At Beyondo, we embrace international experience. Being brave to move to another country where you will need to adapt. Learn a new culture, new language and making new friends. Simply building a new life. We are strong believers that this experience is important in many aspects. But how does this form you as a person and who are you, who do you become when living in a new country, especially if you are married with someone from a different nationality than yourself.
Beyondo has been speaking to Pernilla Thakur Lundqvist, who has been living in Sweden, The Netherlands and now, since 10 years in Australia.
I am Swedish. I have always been fascinated by other cultures and feel in my element when I am on the move. It was clear early on that I would live abroad. I met my husband at a leadership course in London, and I later moved to the Netherlands where our two boys were born. After 12 years in Hilversum, Netherlands, we headed to Sydney, Australia, where we have now been living for 10 years. What I have learned from my two experiences abroad is that I am Swedish.
As an expatriate, one needs a frame of reference, one's nationality, to have a sense of grounding and connection. Experiencing novelty enriches one's life, which can be challenging, and that's when you need to look back and reason about how to approach it, and that's where your values and culture come into play. You need that frame of reference to function.
‘ I am Swedish….one needs a frame of reference..’
My boys' frame of reference is fluid. While I need my Swedish identity as a sort of base to start from, my boys seek their Dutch and Swedish identities. They have a more fluid identity and switch between their different cultures to choose the accurate reference points. They see themselves as Australians with Dutch and Swedish origins who also speak a bit of Mandarin. Two different starting points or frames for relating. One with a stable frame of reference and one with a more fluid frame of reference picking and choosing from different cultures when appropriate.
The solutions become unexpected. We have gained richer experiences with our travels and relocations. I have a more global way of thinking where the solutions extend like a network across borders but with Swedishness as the starting point. My boys have the same global thinking, but their solutions are unexpected because they pick ideas and solutions from the cultures they find most suitable.
‘They boys have fluid identities…where the solution is unexpected. Picking and choosing between cultures. ’
The solutions they come up with become a mix and blend of different cultures that resemble paradigm shifts. Problems become smaller, opportunities increase, thoughts expand, and mobility across borders becomes smoother. In other words, I believe the future holds a workforce with solutions beyond the usual use of frames.
‘ …. a workforce with solutions beyond the usual use of frames.'
Thank you to Pernilla, who took the time to share her (life) experience. Are you in an international relationship, have lived outside your own home country or just curious of cross-cultural facts? Do you want to share your experiences with us? Do not hesitate to reach out to Karin at Beyondo!
