Month: September 2025

two females watching at a plane flying away in the sky and in the right corner is the title Expat Grief on Journeyofsmiley.com

Expat Grief and Emigration: The Hidden Cost of Moving and Living Abroad

2 Comments / Grief and Loss, Living Losses, Mental Health, Silver lining - personal development, growth / By

As this month marks twenty years of my life in England, I invite you into a quieter, often unspoken side of the emigration journey – the emotional weight of expat grief that can come with moving and living abroad. This isn’t a checklist of what to pack or how to get visa. Rather, it’s a …

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Blue background, on the right side is a blue cup cake with a sparkle, on the left side is written Coping with Birthday Blues on Journeyofsmiley.com

Birthday Blues Are Real: How to Cope With Birthday Depression

2 Comments / Faith, Grief and Loss, Living Losses, Mental Health / By

As my birthday approached, I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling growing inside me. Birthday depression crept in slowly at first but then brought with it flood of questions: “Have you done enough?” “Are you where you hoped you’d be?” “What are you even doing with your life?” Have you ever felt sad on your birthday? …

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