Launching the Expatability Chat podcast

Listen to my new podcast!

Why am I launching a brand new podcast about expats, global mobility and moving overseas when we are in the middle of a global virus pandemic and no travel, or very little travel, is happening around the world, and nobody knows what’s going to happen next?

COVID-19 has turned the world of relocation on its head. All international assignment postings are on hold for now. And with working from home proving so efficient in many cases, many firms are considering the future of global mobility all together.

While there hasn’t been much global movement in the past few weeks – compared to normal years – there have been many, many people making sudden, unexpected and often, unwanted moves back to their home countries.

This time of year (June/July) is traditionally the time expats with kids move on. So some people were planning to move home anyway. The pandemic hastened their departure from their host country.

Some had to leave very suddenly, leaving everything behind on emergency evacuation flights before lockdown. Many are staying in temporary accommodation until life returns to some kind of normal and they can get back to their overseas home.

Some families are split up, unable to see their partners or children while they wait for the flights to resume, and quarantine rules to relax.

Some were planning, but missed the boat – plane – and now don’t know when they can actually get home because the borders have been closed.

Some are staying put in their host country living a very different lockdown than their friends and family back home.

And, more recently, some have lost their jobs, meaning they have to leave their host country soon, due to visa cancellations.

Repatriation is hard when you’re ready for it and planning for it. It’s even harder when it’s unexpected unplanned and unwanted.

So, my new podcast is starting with the end of expat life – repatriation. I’ll pop the episode details in the next post.