The life-changing experiences of an expat
Expats see things differently. It doesn’t matter whether someone relocates outside of their home country at age 5 or 45, the experiences gained and the memories retained have a lifelong impact on individuals and their families.
That was the focus of Houston Relocation Professionals’ fall educational event, held last month at Houston Country Club.
While the event didn’t cover any topics directly related to real estate, it did serve as an important reminder of why people go on international assignments, the challenges that they face individually and as a family, the difficulties of repatriation, and the ability needed to maintain a semblance of normalcy in a very abnormal situation.
The event was entitled: “Growing Up Expat,” and was divided into two distinct parts. The first part featured a presentation by Robert Cormier, group director, strategic development for Paramount Transportation Systems, and his 13-year-old son, Max.
During their presentation, the two discussed the expat life through the eyes of a child.
Max Cormier shared his memories and lessons learned through his personal international experiences and adventures, having lived in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, before relocating to Raleigh, N.C., where he and his family currently reside.
As a result of his experiences abroad, Max said that he feels compelled to net- work with other expat kids in order to learn about their global relocation experiences, and the challenges that they face and the gamut of emotions that are typically involved.
“Last year, Max thought that he should start to focus some of the experiences that he had to help, or try to help, other children who had to make a transition or had parents who were looking to make an international move,” Robert said.
He said that Max began to write down some of the stories that he could recall from each of his own international experiences, and the ways that he felt during the transition of moving from one country to another.
He added that Max’s goal is to write a book that is geared toward other children who have to make international moves, in hopes it might help them with their own transitions, and relieve some of the stress and anxiety that are often felt when relocating anywhere, much less to a foreign country.
Although there are always challenges when moving internationally, Max remained positive as he shared some of his fondest family memories of the time they spent living in different countries.
“Living overseas, I was exposed to a lot of cultures, and I was able to try a lot of new things. That’s what I really liked about it,” Max said. “Even when we moved from country to country, and everything was different in each country, there were still some similarities. There’s just so much to see and do, so it was a really fun experience.”
Robert said that it is important for a family to remain very positive about a move, and to discuss the changes and what it all means as a family unit.
“You need to talk about the things that you’re going to see, or the things you’re going to do when you get to your new country, and you have to talk about the school in a positive way,” Robert said.
He added, “You have to talk about it early, give the kids time to accept it, and engage the family. Even if they’re not really involved in the decision, they can be involved in the discussions. I think that actually has a positive impact.”
Finally, the Cormiers shared their own conclusions and offered the following suggestions for families who might be moving to another country:
• Consider the destination location and international experience of the family.
• Consider sending families of school age children to visit the country in advance of the move.
• Keep children informed about the move well in advance, and share feelings.
• Research the destination location together with the children, because that helps to ease anxiety.
• Stay positive about the overall experience.
Please come back next week for Part 2 of the event recap, which will include details from a provocative panel discussion on the world through expat eyes.
HRP is a Recognized Regional Group for Worldwide ERC (Employee Relocation Council). Its mission is to provide meaningful educational, networking, and community outreach opportunities for professionals supporting workforce mobility.