Lena Quénard, founder of Association Moey and Lucky Kali, the 60-year old working elephant she rescued through her nonprofit. © Image: Lena Quénard
Disclaimer: In accordance with strict conservation guidelines, the general public is not allowed to touch, ride, or physically interact with Lucky Kali. As a safety precaution, only Lena or the mahouts can come close but guests can walk with her and see her enjoy her new life in freedom from a respectful distance.
You’ll love this month’s interview! This is a story of courage, determination and inner strength. This is Lena’s story and the birth of her organization, Association Moey, a grassroots nonprofit making significant changes in the way tourists interact with elephants. Her humane approach is gaining momentum!
Now in Nepal, Lena Quénard tells us how her passion is creating a safe space for a very special elephant who is lucky to live free from chains and work.
Read More
Pictured here, author and environmental activist Chelsea Juneidi. Image © Chelsea Juneidi
This is the story of the author and creator behind the popular blog My Amman Life. Chelsea Juneidi is a vegan environmental activist who is inspiring people in Jordan to find the most sustainable and humane alternatives for eating, traveling, shopping and volunteering locally.
Leaving her home in the U.S. at the age of 21 brought life-changing opportunities for this month’s entrepreneur. After spending a decade in Spain and then moving to the Middle East, Chelsea’s environmental concerns and activism only grew throughout the years. Now in India, she shares the journey that led her here. Read her story on this week’s blog.
Read More
Compassion in action is the best way to describe the purpose of this month’s entrepreneur. After moving from Washington DC to Latin America, Nina Logan Smith knew her career abroad had to be a meaningful one. Now living in the Middle East, Nina is making an impact in the lives of cats and people around her. This is her story.
Read More
This Newari lady was very generous with her time and allowed me and the other fellow photographers to take photos of her during our last photo shoot at Bhaktapur, Nepal. © Diana, The Elephant Soul
As expats, we’re fortunate to travel extensively and to meet many people from all walks of life. At the same time, it is easy for us to stay with the same crowd and miss out on opportunities to connect with other circles. In other words: we stay in the bubble.
In this week’s blog, I share 4 ideas to help you spend time outside the expat comfort zone. Are there local festivals or religious ceremonies that are open to the public? Is there a cause that interests you that could help you connect with local organizations? Check these out!
Read More
Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash
Before I used to think that being able to accomplish things on my own and being self-sufficient were a sign of strength; however, I am glad I recognized the need to be connected to others and that by holding myself accountable to other people I am helping myself and others more effectively.
Here are five lessons learned —so far— from starting an accountability group overseas.
Read More
Photo credit: ©Christine Meintjes
Thanks to expat entrepreneurs like photographer and filmmaker Crystaline Randazzo, we gather inspiration to pursue our passions wherever we are in the world. Pursuing a creative business with heart and soul is not only possible but mandatory to find happiness in a lifestyle that is often times uncertain and challenging.
It is with great pleasure that we share the interview of this exceptional woman who, after surviving the devastating Haiti earthquake of 2010, readjusted her career path and began to share the life experience of those affected by this disaster and beyond. Almost a decade later, Crystaline Randazzo is expanding her horizons and her projects. This is her story.
Read MoreFor a decade now, I have been regularly getting rid of clothes, books, shoes, magazines, electronics, ornaments, bags, linen, cutlery, homeware, accessories and anything one could possibly accumulate at home. Often times when I buy clothes, I make sure to give away similar items from my closet, that same day. So how is it possible then, that you find yourself in the same situation every year (or every season) again and again?
After recently decluttering my closet à la Marie Kondo, I want to share seven ways it has promoted a sense of wellbeing so far. The task is not finished, but here’s what I have experienced.
Read More
Pictured here, American photographer and designer Monique Kovacs Nathan at the Bouddhanath Stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo provided by the artist.
Living overseas makes us stronger and wiser in different levels. Though it is usually the challenges that help us grow the most. No country, I assume, comes without its own set of challenges. Living as an expat who is constantly on the move is part of it.
In this month’s interview with American photographer and designer Monique Kovacs Nathan, we will talk about how leaving behind a promising career in California helped her find a new purpose to help disadvantaged children in Nepal and how spending time to cultivate her passion for creativity was a gift she would forever treasure. This is her story. It is sure to inspire you.
Read More
Anabelle Colon has had various jobs. It is not surprising given her many talents. Her sense of humor, her friendliness and easy-to-talk-to attitude have opened many doors for Anabelle throughout her life journey. But it has been her passion for art and handmade designs that have lead her to pursue a profession faraway from her native Dominican Republic.
In this month’s interview, Anabelle Colon, a savvy Dominican jewelry designer shares her insights on pursuing a creative business and moving from one country to the next. This is her inspiring approach to the nomadic lifestyle.
Read More
It is not easy to leave behind your career, your colleagues as well as your financial independence when you follow your partner to pursue their career around the world. However; one of the privileges of living a nomadic lifestyle is that it enriches your life in a myriad of ways that have nothing to do with what you do for a living.
So how do you get to meet other interesting people when you’re not working a 9-5 pm job? Here are five ideas on how to get to know other expats outside an office environment.
Read More
Nausheen Shaikh is an Indian entrepreneur currently living in Amman, Jordan. This is her story on how to pursue your passions and keep a positive outlook when you move overseas.
Indian entrepreneur Nausheen Shaikh shares her story on how gratifying it is to pursue your passions when you live overseas and the opportunities this lifestyle brings.
Her love for handmade paper designs started from an early age. It wasn’t until she moved to Jordan that she had the opportunity to pursue it on a daily basis. Read on to find inspiration on how creativity can be very fulfilling but how it can also connect you to others as well.
Read More
Lizzie Alexander from Sisu Holistic Health shares her personal journey to wellness. It all started in Amman, Jordan.
From researching the world’s oceans and their ecosystems to changing her career to holistic nutrition and health coaching, Lizzie Alexander has not only transformed the most important aspects of her life, but she is now helping others to do the same whilst living in Amman, Jordan. This is how she did it.
Read More
Landscape of the Old Town taken from the City Walls of Dubrovnik.
As an expat who is following your spouse’s footprints you can often times find yourself wondering what is the purpose for you in this lifestyle. Will there be a meaningful path of your own while living overseas? For a couple of years I had spent too much time inside my head, hearing an inner chat that wasn’t working for me, whilst comparing myself to others who had “good office jobs”. I didn’t see the value of what I was doing because I wasn’t formally employed.
A month after surviving the Nepal earthquake of 2015, I heard the message. Life had a purpose and a calling for me. This is what happened.
Read More