It's Guest Blog Time!
There was a time when finding information about your future post was a lot of work. FaceBook was a budding social network, the FAM was not accessible unless you were worked for the Department, and the resources in OBC were largely available as handouts. Researching the bid list for our first overseas tour was made possible because of this amazingly resourceful website that I stumbled onto called TalesMag.com, Tales From a Small Planet. I honestly can't remember if I found it doing a search online or if it was mentioned in passing. Either way, when I discovered what a magical resource it truly was I felt a great sense of relief.
Over the years, I have spent many hours researching options for postings on TakesMag and I have submitted reviews too. When I worked as CLO, I shared with our community about this resource and always encouraged others to share their post experiences too. Each submission is reviewed and edited for readability and appropriateness prior to posting. We are delighted to have Kathi Silva, Co-Managing Director of Tales From a Small Planet sharing her tips on finding resources for your next PCS.
Guest Blog by Kathi Silva
I’ve been living overseas for nearly 25 years, counting nine moves on four continents, with a husband, three kids and a cat. The one thing that has remained constant in all this chaos is knowing that wherever I go, I can find comfort and wisdom if I reach out to others. Whether you’re an introvert who likes to do things alone, or an extrovert that thrives on being social, your community is your best resource.
Let’s face it – moving is hard! Here is my advice for tapping into your community to make the move and transition a little easier, and hopefully and lot more enriching.
Get Ahead of the Game
Start reaching out as soon as you know a move is coming, rather than thinking ‘I’ll just see what’s available when I get there.’ You will have plenty of things to figure out once you arrive, so take care of what you can before you land. I am especially grateful for the insight I gained from ‘Tales from a Small Planet,’ the online website with unbiased information on what it’s really like to live in a place. Their post and school reports from cities around the world made it easier to get those essential ‘real’ opinions about where to live and how to prepare, and helped me feel I was part of a big family. Once you know where you’re going, you should contact online groups related to your hobbies, interests, professional skills, personal goals, and/or kids’ needs. It’s amazing what you can accomplish with a few good internet searches and an email or two to start making connections.
PRO-TIP: Take care of what you can before you land.
Don’t Reinvent the Wheel
Surely someone else has been in your shoes and has already figured a few things out. Rely on others who have ‘been there and done that’ to give you advice and guidance, especially for the small stuff that doesn’t really matter. Why waste your time learning from mistakes that others have already made? Sometimes, there’s just an easier or better way to get things done in your new country, so keep an open mind for advice and know-how coming from people in-country. This is where I also relied on ‘Tales from a Small Planet,’ because once I knew where I was going, I could always read several post and school reports from people who had already moved and adapted to where I was heading.
PRO-TIP: Keep an open mind for advice and tips from people in-country.
Find a Balance Between Newness and Familiarity
There will be so many wonderful new things to experience, but we all need some familiarity during the transition. I certainly don’t advocate closing yourself off to locals, but you should never feel bad about reaching out to your ‘people’ either. Whether it be through work, your child’s school, a place of worship, or a hobby, make an effort to get to know some people from your home country if possible, just to feel less on-your-own in the strange, new world.
Moving is never easy, but if you can take advantage of the wealth of information, resources, and comfort your community can provide, you’ll be guaranteed to have a smoother time with it.
Kathi's Bio
Kathi Silva started reading Tales from a Small Planet in the early 2000s to help navigate the expat life, and joined the board in 2013 as a Co-Managing Director. Tales from a Small Planet is a non-profit organization, founded by spouses of the U.S. diplomatic community over 30 years ago, to be an information resource for diplomatic postings around the world. Since then, it has expanded to include not only the U.S. diplomatic community, but anyone, anywhere, wanting access to free, unbiased information on ‘what it’s really like to live there’. By honestly sharing both the joys and challenges of living in another culture, TalesMag helps others around the world choose a new post, know what to expect, prepare wisely, and -- perhaps most importantly -- know that they aren’t alone when they find themselves struggling to adapt.
Kathi has been internationally mobile for longer than she can remember, changing careers to adapt to her circumstances. In addition to being a freelance author/editor/teacher and embassy contractor, she has a Masters' degree in international education and enjoys teaching English as a Foreign Language to all ages. Kathi and her husband have three kids who have grown up in 7 different countries (none of which was a home country for either parent) and fear the question 'where are you from?' but appreciates the adventurous life they're living.
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