When Chaos Moves In
Lessons From a Surprise Move
In November of 2017, I packed up my two kitties, a couple of suitcases, and moved to Stockholm for a new job and what I hoped would be a grand adventure.
For the first couple of months, I lived in corporate housing above the mall in Kista. (Yes, Swedes. The Galleria. You can laugh.) And then, just after the New Year, I finally moved into a beautiful apartment in one of those neighborhoods where people say, “That’s a good street.”
Box after box arrived and I remember standing in the middle of that space thinking, “Maybe this is it. Finally life can get started here.” At the very least, I could finally wear something other than the one suitcase of clothes I’d been living in for eight weeks.
But the very next morning, as I was starting to unpack, I got a call from my boss. He said he wanted to talk about an opportunity. On a video chat, he asked me if I’d be open to moving to Berlin.
The rest of the conversation is a blur, but I remember the feeling in my body. My nervous system went into total overwhelm. I had barely had twelve hours to enjoy the relief of feeling like I’d arrived before I was being asked to leave.
Over the following days, the rest of the executive team brought it up too. I planned a trip to Berlin because honestly, I’d never been and it felt strange to say yes to a place I didn’t know. Eventually, I lived between the two cities for a while, before moving to Berlin permanently in July of 2018.
I usually say I “lived” in Stockholm with air quotes. Did I really live there? Hard to say. What I know is that those months felt like total upheaval.
It was difficult. It was stressful. I was tired and stretched thin. But that uninvited, unexpected conversation on a cold January morning changed the trajectory of my life in ways I couldn't have planned. The years that followed in Berlin were full of challenges, growth, relationships, and healing. I was broken open. And I became more of myself in the process.
What About You?
Life doesn’t always wait for you to get settled. Sometimes you finally exhale, take off your coat, and then life walks in and says, “Actually, we’re going again.”
As a coach, I often work with people who are deep in these moments. A surprise layoff. A diagnosis. A relocation. A breakup. Something they didn’t choose that showed up anyway.
And here’s what I know. Not all chaos is bad. Some of it comes bearing gifts. Not right away. But eventually.
So here’s a question I’ll leave you with:
What unexpected moment in your life might have opened a door, even if it felt like it was slamming one shut?
Have a great week!
Leah