I moved to Cairo at three very different times in my life: as an 11-year-old kid, a 20-year-old college student, and last summer, as a 40-year-old spouse and mother.
One could argue that as an Egyptian American, I should consider Egypt my “homeland.” But as a Xennial born and raised in California, Egypt felt nowhere near home in the early ’90s, when my parents told me and my brothers that we would be moving there.
For years, whenever I Googled stories of fellow trailing spouses, the search results focused on expat experiences or career disappointments. I’m so glad that I recently discovered Trailing-Spouse.com, filled with inspiring stories of all kinds of people who “get” my challenges and have also seized opportunities for professional and personal growth along the way.
In my case, I’ve experienced seven moves — four prompted by a partner’s job loss. It’s a story of resilience, reinvention, and a LOT of networking. I now spend my time helping other women with their own reinventions, sharing the lessons I’ve learned along the (hard) way through my own non-linear journey.