changed since. We talk about working in high-pressure international environments, the warning signs she ignored for too long, and the mindset shifts that helped her rebuild her relationship with herself, her work, and her definition of success - especially now that she’s preparing for motherhood. If you've ever struggled with burnout, perfectionism, people-pleasing, or the feeling that slowing down somehow means falling behind, I think you'll find a lot in this conversation. Want to connect with Martina and hear her story? Tune in to the episode and let me know what resonates most with you. Links & Resources: 📸 Connect on Instagram: @amandamaxime 💌 Share your reflections: info@amandamaximecoaching.com 🌐 Explore more: amandamaximecoaching.com 📰 Subscribe to my weekly Air Mail

    40 min

  2. 6d ago

    #107 The joy of returning home: Charlotte van ‘t Wout’s story unfolds

    The priority list for The Co-Pilot is now open! Register here to not miss out on the early bird offer From being a desert girl in Sedona, Arizona to now a single mom by choice of two back in Amsterdam, with a stop in NYC in between: in this episode I catch up with Charlotte van ‘t Wout. Charlotte (also known as Celine Charlotte on Instagram) is a multiple 7-figure entrepreneur and has lived a global life. She was one of the first guests on the show (her saying yes to my pitch actually was the kick in the butt I needed to get started!) and shared about her life in the US in episode 3. But a lot of things have changed for her since. She moved, twice. And she became a mom, twice. In this new episode of This Expat Life we talk about these changes, how she’s finding life back in Amsterdam, now in a completely different phase of her life, and the cultural differences in motherhood. Want to know more about Charlotte? Follow her on Instagram. Let me know what you thought of this episode! Links & Resources: 📸 Connect on Instagram: @amandamaxime 💌 Share your reflections: info@amandamaximecoaching.com 🌐 Explore more: amandamaximecoaching.com 📰 Subscribe to my weekly Air Mail

    32 min

  3. May 28

    # 106: A 3AM text, a Santa Barbara harbor, and a dream project - How to know when to say yes to a big investment

    The priority list for The Co-Pilot is now open! Register here to not miss out on the early bird offer How do you know when to say yes to a big investment, scary step or invitation? I was in California when I got a text at 3AM from a friend: he needed to make a decision around a financial investment - could I advise him? Coincidentally, that day I too had to make a decision about a big investment. If both he and I were going through the same thing, I’m sure others are too. And because I have my ways to find my own answers to these questions, I’m sharing my approach with you in this episode. Plus, at the end you’ll hear what investment & personal project I said yes to 👀 Tune in to find out! And want to work with those tools too? I’m taking you through a few of them around clarity in Runway. We start on June 1st and if you hurry, you can still join for just €111 (price going up today). PS. This is the Business Insider article I'm talking about

    29 min

  4. May 18

    #105 Amplifying your most authentic self with Rianne Klein Geltink

    The priority list for The Co-Pilot is now open! Register here to not miss out on the early bird offer Wow, I absolutely loved this interview. I met Rianne at my business conference in April last month where she delivered a talk on how you can use two Dutch words to amplify your most authentic self the next time you need to perform. And she blew us away. So I knew I had to get her on the show. Because if you live abroad in a context that’s requiring you to adjust or in a global life that’s constantly changing… You want to be your most authentic self. I’m not going to spoil anything further - just listen to this fantastic episode to know how you can be your magnetic self, have more fun, get better results and stay true to yourself. Enjoy! Find more about Rianne on Instagram and LinkedIn.

    54 min

  5. May 11

    #104 The #1 quality high-functioning expats have in common (and why it’s also your trap)

    The priority list for The Co-Pilot is now open! Register here to not miss out on the early bird offer What’s the ONE quality high-achieving expats have in common? As a coach having worked with 240+ expats personally (aside from my DIY courses), I see this one quality again and again. And… I also see where it’s becoming a trap. In this episode I share what I see and how it’s holding you back, plus my own experiences of when you can soften the quality-turned-trap. I’d love to hear if it resonates!

    31 min

  6. Apr 27

    #103 How to keep momentum when you aren’t feeling good

    A question came in from someone inside The Co-Pilot recently for our hot seat coaching call - and the moment I read it, I knew it needed its own episode. Because I've been there myself, more than once, and I have a feeling at least one of you listening right now will recognize yourself in it too. My coachee had just joined the program ready for the next chapter. There was momentum, clarity, energy - the good kind of feeling that something new is finally starting to move. And then, a few weeks in, she got ill, enough to slow everything down. And she asked me: what do you do when you want to keep going, but your body or your life just won't let you? In this episode, I share my answer to that - because this isn't just about being sick. It's about any moment where your tank is running low. A stressful stretch at work, a breakup, a grey winter in Europe, grief, burnout. Those seasons where you still feel that pull toward something bigger, but you simply don't have the energy to chase it at full speed. I talk about why those low periods are actually the worst time to make big decisions, why giving yourself explicit permission to pause matters more than you'd think, and what you can do in the meantime - an exercise I've used myself in Rio, after my parents died, and in many other harder chapters - that shifts something internally without costing you the energy you don't have. So if you’re feeling stuck between wanting to move forward and simply not having the capacity to, this one is for you. Let me know what you think! Links & Resources: 📸 Connect on Instagram: @amandamaxime 💌 Share your reflections: info@amandamaximecoaching.com 🌐 Explore more: amandamaximecoaching.com

    20 min

  7. Apr 20

    #102 A new chapter requires a new you

    The priority list for The Co-Pilot is now open! Register here to not miss out on the early bird offer Most expats focus on the decision or crossroads that’s in front of them: should I stay or should I go, apply for a new role, relocate, or go for my big scary goal? And it makes sense that most of your attention goes here, but… what few people don’t look at beforehand is who you need to be to carry that decision. If you want to start a next chapter, you need to expand, too, for the decision to be truly a success. And the earlier you are aware of this identity change, the better you can prepare for it. In this episode I explain what I mean with ‘new chapter new you’ by using a personal example of when a stranger told me to go home while I was in Mexico City. Did this episode resonate? I’d love to hear from you! Links & Resources: 📖 Prioritize your life with The Wheel of Expat Life (free download) 📸 Connect on Instagram: @amandamaxime 💌 Share your reflections: info@amandamaximecoaching.com 🌐 Explore more: amandamaximecoaching.com

    16 min

  8. Apr 13

    #101 How to not feel lonely when you arrive somewhere new

    In this episode, I’m answering a question I recently received while I was in Mexico City: how do you not feel lonely when you arrive somewhere new on your own? It’s such a real question - and if you’ve ever moved abroad, even temporarily, you’ve probably felt this too. I’ve experienced this many times myself, arriving in a new city without knowing anyone. And while I genuinely enjoy my own company, I also know that connection is essential for me to feel good and grounded. So in this episode, I’m sharing the three things I personally do every time I land somewhere new to meet people and build meaningful connections (well - tip #3 is dependent on something else 👀). Want to get more tips? Go to episode #1 for the full list of how to make friends and build a community abroad! Links & Resources: 📸 Connect on Instagram: @amandamaxime 💌 Share your reflections: info@amandamaximecoaching.com 🌐 Explore more: amandamaximecoaching.com

    13 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

While life abroad is often amazing, it is not only rainbows & butterflies - as all experienced expats very well know. From the pleasures of drinking from fresh coconuts to dealing with a personal crisis, This Expat Life opens up space for all facets of life abroad. And more importantly: what you can do to thrive in it.Certified coach, former diplomat and forever globetrotter Amanda Molenaar dives into the good, the bad & the ugly of expat life. Expect hands-on tips, deep dives, and relatable stories by fellow expats. Whether you're about to take off on your first international adventure or have been repatted already: This Expat Life is your place to find real understanding and to grow from the inside out.Find more about Amanda and her programs here: https://www.amandamaximecoaching.com.

Information

  • Creator
    Amanda Maxime
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    112
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Amanda Molenaar
  • Show Website
    This Expat Life

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