Over the past 10+ years of living in Finland, I’ve found nature’s ability to adapt and flow with the cycles to be the most inspiring teacher there is in my own transition abroad. Whether for you it’s the plasticity required to adapt to another language or the fluidity that other cultures ask of us – or both at once – nature has lessons to help us navigate the terrain with more grace. Here’s what summer has to teach us…

At the 2015 polyglot gathering in Berlin (an event for those who love learning languages), I gave a talk called ‘Beyond Language: Lessons about life, self-understanding and transformation.’

During the talk, I shared what I had learned from living in Finland for 5 years, and how I had adjusted (the ups and downs I went through) – basically the messy process of personal growth abroad.