After returning to Scotland from Malaysia 7.5 years ago, and a failed marriage proposal later…..

I realised I couldn’t settle back into my old life as, to be honest, it no longer existed in the same way.

👉I needed a fresh start, so I chose to move to a new country by myself!

So, in January 2019, I took a job working as a classroom teacher in The Hague!

The Early Days:
• Arrived on January 2nd in a very cold winter, couch-hopping with just a bag.
• Lived in a shared apartment with a colleague for a year and a half, as rents were very expensive.
• Battled to find the confidence needed to put myself out there to build a community and a new life.

👉What really helped me in the beginning was joining a school with a welcoming atmosphere and a community of other like-minded teachers. Finding the right school environment provided the stability I needed to build a life here.

7 Years Later:
I have so much to be thankful for, including: a wonderful wife and daughter, an amazing community, completing my master’s (one of my toughest challenges) and having my own home.

Also

I have grown as an educator, speaker, middle leader, small business owner and as a person (all things that I continue to work on).

I believe the resilience and problem-solving required to live and work abroad have helped me a lot with my personal and professional growth and self-confidence.

👉You don’t need a perfect plan to start; you just need to be willing to move. Sometimes you have to land on your backside to move forward, but the result can be worth it.