Teenage life abroad

It’s early in the morning; the plane is about to land. I can see the signs of ground through the windows of the plane.

The moment I have waited for with excitement and anticipation has finally arrived. In the next minutes, I will step into a new world and a new life.  These are the last moments of quiet where I can relax and take a deep breath before my expatriate life begins.

At the beginning of my expatriate life, I lived in a lake house while we were busy sorting through paperwork for our new house.

My whole life changed. I did not go to school, which made it harder to meet new friends. My last year of school was spent online, completing tasks on my own and writing test under my parents supervision.

I lived in a lake house for 6 weeks, before we moved into an empty house and a new neighborhood. Our container with literally my whole life in, finally arrived after 2 weeks of staying in an empty house.

I tried to go out as much as I could, but it was hard not having a friend to experience my new life with. Online school was though and emotionally I was drained.

I felt physically and emotionally tired, drained, confused and not belonging.

A few months went by, and I went back to South-Africa to write my final year exams. Visiting South-Africa made me realize that I have an awesome opportunity overseas. Most teenagers would beg their parents to go overseas, and there I was knowing I am going back home but to The Netherlands.

I was home and it did not feel strange, I knew I belong. No matter how hard it was and still is for me.

The new year came and I graduated! To be honest I did not think that I would have done a very great job. Despite my circumstance, I showed myself that I was capable of so much more.

The now 2017

A year and a few months later…

I finally put myself out there and got my first official job as a Babysitter. The 2 months I worked as a Babysitter was amazing and it was such a good experience. This opportunity gave me so much more confidence and I really started to love my life here. My Babysitter job was cut short when I was asked to be a Sports coach for small children.

And today I work with amazing employees. I love being a Sports coach and sharing my knowledge with the little ones.

Having a few friends makes it easier for me as well. Although my friends are Aupairs, I know they won’t stay forever, but for me it is a start in making friends again. One important lesson I learned during all the ups and downs are don’t underestimate yourself.

There are days that are still hard when you miss the comfort of your culture and people. I belong here maybe not forever, but for now, I do. Taking my bike and riding to work is so much fun for me, hopping on a bus, tram or train is awesome I can go anywhere. Somedays when I bike, especially in the rain I feel like a real Dutchie.

My future is still a blur… I have no idea what I want to study. I thought I knew. For now, I enjoy my young life and I want to experience much more of the world.

xoxo

Chante’