According to a new global study, the main reason that expat families move home early is the lack of emotional support.
How quickly an expats settle in a new country is as much about what they have left behind, as it is about getting to grips with their new surroundings. It takes nearly 25% expats more than a year to feel settled, but once they do they spend between five and 10 years abroad. 

Even with the squeeze on expat packages, employees are often well supported, surrounded by colleagues and a recognisable business structure. However, economic migration isn’t often possible without the help of spouses and families.

These are some of the findings of a two-year study, which includes the views of 61 nationalities in 56 countries. They have been released in a new book: Do they eat soup in England? Insights and advice for expats struggling to find their feed abroad.

The book is designed to support expat families, helping them to settle by legitimising their emotional struggles. It is available free from Amazon on 5th and 6th July, or retails at £5.99.

Reviews:
Lisa, an American living in Germany
I wish I had been given this book when my husband was offered his new job. I felt so unsupported by his company. It would have made me realise that what I was experiencing was a normal part of the process. I so nearly gave up and came home.

Ally, a Canadian who lived in Dubai:
I didn’t think about the emotional journey I was embarking on. This book would really have helped me come to terms with conflicting and confusing feelings. I just jumped straight in, but I splashed around for a bit. This book is the life buoy I needed.

Amanda, an American living in the UK:
This is a thought-provoking, real-world guide to expat life: the adventure, challenges, exhilaration, and hiccups of it all. It’s a relatable, funny and thoughtful account of the realities of life abroad, full of great advice for newbies and vets alike! 

Claire, a Brit who lived in Singapore:
This book is great for anyone who feels alone on their expat journey. It's reassuring and really gives you a boost to help you realise you're not the only one.
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#expatlife #expatriation #expatriatemanagement #expatcoaching #migration #skillsgaps #HR #humanresources #management #employeeengagement #employeemorale #peoplefirst #partnerresources #employeesuccess #economicmigration

Mean, brooding, dark and cold. Not a description of my husband, but our first impression of Scotland in April.
 
“We’ll avoid the midges,” the husband said. Of course we will, because it’s too cold for anything to survive.
 
“We’ll see beautiful beaches,” he said. True, he had shown me photographs of stunning stretches of empty white sand. Empty because it’s too cold to get out of the car, let alone take a leisurely stroll. It’s nature’s way of mocking us. You can look, but you can’t touch.

When I asked my husband for three adjectives to describe Argentina he came up with: “wine sodden, welcoming and weirdly Welsh”.

Might seem like a strange collection of words, but it’s not far off the truth.

Let’s start with the Cambrian influence: A small community, descendants of Welsh settlers, who moved to Patagonia in 1865. They even still speak Welsh, or a nineteenth century version. You can visit and inspect how life has changed over the years, and compare with your knowledge of Cymru culture.

Inle Lake
Inle Lake was one of the highlights of the trip for us. Every morning we were picked up from our riverside guesthouse in a narrow wooden fishing boat, with the loudest two-stroke engine, which sounded like an industrial lawnmower. It wasn’t just the noise pollution that was alarming. Unfortunately, the black, arid exhaust will eventually spoil the region, if an affordable alternatives can not be found.
 

Yangon (Rangoon)
No city epitomises the division between democracy and dictatorship more than Yangon.
 
After five decades of military rule, the National League for Democracy won a landslide victory in November 2015, the first elections for 25 years. It’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been a figurehead representing hope for those wishing to join the democratic world, her pedestal only raised higher by house arrest and enforced separation from her half British sons.
 

Burma is on a lot of travellers’ bucket lists. But why? Is it the draw of exploring new frontiers, on the cusp of a new democratic future? Is the beautiful countryside and lakes? Or is it the temples and mystical stupas punctuating the skyline?
 
Keeping true to our motto, “have kids, will travel”, we packed a few backpacks to find out.
 
Here’s a peak at our top four places to see: Yangon, Kalaw, Inle and Bagan.
 

A strange change has taken place across the world, hiding under the leathery wing of a vampire bat. Hallowe’en has carved its way onto the calendar as a regular event to be celebrated. I find this as strange as seeing a pint-sized Superman walking down the road.
 
This needs some explaining. When I was a child Hallowe’en was about cowering in the living room with the light off to avoid the eggs and flour being pelted by boisterous teenagers. And this didn't just happen on the 31st October, but for a period of up to two weeks.
 
I was taught that trick or treating was akin to begging, afterall it is a little strange to knock on the door of a complete stranger and ask for sweets.
 
Then I moved to America. These guys know how to party. Hallowe’en is a family affair with hoards of parents and children on the streets, dressed up in every costume imaginable. It didn’t have to be anything ghoulish or ghastly. We even saw a horse dress as Clifford the big red dog. We joined in, and apart from the ridiculous amount of confectionary that would send a toddler hyperactive for a decade, it was a fun event that allowed us to feel part of the fabric of our new home.
 
So why was it different? For a start the local council stipulated when trick or treating could take place; not just the day, but the hours too. It was also known that if you didn’t want to get involved you simply left your porch light off, avoiding the element of “trick” altogether. Really this is treat or treating.
 
More than anything it’s the irony that gets me, wrapped up in the distance past.
 
The history
The origins of Hallowe’en are intertwined: first there was the Celtic pagan festival to mark harvest and the end of summer, and then came the Christian celebration on the Eve of All Hallows. Yes, All Hallows’ Evening becomes contracted to Hallowe’en. From as far back as the 11th century, food was given in exchange for a poem or song. It wasn’t until the 19th century that tricks were involved.
 
Strictly speaking the festival doesn’t belong across the pond at all. It was introduced by immigrants, although the phrase “trick-or-treat” was first used in the US, in 1927.
 
Confusing, isn’t it? Even the church is confused. I’ve seen a pumpkin with a Christian cross carved out of it. I’m not sure how I feel about the church endorsing a festival that is so intrinsically linked to Pagans, or begging by another name.
 
The changing face
We’ve now returned to the UK after nearly seven years, and this year’s Hallowe’en has been a much more orderly affair. We live in a fairly rural area so trick-or-treating isn’t really done; the lanes are too dark, the houses are too far apart and I think there is a greater respect for elderly neighbours.
 
However, other neighbourhoods have been getting organised. Hallowe’en happens on the 31st October and that’s where is should stay. The role of the porch light seems to be understood. Children are accompanied by adults, rather than the marauding hoards of bored teenagers. It’s about children, and of course the children are excited about sweets. I hope all neighbourhoods are experiencing this changing face. It could be a great way to invigorate our communities.
 
I can’t change that Hallowe’en occurs, but I can get into the spirit of it, and it looks like everyone else is too.
 
What’s your Hallowe’en experience? Like it or loathe it?