About me
Once upon a time, there was a little girl who yearned to discover the world. Her dad, on the other hand, preferred to (re)discover 'places we've been to before'. So the little girl waited patiently until she grew older. Meanwhile, she read.
The little girl was me.
At university, I discovered anthropology, the idea that everything could be different and that nothing is as 'normal' as you think. I never looked back, but went on to earn a cand. polit in social anthropology. My thesis, Expatriate Life, discusses highly skilled migrants in the Sultanate of Oman, analyzing the lives and identity struggles of highly skilled corporate expat partners from a post-colonial perspective.
The first text I published was about the souq in Mattrah, Oman. My thesis advisor, Professor Ang Nga Longva, read it and commented that she 'really liked it and looked forward to reading many more articles in the future' - no editor's comment has ever made me feel prouder. I kept on writing.
I've spent the last 20 years living, loving, learning, and writing in India, Oman, Syria, Malaysia, and Norway. I have written travel pieces and features, interviews, and research-based articles. I trained as a writer with Jo Parfitt; author, mentor, and publisher at Summertime Publishing, and contributed to the book Insights and Interviews from the 2017 Families in Global Transition Conference. I produced all content for Shell Norway's Outpost website, worked as a contributing editor with Ahlein magazine in Damascus, was head of the GCC section of award-nominated web magazine The Turban Times, and have delivered articles to Pink Jinn, Destinations, and Life in Norway.
Storytelling is a powerful tool in creating a more open and empathic world. Through our stories, we connect and learn about each other.
Writing allowed me to work despite holding a family dependency visa stamped 'not allowed to work' and officially being the accompanying partner in my husband's global career.
Supporting dual career opportunities in global mobility is incredibly important to me. I now work as a program manager with Norway's largest mentor program for skilled internationals, Sammen om en jobb.
Nothing makes me happier than knowing that sharing my experiences and the knowledge and resources I have collected over the years can help someone maintain international dual careers.
Indeed, one of the loveliest messages I've ever received at work was this one:
"Thank you for advising me to think about what I was doing with my career after our move to Norway and for sharing that you wished someone had given you the same advice on your first move. It made me reconsider my options, focus more on myself, and not give up my career because my husband moved for his. I found a role I can do remotely from Norway and it's a promotion from my last job. Thank you so much for your guidance and honesty - it made a huge difference to me."
You can reach me on LinkedIn