A Portable Identity: A Woman's Guide to Maintaining a Sense of Self While Moving Overseas, Revised Edition (Paperback)

by Debra R. Bryson (Author), Charise M. Hoge (Author) "To some, life as an expatriate spouse compares to a modern-day fairy tale..." (more)
Key Phrases: seeking out external activities, highlight these descriptions, out internal activities, The Wheel, Identity Before the Decision, The Effect of the Decision (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"A Portable Identity belongs in the personal library of every expat: it is a definite "must-buy"!" -- Jan Fischer Bachman, Managing Editor, Foreign Service Lifelines, Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide

"Unique workbook…to get back that person (yourself) you feel you may have lost in the move." -- Donna Ayerst, FLO Publications Coordinator, U.S. Department of State

"not just about coping with change, but how to get back that person (yourself) you feel you may have lost" -- Donna Ayerst, FLO Publications Coordinator, U.S. Department of State

"…A Portable Identity goes to the heart of the dilemma women face once abroad." -- Valerie Scane, Editor of Families in Global Transition’s Website, Writer and Speaker of Expatriate Issues

"…I wish I had this book when I made my first move!" -- Robin Pascoe, The Expat Expert, Author of Four Best-Selling Books on Expatriate Life

"…this carefully crafted book…gently guides the reader toward a knowledge of herself…to be comfortable in any environment." -- David R. Shlim, M.D., Medical Director, Jackson Hole Travel and Tropical Medicine, Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Product Description
A Portable Identity, revised and updated edition, is written by two former expatriate spouses who are also counselors. The book educates and empowers expatriate spouses to take charge of the changes in identity that occur during an international relocation. The most profound change a woman will experience when she moves overseas in support of her husband’s career comes from within herself, to her own sense of identity. With two, three, or more years of an overseas assignment, a woman faces the formidable task of creating a life for herself in an unfamiliar country. Unlike any other book about overseas living, this book explains with clarity, candor and compassion, how each stage of the move affects a woman’s identity.

A Portable Identity is an interactive book with practical exercises and inspiring stories. It is designed to be a companion and guide for the woman who wants to know how her identity is affected at each stage of the move, from pre-departure to arrival, and while living overseas. The book also explains why the thoughts and feelings she may experience as an expatriate spouse are normal within the context of so much change, and how she can use the steps of The Wheel to shape her identity in a way that honors her sense of self while living in a foreign country and culture, as well as during repatriation.

A Portable Identity is essential reading for military, corporate, non-governmental organization, missionary, and foreign service spouses. By learning how to take charge of change, a spouse can make choices for a happier and more meaningful life overseas. The result is a more successful transition to life abroad and a more "portable" identity that can thrive away from home.

A Portable Identity is also a valuable resource for professionals, including human resource managers, international relocation specialists, employee assistance professionals and therapists. The book provides them with critical information that they can utilize to better assist the accompanying spouse during an international move.

Product Details

• Paperback: 268 pages
• Publisher: Transition Press International; Revised edition (August 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976568209
• ISBN-13: 978-0976568209
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #517,474 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Portable Identity: A Woman's Guide to Maintaining a Sense, June 28, 2004

By	J (Washington, D.C) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Portable Identity: A Woman's Guide to Maintaining a Sense of Self While Moving Overseas (Paperback)

Anyone ever to encounter and navigate the endless and exhaustive details involved with moving and living overseas will appreciate the meticulous care and thought that went into this primer. The exercises and for planning for and understanding the different stages, emotions and thought processes that accompany such a move are terrific, not just for the move itself, but for a very effective and smooth assimilation of this kind of life-changing experience.
I will be giving this one to many of my friends who are also contemplating living and working overseas.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comments from a former expatriate wife, January 16, 2004

By	Tracy E. Garringer - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Portable Identity: A Woman's Guide to Maintaining a Sense of Self While Moving Overseas (Paperback)

Like many other women who accompany their husbands overseas, I started to think I was going crazy! But, after attending a workshop facilitated by the authors, I realized what I was feeling was completely normal. By using the skills and exercises that Debra and Charise illustrate in their book, you can get back on your feet and transition into your new lifestyle overseas.
Tracy Garringer, Former US Embassy Expatriate Wife
Bangkok, Thailand

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Should be on every expat's book list!, February 17, 2006

By	Margaret E. Sondey (Mexico) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Even though I didn't have any apparent serious difficulty with adjusting to my first expat experience, working through this book provided amazing insights to what had helped me as well as revealed some unknown areas where I needed to do some internal re-evaluation.

This is an exceptional tool that should be given to every expat woman (first time OR long time) by corporate HR departments or government agencies as soon as an expat assignment is anticipated. Although you can work through some sections as soon as you learn about an expat assignment, you will gain just as much even if you begin after moving... or years into your expat experience!

Working through "A Portable Identity" you feel as if you are in a small group discussion with Debra and Charise (the authors). By honestly sharing their own experiences and feelings, it enables the reader/writer to jumpstart her own evaluations. Especially for an expat in a location where there may not be many other support mechanisms, this is an invaluable tool.