>> Viktoria: Hey, welcome to a new episode of Worlds Collide. I'm Viktoria. I'm your host. My voice is a little raspy today. I guess it is the season of not just Christmas or holidays, but also of good old colds. So this week, my guest is Tracy, and she went through big life changes. I mean, of course, not just location wise, because, like, she's originally from China and now she's in New City, and we talk about that, but also about, like, career wise and expectation and culturally speaking as well. So stay tuned for that. And then also, thank you for reaching out, dear listener, and clarifying what the name of the French Christmas dessert is is. Bush de Noel. Oh, God. I don't know if I pronounced it correctly. I did not want to butcher it, but maybe Bush de Noel. I don't know. Sorry for not saying it correctly, but it translates into the eulalog. So much for that. And now I just wanted to let you listen to my conversation with Tracy. Here it is.

Tracey's relocation journey started when she was 16

All right, my guest today is Tracey. Hey, how are you?

>> Tracey: Oh, hi. I'm good. Thank you for having me on podcast.

>> Viktoria: Of course. Thank you for reaching out to me and, being a guest on my show. So let me ask you first, where are you right now?

>> Tracey: I'm in New York City.

>> Viktoria: Uh-huh. And, you told me in your first email when you reached out to me that you lived, like, in six different places around the world. So how long have you been now in New York City?

>> Tracey: Yeah, I left, home at 16 and lived in six cities around the world. I just moved to New York City three years ago. So the interesting thing about my journey is, a lot of these, relocation were triggered by an unexpected opportunity. So each time I just give myself 90 days to try to see if it will work. And now, after 22 years, three different countries, six cities, and I've made my home for myself in places all over the world. And now I'm in New York City, working as a relocation coach, just helping other people to do the same, to build a sense of home, no matter where life is taking them.

>> Viktoria: Is three years like, one of the longer places where you've been?

>> Tracey: Oh, that's a good question. I feel like it's in between. The longest place I've stayed for is probably Shanghai and Hong Kong. I lived in each of those cities for seven years, and then I was in Vancouver for four years and Toronto for almost a year.

>> Viktoria: So why did your journey start? Like, why did you move to a new place? in the first place.

>> Tracey: Yeah, it was actually started when I was 16. I grew up in a small town in northeast China. So when I was 16 years old, when I was about to graduate from middle school and my dad just saw this news online, one of the top high schools in Shanghai, they were opening enrollment for students from other cities. So they were hosting this exam and there were about 5,000 applicants. Eventually they selected 90 of them and I was one of them. And I didn't expect that. That came as a really nice surprise. So that just gave a month to prepare. okay. Yeah, so that was, that's how I started my journey.

>> Viktoria: Okay, so you got, you got into the program then? yeah.

>> Tracey: so that was something. I didn't expect it. But my family, they were really supportive. They think it's a really good opportunity because Shanghai has better education. opportunity. So I was really excited before I go, even though that means I had to take 29 hour train on my trip because that was like 22 years ago. It was like a, really long journey for me. And yeah, but that's how I started my journey. And even at that time, my family gave me this other option. They said you could just try it for three months. If you didn't like it, you can always come back. We have local school there, it doesn't matter. And so that's kind of my mindset. I just give myself some time to try and. But eventually I stayed there for seven years, which is okay. I didn't prepared well.

>> Viktoria: But 16 is also very young to then go off by yourself. Yeah, so far away, wasn't it?

>> Tracey: Yeah, a lot of people said that especially a lot of people at that time, they didn't really believe in me. They said, especially you're someone who is really shy, you're introvert. Do you. Are you sure you can really do this? They think people who move to a new country are usually those who are really outgoing, they're extroverted. But for me I had really different personality at that time. but I think the other part of me always know that, that I'm always a very resilient people. Even at 16 years old. especially when I decided something, I will always follow through. And so that's how I started that journey.

>> Viktoria: The journey.

After graduating from college in Shanghai, you moved to Hong Kong

Okay, so. And then how come that you moved further?

>> Tracey: Yeah, that was a good question too. So after graduating in a college in Shanghai, actually I didn't plan to go further. I actually I wanted to be in China at that time. And Then, my mom said like, you could try go somewhere else just to see what the world is like. If you don't like it again, you can always come back to China. It's a really good opportunity, especially now you're graduating. You can get a master degree somewhere else to test it out. And then I was just thinking maybe I should just try Hong Kong or Singapore because they are closer to China. It's different, but, but they're closer. So I just picked Hong Kong also, kind of by accident. Ah. What I didn't expect is after I got in Hong Kong, I really liked the city. So everything in Hong Kong is aligned with what I envisioned. And so I was really excited and I was determined to find a job after graduation. And so at that time I was also very driven, ambitious. I thought, I'm going to build really good life in Hong Kong one day. I'm going to get a high paying corporate job, achieve financial freedom. And my goal was also to get married with two kids at 30 years old.

>> Viktoria: Yes.

>> Tracey: So that's all I wanted at that time.

>> Viktoria: High goals. Yeah.

>> Tracey: Until, I was 29 years old. life took a twist and, I was going through a lot of transition that year. Went through a divorce, financial losses, death of my grandfather.

>> Viktoria: so the whole opposite of what you had planned.

>> Tracey: Yeah, exactly. And not only didn't I achieve what I planned, I also lost everything I was building up to that time. So that was really devastating for me. And so again, that triggered another relocation. At that time I just thought, I need to go somewhere else. Even just for three months. I just need a break. So. But I wasn't sure where to go. a lot of countries you need a visa to study there or work there. but then I talked to one of my friends and he just said you, you could try Canada because it's very easy to get a permanent residency. You're qualified. All you need is just three. Working experience, master degree. You speak English. I feel that was hard to believe at that time. It couldn't be so easy. But then I tried it. I did get a, permanent residency. I feel like that was a really good opportunity. So again, I just think maybe I should try it out. I give myself three months to see if it will work.

>> Viktoria: Yeah.

You chose Vancouver or Toronto because you love big cities

And so where did you land in? In Canada?

>> Tracey: at that time I had two options, either Vancouver or Toronto because I love big cities.

>> Viktoria: I thought, okay, sure, you cannot go, cannot go from Hong Kong to like, whatever, like Edmonton, something small. So you had to go like big I mean, probably also like just in comparison, Canada's bigger cities are small in comparison to Hong Kong.

>> Tracey: Absolutely. So I'm a big city person, so I thought either Vancouver or Toronto. And eventually I ended up in Vancouver because it's warmer and it's also closer to Asia. And so I chose Vancouver eventually.

When you moved from Hong Kong to Vancouver, you started a spiritual journey

>> Viktoria: Okay, so do you remember like what the greatest differences were in the beginning when you got there?

>> Tracey: Yeah, actually definitely a lot of, lot of differences. because Hong Kong is very crowded, and Vancouver has a lot of space, a lot of nature. It really gives you time to really reflect on your life. I feel like Vancouver really give me the best pace to really slow down to rediscover who I truly am. What do I truly want out of life. But when I was in Hong Kong, life was always really busy and I had a lot of distractions. I was focusing on the external world versus in Vancouver. I feel I really had that ah, space to really focus on my inner world. And that's how I started a spiritual journey that truly transformed my life.

>> Viktoria: was it also part of the different culture? Because as you said like you had like everything very career focused, like set goals in mind and then the culture coming to Canada or the Western, Western society, has not the same values.

>> Tracey: Yeah, absolutely. So before I was 30 years old, I feel like I was living for my conditioned self. So the conditioned selves is what other people expect you to be, the life you should have. so I was really like driven, ambitious. I wanted to hit my goals. I want to achieve everything that looks good on paper in terms of career, finance, relationship. And until I was going through those transitions and moved to Vancouver, I feel people there really had very different values. They focus a lot more on nature, family, relationship, community. And so that just give me a lot of space to rediscover what do I truly want, what's really meaningful for me, regardless what other people want or the societal expectations.

>> Viktoria: But that doesn't come overnight, that takes time.

>> Tracey: Yeah, absolutely. So at first I thought I was gonna stay for three months and. But eventually it turned into a four year spiritual journey. And I never planned to be there for four years, but a lot of things happened and now I look, look back, I feel like I really needed that four years because that's give me the time to complete a deep transformation.

>> Viktoria: Sure. So what does that mean for you? The spiritual journey?

>> Tracey: Yeah, that's a good question. So I think spirituality could mean different things for different people. For me it's all about how you, how you create your inner world, how you respond to your inner world. Because I feel the external world is just a reflection of your inner world. Everything in the external world is like a hologram. If we really tap to our inner world, focus on, our thoughts, our emotions, our mindset, and then eventually those things are going to manifest in the external realities. So for me, I feel like we don't want to change the reality to change how we feel. We want to change how we feel so that we can change the reality. So if we create a really rich inner world and then everything in the external world is going to align with that.

Before my trip, my relocation, I never thought I would become a coach

>> Viktoria: Okay, so and this is also then why you started working as. As a relocation coach?

>> Tracey: Yeah, definitely. Again. Ah, that was kind of also triggered by something unexpected because again, before my trip, my relocation, I was always working in finance and I never thought I would become a coach or.

>> Viktoria: Yeah.

>> Tracey: In a wellness field. but at that time, I met one of my best friends in Vancouver at a spiritual meetup group. And the first time we had a deep conversation and she just said, wow, you were really good at this. You sound like a mass therapist. And at that time, I feel. I couldn't believe it. What does that even mean? So I began to search on Google. What does a therapist, does what a therapist do? And so that just triggered my interest. I think this is interesting. I might be interested to explore more about that. And the more I explore, the more I just feel this is just my nature. I feel like it's my innate talents. Like people always come to me when they need comfort. Ever since I was a child.

>> Tracey: Uh-huh.

>> Viktoria: And so.

You transitioned from corporate to remote job when you moved to Vancouver

So in the beginning when you came to Canada, you still worked in corporate then?

>> Tracey: Yeah, so I actually transitioned from corporate to remote job when I moved from Hong Kong to Vancouver. So at that time it was, They gave me three. They also gave me three months. They didn't know whether the remote work could work. So, you wanted me to try three months? If you can make it work and then you can stay. Otherwise you will have to find other opportunities. So, yeah, that's how I transitioned from corporate to remote. And eventually that also create for me to do what I love and live anywhere in the world.

How did you find community after moving to Vancouver from Hong Kong

>> Viktoria: Okay. But also, like, that's my question. Like when you come to a new place and you work remotely and you're like, new to everything, like, how did you find community?

>> Tracey: That was a good question. So I actually, I started, networking before I even moved to Vancouver. I Talked to all my co workers in Hong Kong and they introduced me to their friends in Vancouver. but after me meeting those people in Vancouver, I feel like I still felt pretty lonely. Even though those people are really nice, friendly, but I just feel like emotionally disconnected. And then I discovered there are actually two types of loneliness. So we have the social loneliness, which means you're not being around with people, you don't have anyone to hang out with. And then we also have the emotional loneliness. So the emotional loneliness is the missing of deep connection. That means even when you are around with people, you still feel lonely because no one really knows your story, no one sees you. And then that's my turning point when I realized what I was experiencing was emotional loneliness. So I just kind of take a pulse. Instead of meeting more people, going to more networking events, I just want to really sit with myself, connect with myself. That was the first time I allow myself to just sit in silence. And that was the first time I feel this self connection. And eventually I also start to like approach other activities with an open mind. I was not searching to meet new people, I was just searching for activities I was really interested. And that's how I came across that spiritual meetup. Like I didn't expect I would meet anyone, but ultimately it led me to the best friendship I've ever had in my life. So that's my journey. Like when you least expect it, you already find the best things.

>> Viktoria: Okay, so, so it was just like so first you there and you got connected with other people that you knew through other people. But once you knew that they are not your kind of people, you just had to reset yourself and then like find your own way in.

>> Tracey: Yeah, absolutely. So I feel that's a really sacred pulse. I would call that space. This is where you feel like you kind of need to reconnect with yourself to discover what, what, what you truly want. Because again, I believe in spirituality. Before you manifest friendship relationship in the external world, you first need to be confident about who you are and you need to be clear about what you value and what lights you up. What are you passionate about. And once you get clarity on those things, and then when you go to the external world, you're going to attract like minded people. Because I think good friendship are attracted to come to your life through attraction, not through chasing.

Tracy Jiang combines relocation coaching with somatic practices

>> Viktoria: So and besides your relocation coaching, you are also a somatic practitioner. So tell me what that really means.

>> Tracey: Yeah, that's a good question. So I combine relocation coaching with somatic Practices. Somatic practice is a body based practice. So we start with the body because we believe the, the emotions, they live in our body. So often when we experience grief or loneliness, especially when we just move to a new place, we tend to overthink or analyze. We try to override those emotions. But the truth is the emotions don't disappear just because we understand them logically. The body needs to complete the cycle of activation. So in somatic healing we use breath sound movements to help our clients really process those emotions so that they can eventually release them and then they can come back to a place of regulation and clarity where they have a clear mind, open heart, a turned on intuition.

>> Viktoria: So and how do you combine this with the relocation coaching?

>> Tracey: Yeah, that's a good question. So I started my journey as a life coaching. So I help my clients with their mindset, setting goals, time management. And I did help a lot of people achieve success until at one point a lot of people, they're looking for something deeper because sometimes we don't just want success, we also want fulfillment. Something make our heart peaceful. So that's how I began to explore other modalities. What else do we need to really allow ourselves to open our hearts and so we, so that we can find a deeper place of peace within us. And then it also came to me by accident. Just one day I began to search on YouTube. I was interested to know what breath work is because I think that's a really interesting thing. I always want to understand more about that. And then I just follow a 5 minute breath work YouTube video and I within that 5m minutes I just feel my emotional state was completely elevated. This is, was the first time I feel this aliveness in my body and I feel this is so amazing. I want to learn everything about it. So I started like doing training and breath work and then that led me to somatic coaching. so yeah it's a really interesting journey. I feel it's so magical tool we can really use to really find that deeper place of fulfillment, peace and clarity.

>> Viktoria: Yeah. And how, how do people find you if they want to reach out to you?

>> Tracey: Yeah. So I have also a free ebook on on my website, it's tracyjiang.com it's all about exploring the emotional journey of relocation using SOMA healing, breath work. And yeah anyone can download that on my ebook. And I also work one on one with my clients. again it's three months program because I started my journey with just three months.

>> Viktoria: Oh it's coming back to the third, to the 90 days.

>> Tracey: Yeah, I know how much can transform can change in three months. So I, I'm super passionate about helping other people to do the same. Because even three months, a lot of things can happen and a lot of things can change.

>> Viktoria: Okay. And I make sure that people will find it in the show notes too. So there's a link to Tracy's website and on the website there's also the ebook. And also, I saw on your website also blog posts.

>> Tracey: Yeah, I did actually. I started my journey as a writer. So about, I think six or seven years ago, I just had this passion about writing. I want to share my journey with everyone. So I, I started a blog post just sharing my journey, how I moved from Hong Kong to Vancouver and that attract a lot of audience who also want to move from Asia to Canada. So that's when people began to follow me and eventually some of them became my life coaching clients. So that's how I started my journey.

>> Viktoria: Yeah, but it's also like I'm always thinking like, wow, what a big contrast. not just from the culture. No, yeah, it's from the culture, but like from your career standpoint, you know, you were like corporate and finance and now like more on the spiritual side. It's So is this, it was this also like, How was that transition for you? Yeah, because, because, Sorry. because it's probably also like it took you some time to. I don't know, to. I don't know if the, if it's the right word. Accept. Accept it or like to come to minds. To terms with it.

>> Tracey: Yeah, you just definitely click with my heart. it took me a really, really long time to come to a place where I can accept that's exactly the world and accept and surrender. Because, at the beginning I thought I was gonna build another career in Vancouver, maybe also in finance. I was gonna chase the old goals and it took me four years to come to, That's not my path. That's. Maybe that's what my mind, my ego wants. But my soul has another purpose. So it took me four years to get to that place. In between, I was going through a lot of identity shifts. Like I was. I wanted to go back to Hong Kong. At one point I thought maybe this was a mistake. I was really disappointing. But on the other hand, I. The other part of me said, you don't know yet. You just. Maybe you should just keep going. Especially I had a really good friend at that time. They give Me a lot of encouragement and support. my friend kept saying me, saying this to me, like the reason you're going through all these struggles is just so one day you can help other people who are on the same journey. And that just gave me a lot of faith. So eventually after four years, I came to a point where I make peace of the with the past. And I was also ready to move forward. And that's also how I made a decision like moving from Vancouver to Toronto because. Because I didn't really have any. A logical reason. It just felt like Vancouver has fulfilled its purpose in my life. Now it's time to move on.

>> Viktoria: Okay, so it was just. You just felt it?

Why did you choose Toronto over Vancouver or London

>> Tracey: Yeah.

>> Viktoria: Yeah. And so why did you choose Toronto?

>> Tracey: Yeah, so that was during COVID So basically the world was shut down. You cannot go anywhere else, with outside the country. So again I was m still a big city person so. Because at the beginning I had either Vancouver or Toronto and I tried Vancouver already so maybe the next is just Toronto. And I was really open and curious to see what that is, so I just chose Toronto.

>> Viktoria: And. And why is it that you only stayed there for a year?

>> Tracey: yeah, because I, I think the long term plan is I wanted to go. Go somewhere else. I feel like I, I never feel like I belong to Canada. I feel Canada served a really important purpose in my life. I learned a lot of good things. But part of me just feel like, this is. I want more of out of life. Like more than that. Like I want to explore more about the world. And deep down I knew there is somewhere else I, I can go and I want to go. It's like my soul was leading me. And so eventually when the COVID ended, one of again one of my friends just talked to me. She said each time when you talk about New York or London, you just feel like you light up. So why don't you try it? Yeah, I was thinking, yeah, maybe I should do that. Let's just try New York for three months and then maybe I could move to Europe too.

>> Viktoria: so yeah, I was just like, I wanted to say like, okay, like now you're in the biggest city, in the west. So like you cannot go bigger at least.

>> Tracey: Yeah. This is also really interesting. So I came here for three months initially. Then I thought I was going to go to Europe. But during those three months in New York, I really love it. Like I feel like I the energy was aligned with my internal world. I feel like everyone was so open, so welcoming because this Was very different from the first time I visited New York. The first time I visited was probably six, seven years ago. I was on a business trip at that time. I felt. No, this was too much. I felt a lot of stress, anxiety. I didn't like it, and I didn't imagine that I would like it a second time. I came here because I was a different person. And this goes back to the spirituality I feel when I change on the inside and the external world began to look different. And I'm really grateful that I came to New York at the right timing because I wouldn't have enjoyed it if I came here earlier.

To navigate relocation is to navigate grief. Each time you move, you experience loss

>> Viktoria: Okay, so, what is it that you like so much about New York City?

>> Tracey: Yeah, so the best thing about New York City is I feel it's the openness because there are a lot of people from all over the world and people share similar background. And so it's really easy to meet new people. There are so many events you could go, so many activities, like whatever your hobby is, you can always find, something you like. And it's so easy to talk to people as well. People are willing to share their stories. And maybe it's just my experience, but,

>> Viktoria: Was it ever. Or did you hesitate about moving somewhere else because you had to start all over again, like with making friends? Or was there something that held you back or that you doubted?

>> Tracey: Yeah, absolutely. So each time I felt. To navigate relocation is to navigate grief. Each time you move to a new place, you have to, experience loss. The loss of. Of belonging, the loss of identity, the loss of familiarity, the loss of friends, family. So that's a really, really tough experience everyone goes through when they relocate to a new place. And the loneliness, initially, you don't know anyone. You have to rebuild everything from the scratch. That is why it's so important to process those emotions. Like, a lot of times we try to override them. we try to stay busy or distract ourselves. But what I have found really powerful is to really just sit with those emotions. Give yourself the permission to feel, use your breath, use even sound movement, whatever you can do somatically to release those emotions. And then we can come back to a place where we feel more grounded. And from that place, it's a lot easier to, like, rebuild your life, whether it's building your career or meeting new people, because I feel you will attract the. Those opportunities into your life, once you work on the inside.

>> Viktoria: Okay. And, that is very helpful. but I also, because I think I always blame it on my culture. Because I'm German and I always want to know all the technicalities. So. And, and New York is just this crazy, insane, expensive place. So like, how do you start? Or like how do you, you find a place in New York that, I don't know, like it sounds so hard.

>> Tracey: Yeah, yeah, I, I get that. Definitely. So that's why I feel like I came here at ah, the right timing because I also had the opportunity to relocate to New York when I was 29 years old. @ that time I didn't like Hong Kong. And my boss said, you, if you didn't like Hong Kong, I could move you to either London or New York. but at that time I declined those opportunities. I chose Canada. Again. Financially I feel it's a lot more expensive to live in New York City or Lond. And also lifestyle is always very busy, very crowded and maybe, it's hard to meet people. Like a lot of people would have that.

>> Viktoria: Experience.

>> Tracey: Yeah. But after those five years, deep inner work in Vancouver, a lot of things have shifted. So I transitioned from corporate to remote work. And I didn't expect that remote job really, work. Well, it really helped me unlock a lot of my potential. So within those five years I was able to triple my income and eventually had the freedom to do what I love, live anywhere in the world. So that's why I feel like six years later when I moved to New York, I was a different person. whether it's financially, professionally or personally, I was in a much better place to navigate this new environment. That's why I feel a lot of time we, we probably need timing and patience to make things.

>> Viktoria: Work. Yeah, for sure. Also, like if you, you always say like, you always move at the right time, so you always kind of move when your stars are.

>> Tracey: Aligned. Mind. Yeah, yeah. So that's, I feel a lot of those decisions were guided by intuition. Again, my mind sometimes has other, decisions because the mind will always want you to maybe follow what other people do, following trends or just do. Yeah, yeah, yeah, right. the mind will want to keep you safe, but your intuition will always want to expand you. It will want you to take some risk. Maybe you don't know why. It will. You, it makes sense to make this move. But after five years, when you look back, you'll begin to understand the deeper meaning of that. And again, intuition speaks through our body. So this is also part of the somatic healing. Because a lot of times, people say we. I can't hear my intuition. I don't know, like what my intuition feels like. And that's almost because we are disconnected with our body. but once we clear the mind, get into our body, you will begin to have a feeling, felt sense, whether it's a yes or no. So your body will lead the way, will tell you whether the city is right for you, whether it's the right timing to move.

>> Viktoria: There.

When you move to new places, what is the hardest adjustment

And, for you, when you always move to, all these new places, what was always the hardest to adjust.

>> Tracey: To? That's m a really good question. I feel for me it's not culture shock or language barrier or not even loneliness. It's, disappointment again each time. Before I move to a place, I would definitely have a vision for what this new chapter look like. So before I moved to Vancouver, I thought, I'm going to build a new life there. I'm going to attract love, relationship, financial freedom, everything. And until I got there, I feel like, no, this is not what I imagined at all. The weather was tough, it was raining all the time and I couldn't meet friends and I couldn't find local job. Everything was difficult. And so it was also in those moments we often question ourselves. Did I really make a mistake? is this really the right move? so over the years, what I've learned, like, the best way to move through is to surrender. Like, really let go of how things should be, how your life should look, like. Just really trust life has a bigger plan because, when we develop the trust us, you will begin to feel a lot of peace wherever you.

>> Viktoria: Are. That is so hard though. I mean, honestly, like, how do you do that? Because like, I mean, like, isn't like your mind always like taking you back? Like, hey, don't you forget what we wanted in the first place, kind of. Or, or can you let go of.

>> Tracey: That? Yeah, that's a good question. So for a long time I was struggling with, letting go of the mind. So basically a lot of people which said you should just try meditation and then you will feel peaceful. I tried it for a long time. It didn't really work for, for me until I discovered breathwork, somatic healing. I feel this really clicks with me. It's a lot faster to really quiet mind and get into the body. And the more I practice it, the more it's easier to let go of those thoughts, maybe, with those emotions. So it's really powerful practice and basically anyone can do that just for five minutes on a daily basis and you will begin to share a, see a big.

>> Viktoria: Shift. Okay. I Can do breathing. Because like I had a few weeks ago, my, One of my guests, she also had this, technique and one point was meditation. And I can do everything from that checklist of hers. But the meditation part, it's even just so hard just to get to the point because for me it's hard to just let go of my thinking. Yeah, my my brain is moving the whole time, so. But breathing, breathing at least it's, I think that's more.

>> Tracey: Doable. Yeah, absolutely. Because meditation is kind of really challenging for a lot of people if we have a really busy mind. But then in breath work we use special breathing patterns. So this is different than the regular breathing. And sometimes we use mouth breathing so that more energy can move out of the. And so it can be more intense than meditation, but it's definitely more powerful. And so all people need is to use their breath to regulate their nervous system so that they can.

>> Viktoria: Really.

>> Tracey: Access those deeper wisdom in their body. Because then we'll begin to feel more alive, more liberated and the mind will naturally quiet.

>> Viktoria: Down.

The hardest thing about returning home after living abroad is reverse culture shock

Okay. Do you go often back to.

>> Tracey: China? Yeah, yeah, that's another good question. So I, I did. I actually go back probably once a year just to visit my family. They're still in China. I. The hardest thing about that is the something called reverse culture shock. Right. The emotional adjustments that happens when you return home after living abroad especially. I was away from home for about 22 years. So each time I go back I still experience some have a grief and. Because when you left home you realize that you will change and people also change, places change when you go home. Like nothing stays the same. It also took me some time to m. Make peace with that because I feel it's not about choosing one of the other because a lot of people have this feeling like I'm not connected to where I came from. But I also don't feel like I fully settled in this new place. Right. So in those moments, what I feel really important is that you don't have to choose one version or the other. All of them are parts of you and we want to embrace all of those parts and still honor your global identity. I feel eventually we're all global citizen. We don't have to define ourselves based on where we came from, where we are. This is really about moving from that structured sense of self to a more fluid sense of.

>> Viktoria: Self.

Acceptance is the most important step of any spiritual transformation

Since your, values now shifted a lot to the ones that you were, that you grew up with. Like, how is that for you? Like when you go back and you are like, have now like transformed your.

>> Tracey: Identity. Yeah, good question. So, at beginning, I experienced a lot of frustration. I feel like now I'm this new version of me. But then the other people, they don't.

>> Viktoria: Understand. Yeah, exactly. It's like they probably still expect you to be whatever, this powerhouse in.

>> Tracey: Corporate. Yeah. So there are a lot of disconnection at that time. I feel a lot of frustration. And it's really hard to explain that to people about what you've gone through. And so what I've learned throughout this journey is also about letting go of that need for validation from other.

>> Viktoria: People. Very.

>> Tracey: Important. Yeah. Again, I feel a lot of those other people are just a mirror of our internal state. They actually point you about where you need to heal, where you need to free yourself from. If I expect other people to give me validation, then that probably means that I need to give myself that validation. I need to give myself that compassion. If I can offer myself that understanding, that acceptance, and then it's a lot easier to accept that people don't understand you or other people have different perspective. So nowadays when I go home, I feel like, more open. Like, I feel this is, this is also like a really interesting place to be because it taught me so much about my past and who I am now. And I feel like it's easier to accept.

>> Viktoria: Okay. Okay. So it's, it's a big part of your, Yeah. Your spiritual journey that it's easier for you to accept that they don't.

>> Tracey: Accept.

>> Viktoria: Yeah. I don't know. Does it make.

>> Tracey: Sense? Yeah. Acceptance is a really like, the most important step of any transformation. acceptance doesn't mean like giving up or giving in. It's simply just you're making peace of what is. And once you make peace with that, you can come back to a place of clarity, determine what your next action is. You don't have to waste your time and energy fighting what is. You could just focus more about what you can control and then from there move forward.

>> Viktoria: Uh-huh.

Do you plan on staying long term in New York

And, one last question though. Do you plan on staying long term in New.

>> Tracey: York? to be honest, I don't know yet. I feel right now it feels like the right place to be. But I don't have a long term plan because throughout this journey, I've learned to surrender. I've learned to trust my intuition. And your intuition only tells you what feels right at this moment. So I think if I take care of this moment, the future will take care of itself. I feel when the right opportunity shows up, right? I won't know. But for now, I feel like this is where I'm meant to be, and I will continue to stay there until one day I may get another signal from the.

>> Viktoria: Universe. Yeah. Yeah. Well said. all right, thank you so much for being on my podcast. And, as I said earlier, like, all the links, to your website are in the show notes. Can you say your website one more.

>> Tracey: Time? Yeah, of course. My website is tracyjohn.com. my full name, Tracy and John. So you can also find me on, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. Is also Tracy John coaching. And, like I said, I work with people one on one for 90 days so that they can build a sense of home no matter where they are. And I'm super passionate about supporting people on the same.

>> Viktoria: Journey. Awesome. All right, thank you so.

>> Tracey: Much. Thank you for having.

>> Viktoria: Me. Yeah, that was my talk with Tracy. Ah. So check out the show notes if you want to find out more about Tracy. Her. Her link is there, but there's also, like, a few other episodes from previous seasons with, like, similar stories, so definitely always check out the show notes. You can also find my website there, my contact if you want to be a guest on my show. And also, of course, don't forget to rate this podcast if you haven't done so and tell everyone about it. Maybe you know somebody who wants to move abroad, so maybe they can listen. And while I have you here, there are also ways how to support the podcast. You can follow, please. That would be awesome. so you will never miss an episode. And then also you can rate this podcast if you even listen on Apple Podcast, you could just write a sentence. I feel like I haven't gotten any new reviews lately, so a new one would be awesome. And then also, if you feel extra generous, there is also buy me a coffee and you find the link to that one in the show notes as.

Well. Right. But that's it, and I hope you have a nice week until then

>> Tracey: Well. All.

>> Viktoria: Right. But that's it, and I hope you have a nice week until then. Okay, see you soon.