Hello there!

As term time starts to end, it's that special time of year that Mums Abroad love and dread in equal measure. The Holidays! Yes, there's a joyous leap (preferably under blue skies and next to a shallow sea!). Yes, there's a sense of space in the day as the term time routine stutters to a halt. And YES there are exciting plans for family time and funtime just awaiting to be ignited. It's the start of a special time where memories are made, of course it is.

Yet, there's a part of us which knows that this is also the end of something important. The end of a stage, of a routine we've finally got the hang of, the end of a way of life which, although it was always going to be temporary, we'd got kind of attached to in some way. Well, I know I did anyway. I knew where I was supposed to be and when, I knew which daughter came home early on which day (well, actually, I never did quite get to grips with that one).

And this is the time where our community shifts around us once more, as some of our precious friends move on, and leave a coffee/walk/shoulder to cry on/someone who makes you laugh uncontrollably shaped hole behind them. Sadly it's inevitable, and inevitably there's sadness to be shared - despite all the possibilities of keeping in touch, we can feel these holes in our lives for a long time, such is the importance of friendship abroad.

It's a time of adjustment, of transition, and ultimately, of preparing for a new phase in everyone's life - yes, yours included! Roots and Wings this issue offers you a little challenge with support to help you Shake up Your Summer!

Safe Travels and wishing you happy summer times with your families,
And if you are one of those precious friends moving on - BON COURAGE, take heart, and good luck! XXX

Kirstin
www.alivetochange.com
www.facebook.com/alivetochange - I'll be posting Shake it Up inspiration through the summer!!

PS I have now created a separate Facebook page with a focus on my work for working Mums - www.facebook.com/beyondthejugglingact - check it out! This is where I'll share the coaching circles and Beyond the Juggling Act workshop dates as well as ideas, inspiration and resources.

What joyful moments do you remember of summers past? If you did a google search on my memory with keywords childhood and summer, here's the top three that would come out (taking off the sponsored links at the top, of course!).

1. Cleaning my bike on the back steps, aged 12ish. I have no idea why this comes out as so strong. I used to cycle everywhere and was incredibly proud of my bike. So much so that after a bike ride, I would clean it and took great care to get the bits between the spokes nice and shiny. But what I remember is a particular occasion of sitting on my step (there was one that my dad built a K into) with my bike upside down and polishing away. I just remember having a completely happy, content, joyful feeling inside, a sense of having everything I needed in that moment.

2. Playing in the garden after dance class on a Saturday morning. The cuckoos were cuckooing and a friend was round, she was a really fast runner and we raced up and down the lawn, I lost many times! I might have been 8 or 9. I remember listening to those birds and feeling happy because it was a sunny day.

3. Sitting on a little island setting our "spanish armada" of shells off to sea and them bombing them with stones. The water was totally clear and you could see right to the bottom as the shells danced their way down. I was there with my brother and my sister. It was the first day of our holidays and I can still tune into the feeling of time stretching out before us, the promise of endless days swimming in those clear seas laying ahead of us.

What feelings come up when you google your own best childhood summer memories? Relive those joyful moments and see how you feel inside! ENJOY your trip down memory lane.

Shake up your Summer!

What would you like to reach for this summer? Summer time is the perfect time to shake things up a little - or a lot!

When a change of environment, pace, or routine is forced upon us, we have an opportunity to try something new and different in our lives. It doesn't feel like a big risk, it's just "to see". We can let ourselves experiment, after all, we're on holiday.

What is it you'd really like to test out? What would you give a go, if noone else was watching? What kind of fun are you imagining right now?

Have you ever, like me, encouraged your child to try something new? "Go on, it'll be FUN!" we call. And sometimes it is! How many of those fun things have you tried yourself?

Is there a new challenge you'd like to set yourself? What small step could you take towards this? Watch out! You may surprise yourself!

Or what might happen if you just tested out something new?

* clothes / food / book
* way of responding to something / way of looking at something / way of organising your furniture
* conversation / connection
* rhythm of your day / routine

Go on - it all counts. Shaking up your summer just means being on the look out for an opportunity to change something in your life. As tiny as this might be, it is often these little tweaks that lead us into making bigger and bigger shifts in our life.

And if you shake up your summer - what might your children learn from this too?

Ever been curious about how coaching can change your life? Just contact me on kirstin@alivetochange.com for your free exploratory session!

I am starting Exploratory Sessions from 13th August onwards for 1-1 Coaching - I have room for more talented women living abroad who really want to LOVE their lives out here, or whereever they are! I work on the phone/skype too - so if you have moved on and want help finding ways to feel settled, just let me know when the time is right!

If you know anyone who could benefit from coaching right now, please do forward them this newsletter.

ALL MY AUTUMN EVENTS ARE NOW ON FACEBOOK: Autumn Events at Alive to Change

www.alivetochange.com
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