Part Two: Is moving abroad the secret to a healthier life? A focus on emotional and mental health.

Plus, a savory lentil recipe and a healthy sweet treat!

A Breakfast Of My Dreams

Let’s start off with this new recipe as I am starving right now! This has quickly become one of my favorite ways to start the day, especially after a morning workout. Thick Greek yogurt, salty and nutty lentils, a perfectly fried egg with a runny yolk, and creamy slices of avocado. It’s so damn good! You can easily double the lentils (and add whatever other veggies you want), as they reheat beautifully, making it even easier to throw together the next day.

SAUTEED LENTILS WITH YOGURT, AVOCADO, AND FRIED EGG

Serves 2

• Extra virgin olive oil

• 1 small shallot, peeled and finely diced

• 1 small carrot, ends trimmed, peeled, and finely diced

• 1 celery rib, ends trimmed and finely diced

• 1 cup jarred or canned lentils, drained and rinsed

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt

• 1 avocado, thinly sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch pieces

• Lemon

• Sea salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

In a small fry pan, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot, carrot, and celery and stir to coat. The smaller the dice, the faster everything cooks, so I always make sure to finely chop mine. Cook for a few minutes, until the vegetables start to soften. Add the lentils and stir to combine. If the mixture looks a little dry, add another drizzle of olive oil. Season with sea salt and black pepper, and cook until everything is warmed through. Pour the lentils into a bowl and set aside.

Wipe out the pan as you’ll use it next for the eggs. Add another tablespoon or two of olive oil to the pan and set it back over medium heat. Crack in two eggs, season with sea salt and black pepper, and fry to your liking. While the eggs are cooking, get the plates ready. Spoon the yogurt onto two small plates and spread it into a thin, circular layer. Divide the lentils between the plates, piling them right in the center of the yogurt. Top each with a fried egg, thin slices of avocado, a squeeze of lemon juice, a little freshly cracked black pepper, and sea salt.

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Part Two: Is Moving Abroad The Answer To Really Healing? A Focus on Emotional and Mental Health

Last week, we talked about some of the ways living abroad has impacted our physical health, and this week, I wanted to continue the conversation and address how a move like this can impact your emotional and mental well-being as well.

THE HIGHS AND LOWS

Once you decide to move, it's like a switch flips. You're suddenly on a timeline. A ticket is bought, and the race begins. Emotions are high, the energy is chaotic, and there are a million things to check off before you leave. Then, your departure day arrives, and finally, after navigating the airport with more bags than any human should ever travel with, you sit down on the plane, and it hits you. You're really doing this. You're moving abroad. You're off to have the adventure you've been dreaming about for years. And, when you first land in the new country, it does feel a lot like a vacation. There's a high, a rush of excitement. A desire to explore the streets, go to the museums, eat the gelato, and see as much as you can see. And then, the realization creeps in, there is no return ticket. This isn't just another trip. You live here now. And that's often when the grief sets in. The sadness. The doubt. The questions: Did we make the right decision? Why does this feel so hard? Will you always feel like an outsider looking in? There will be many moments you feel completely lost and moments when it all feels like a giant mistake. The lows can be really low. But slowly, day by day, things shift. You make a friend. You have a meaningful conversation with a stranger. You confidently order exactly what you want from your local cafe. You walk down the street and feel like you could be happy living here for a while. You look around and realize what an extraordinary experience this is. And you are filled with gratitude.

A SPIKE IN STRESS

Moving our family to another country was one of the most stressful things I've ever done. The sheer number of tasks required to make the move possible, the amount of unknowns we had to accept, the constant questioning and doubt that crept in making us second-guess whether we made the right decision, and the endless logistics of uprooting our lives were often very overwhelming. All of that, on top of trying to show up as a support system for our children, reassuring them that even though everything felt unfamiliar and uncertain, it would be okay. Andre and I were both completely overcome with stress many times during our first year abroad. But it has gotten a lot better and more manageable. There are still stressful moments, but we've become more comfortable navigating them the longer we've been here.

COMMUNITY

When you've lived somewhere for a long time, you don't always realize just how much of a community you've built or how comforting it is to be known. The guy at the mailbox store who's about to have a baby and is grateful for the parenting advice. The barista who knows exactly how to steam the milk just right for your kids. The owner of your go-to Vietnamese restaurant who always sneaks a little extra candy into their pockets before you leave. You walk into a place, and people smile, greet you by name, and are genuinely happy to see you. And then, you move. To a place where no one knows your name, the language is unfamiliar, and the cultural norms are entirely different. You're starting from scratch. Everything is new: where to buy groceries, how to order your coffee, how to pay for parking, even how to pump gas. But very slowly, things do begin to shift. Strangers help in unexpected ways. Your new neighborhood community realizes you're not just another tourist passing through. The woman at the pastry shop remembers your child loves the chocolate cookies. The produce vendor tells you to pay later because they know you'll be back. The butcher beams when you walk in, eager to show you the newest cut he saved just for you. Little by little, a new community begins to take root. You'll have to give yourself time, but it will happen.