067 My Bittersweet Birthday 🎃

This year’s birthday was unlike any other — not because of where I was or what I did, but because I finally let myself be celebrated. For the first time, I didn’t avoid it or minimize it… I allowed myself to really experience it. And in doing so, I noticed something powerful: when you start celebrating and honoring yourself, others learn to celebrate and honor you too.

But life lifed, and it had other plans woven into my day. My husband’s grandmother passed away — on my exact birthday. It was a profound reminder of how joy and grief often exist side by side, especially when you’re living abroad and far from home.

In this episode, I’m opening up about:
 🌿 Learning to celebrate myself after years of emotional self-protection
 🌿 How grief feels different when you’re an expat — away from family, culture, and familiar rituals
 🌿 Why accepting/receiving love is one of the most healing acts we can practice
 🌿 The duality of holding both gratitude and loss in the same breath

If you’ve ever struggled to celebrate yourself… or felt the weight of grief while trying to move forward in a new chapter, this one’s for you.

Because healing abroad isn’t just about adapting to your destination country — it’s about learning to hold ALL of who you are, joy and pain included.

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