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About

Hi there! I'm Whitney- a deep rooted, small town gal unexpectedly turned expat. I'm here to help you navigate the rollercoaster of living abroad. And what a ride it is! If your adventurous spirit is ready to tackle your new life with bravery, grace, and grit...then you're in the right place! I am so glad you are here.

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Birkenau

expatactually

In 24hrs, I will be deleting all of my social chan

In 24hrs, I will be deleting all of my social channels for Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, including all personal and professional pages. We are all healthy, happy, and loving life. Honestly in one of the best places we’ve ever been as a family! 🥰 But for deeply personal reasons, I will be deleting social media.

If you would like to continue following us, sign up for the newsletter on my website. I will be putting a lot more energy into that space and doing an overhaul in the new year 💜 #linkinbio ☝️

https://expatactually.com/subscribe/

If you are in The Encouraging Expat group I created on FB, don’t fret! We will continue on. I will send a separate message soon.

There is also a ‘contact me’ page if you would like to reach out. Or you can send an old fashioned text or email 🤗 Love ya! 💋💋

...and one last pic of our precious, German village 🎄

🎄 Day 16! 🎄 This one can be tough, but you

🎄 Day 16! 🎄

This one can be tough, but you are tougher. Influences of the world can be heavy.

“I need those shoes. The newest phone. Everyone has a side hustle, a 3,000 sq ft home, and vacations in the Caribbean. I am not worthy if I don’t have all.the.things.”

Ugh.

Pray. Take time to listen. He will renew your mind. Prove that YOU are worthy, and reveal His plan for your life. Piece by piece. Step by tiny step.

There is a perfectly fine tuned plan for you. Not your brother, sister, neighbor, or BFF from first grade...YOU 🤗

🙏 Trust God & Trust His Plan 🙏

🎁 Want the fully interactive Advent Calendar?
🎁 Bible verse + mini devotion will appear for each day leading up to Christmas.
🎁 Click #linkinbio ☝️

LIKE it? SHARE it!

#tistheseason #faithoverfear #lovewhatmatters #boymomma #anxiety #quotestoliveby #wordstoliveby #havehope #faithhopelove #selfcare #prayerful #romans122 #dailybibleverse #adventskalender #lifeabroad #lifeingermany #christmasiscoming #expatlife #prayerfirst #butfirstjesus #itsbeginningtolookalotlikechristmas #morningdevotional #dailydevotional #christianmomma #tckmomma #deutschland #momsonamission #raisingarrows #handmade

“Sit With Those Feelings” Are you familiar wi

“Sit With Those Feelings”

Are you familiar with the phrase? It took me back to last year at a Christmas market when we had walked and walked and walked. And my little guy was OVER IT. He was tired. He wanted to be held. To be comforted. He wanted nothing else further to do with anything Christmasy. I felt it necessary to revisit that moment for today, here in Germany 😔

My super upbeat self has had a few reality checks today as we started official hard lockdown round two. We’ve been in a light lockdown for two months, but today took us allll the way back to March 😕

Everything has been shut down and closed, except for grocery stores, pharmacies, banks, and post offices. And while it’s not necessarily the end of the world, I would be lying if I said it didn’t feel that way at times during the previous lockdown.

We will all be fine... at home, safe, and warm; it’s the fact of having someone telling you - “no, you can’t.” And it makes me sad. Some get angry; I feel like the wind has been knocked out of my sails 💨

I’m a HUGE people person 🙌 Not being able to see friends at the gym, church, and kid’s activities was hard. But now, not seeing friends at all is tough, and then (eventually) seeing how glum my kids will be not seeing their friends...it just hurts my heart. And even having went through this in the spring doesn’t make it any better. Sure- there are ways to prep, and I know in time it will pass. But for now, I’m going to sit with my feelings.

Like my littlest last year...
I’m OVER IT. I’m tired. I want to be held. I want to be comforted. I want nothing else further to do with anything of this year.

♥️Sending love to everyone, especially if you are re-entering spring déjà vu 2020 ♥️

#practiceselfcare #knowyourlimits #setboundaries #lovethyneighbor #thistooshallpass #thethrillofhope #faithoverfear #christmasmarkets #shutdown #lockdown #homeschool #homeschoolhelp #itiswellwithmysoul #buildingresilience #strongmomma #superwoman #familymatters #themostimportantwork #reevaluate #butfirstjesus #sitwiththosefeelings #sitwithyourfeelings #itsokaytonotbeokay #takeaday #dayofrest #soulful #prayerful #thistooshallpass #whatisyourmountain #momlifebelike

🎄 Day 15! 🎄 No matter your age- youth to e

🎄 Day 15! 🎄

No matter your age- youth to elderly, folks are looking up to you! People have great admiration for your life. How you carry yourself. The friends you keep. The career you are chasing. The choices you make. Someone is always watching. You.matter.

🎁 Want the fully interactive Advent Calendar?
🎁 Bible verse + mini devotion will appear for each day leading up to Christmas.
🎁 Click #linkinbio ☝️

LIKE it? SHARE it!

#tistheseason #faithoverfear #lovewhatmatters #boymomma #anxiety #quotestoliveby #wordstoliveby #havehope #faithhopelove #selfcare #prayerful #1timothy412 #dailydevotional #dailybibleverse #adventskalender #lifeabroad #lifeingermany #christmasiscoming #itsbeginningtolookalotlikechristmas #morningdevotional #christianmomma #tck #tckmomma #deutschland #momsonamission #messymotherhood

...and sometimes it doesn’t take an entire Chris

...and sometimes it doesn’t take an entire Christmas Market to being about magic ✨

When you meet a tree ornament larger than your head, savoring the moment happens without a second thought ♥️

Just remember to take a little time and let it all sink in. The music and chatter of folks zooming about, the delicious smells of sweet roasted nuts, the warm taste of mulled wine, and if all else fails...gazing at the wonder in the Christmas tree will definitely do the trick 😉

Savoring the moment is my favorite, but sometimes near impossible with heavy tasks. But man, I’m glad God gave me these little boys and the ability to experience the world through their eyes 😍

#merrychristmas #savorthemoment #thetimeisnow #childlikewonder #childhood #memories #freezetime #slowdown #mybaby #pleasedontgrowup #innocenceofachild #christmasmarkets #europelifestyle #bestill #bestillandknow #bestillandknowthatiamgod #everygoodandperfectgiftisfromabove #throughtheeyesofachild #taketime #letthembelittle

🎄 Day 14! 🎄 Your life has purpose. Meaning

🎄 Day 14! 🎄

Your life has purpose. Meaning. A GRAND plan interwoven by God himself. The tapestry of our lives runs deep. Smiling at our neighbor while collecting the mail or the simple act of picking up our kids from school makes more of a difference to others than we realize. Go about your day knowing that you matter, and the impact you carry on the lives of others is more than you’ll ever know. The ‘behind the scenes’ work is something else 🙌

🎁 Want the fully interactive Advent Calendar?
🎁 Bible verse + mini devotion will appear for each day leading up to Christmas.
🎁 Click #linkinbio ☝️

LIKE it? SHARE it!

#tistheseason #faithoverfear #lovewhatmatters #boymomma #anxiety #quotestoliveby #wordstoliveby #havehope #faithhopelove #selfcare #prayerful #dailybibleverse #adventskalender #lifeabroad #americanmommas #boymomma #educator #morningdevotional #christianmomma #truthbombs #dailydevotional #deutschland #momsonamission #raisingarrows #believeinyourself #godhasaplan #divinepurpose #keepthefaith #expatlife #mywhy

✨Look up once in awhile; you might miss the magi

✨Look up once in awhile; you might miss the magic swirling above ✨🧸

❄️ We had heard wonderful things about the Christmas market in Strasbourg, but it was hard to believe. If you look closely, you can see those hearty snowflakes gently falling ❄️

🌹 Not only are the teddy bears magical holiday decor, but the entire village is incredible. I kept expecting Belle to pop around the corner at any moment searching for Beast 🌹

💫 It’s truly that incredible 💫

Have a Scrooge in your home? This place is for them! That childlike wonder will usher across their face in no time. Swipe ➡️ to see.

@expatactually

#strasbourgeoise #strasburg #christmasbear #christmasdecor #windowdecor #pictureperfect #lookupmore #savorthemoment #snowfairy #visitalsace #letirebouchon #fullofwonder #wanderlust #motivationmonday #traveltuesday #familieswhotravel #roadtripeurope #travellingthroughtheworld
#luxuryworldtraveler
#takemyhearteverywhere #thethrillofhope #europestyle_france #europe_moments #hotspotbucketlist #iamtb #damestravel #igtravel #shotoftheday #swoon #magicalfairytale

🎄 Day 13! 🎄 We constantly preach this to o

🎄 Day 13! 🎄

We constantly preach this to our kids. “He hit me. He pushed me. He stole my toy.” Ugh. But even in our adult life, this holds true. Think of how you felt when someone was rude or ugly to you. How did it make you feel? Let go of bitterness, anger, and jealousy. If a person accidentally bumps you while shopping or doesn’t see the green light right away, don’t huff or honk your horn. Take a deep breath and let it pass. Think before you act and treat others with decency and respect. We have no idea the troubles they might be facing.

🎁 Want the fully interactive Advent Calendar?
🎁 Bible verse + mini devotion will appear for each day leading up to Christmas.
🎁 Click #linkinbio ☝️

LIKE it? SHARE it!

#tistheseason #faithoverfear #lovewhatmatters #boymomma #anxiety #quotestoliveby #wordstoliveby #havehope #faithhopelove #selfcare #prayerful #matthew712 #dailybibleverse #adventskalender #lifeabroad #lifeingermany #christmasiscoming #itsbeginningtolookalotlikechristmas #morningdevotional #christianmomma #womenoffaith #dailydevotional #deutschland #momsonamission

🎁 Christmas Magic 🎁 As my Christmas market

🎁 Christmas Magic 🎁

As my Christmas market tour continues, I had to take a moment to highlight this gem ✨

It wasn’t staged. We didn’t have on matching outfits. We didn’t get there at 5am to snap that perfect photo sans crowds. And we for sure as heck didn’t hire a professional photographer. No. No. No.

Are any of those ideas wrong? Nope, not at all! But I will tell you, my five year old captured pure JOY 🤩

A quick zoom to see my face says it all 🥰

There are dozens of tourists surrounding us. A man scarfing down his lunch (directly behind us). A lady waiting on the bus (to the left). A couple taking a selfie (to the right)...complete with selfie stick 📸

We are spontaneous. Super extroverted. Lover of experiences. I mean, he scooped me up, full hot coffee in hand, and had our five year old capture the moment in front of the 🎄

This was taken three days before Christmas on a last minute road trip to France. Seeing it today took the wind out of my sails 😔

Everything encompassing this spontaneity has been put on hold until further notice. But it did take me back to a happy memory and made me thankful for a fun-loving husband, healthy boys, and travel experiences 🌍

What is your spontaneous travel moment?? Share your happy below👇

#spontaneousadventures #joyfulmoments
#photoshootideas #takemeback #lovemyhusband #wildandfree #extrovertedintrovert #christmasmarket #strasbourgchristmasmarket #strasbourgmylove #pictureperfect #traveltheworldwithme #worthit #wheretonext #couplegoals #starbucks #christmascups #tourism #visitfrance #christianmom #christianwife #writersofig #joyeuxnoël #writersgonnawrite #seizetheday #savorthemoment #butcoffeefirst #thankyoujesus #goeverywhere #seeingisbelieving

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