In thrilling stories, the call to adventure follows. The hero realizes that a great adventure may be within reach. There is something in the air: a sense of significance and departure, as if he were part of something bigger. He begins to pay closer attention—and recognizes the first signs calling him out of his everyday life.
In the film…
In Star Wars: Episode IV, this happens when the two rebel robots R2D2 and C3PO fall into Luke Skywalker’s hands and he sees the mysterious message from Princess Leia – addressed to Obi-Wan Kenobi. The minor character in the history of the galaxy can now become a major player.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGwszApFEcY]
In the life of an expat…
In real life, too, the call to adventure often comes unexpectedly. An employee who has been selected for an assignment is suddenly faced with a barrage of things to do. Legal and contractual issues need to be clarified, matters at home need to be sorted out, and family and friends need to be prepared for the new phase of life with understanding and confidence.
We have all heard about cultural differences and the resulting challenges they present for productive cooperation. It is also clear that settling into a new city, a new country, and a new culture does not happen overnight.
The support…
Our hero’s awareness begins to expand: he reads articles about the host country, seeks advice from colleagues, listens to podcasts, and searches YouTube. The problem lies more in prioritizing the many things that need to be done before the assignment. What sets in is not a lack of interest but rather feeling overwhelmed by the complexity.
The sheer volume of new information – much of it confusing and outside the usual way of thinking – heralds the next stage: there is resistance to dealing with the challenge in its entirety. There is an urgent desire to reduce complexity and not expose oneself to the entire change – which has so far only been anticipated.
