Starting Over Abroad: When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned

There is a version of the expat story that we often share.

The exciting one.

The courageous move.

The new opportunities.

The life we are building.

But there is another version that is rarely spoken about.

The one where things don’t go as planned.

When everything shifts

Sometimes life abroad brings unexpected turning points.

A relationship ends.

A career path changes.

A sense of direction disappears.

And suddenly, you are not just living in another country. You are starting over in it.

Starting over is challenging anywhere. But doing it abroad can feel overwhelming.

Because you may not have:

• close family nearby

• long-term friendships

• a strong support system

• a sense of stability to fall back on

I have lived this. I remember going through my divorce while living abroad was one of the most profound experiences of my life.

It wasn’t just the end of a relationship.

It was a moment where everything I thought I knew about my life shifted.

And I had to rebuild — not just externally, but internally.

In a country that was not originally mine.

The moment things begin to change

There is a moment in every “starting over” journey where something shifts.

Not because everything is resolved. But because something inside you begins to reconnect.

A sense of strength.

A sense of clarity.

A sense that you can move forward, even if you don’t yet know how.

Starting over does not mean going back to who you were, it means creating something new from where you are now.

And sometimes, the version of yourself that emerges from these moments is stronger, clearer, and more aligned than before.

So if you are in a moment of starting over while living abroad… I want you to know:

You are not behind.

You are in a transition.

And transitions, as uncomfortable as they are, often carry the seeds of profound transformation.

If this resonates with you and you are navigating life abroad in Munich, Starnberg or anywhere in the world, I offer counselling in English for expats seeking emotional support, clarity, and space to process what they are going through.

Issa Blanco Simmons

Counselling for Expats Munich | Starnberg | Online Sessions

www.englishtherapymunich.com