Feb 5, 2024
One of the most common misconceptions about international relocation is that experience automatically makes the next move easier.
People often assume that seasoned expatriates, especially those who have spent years living across multiple countries, transition seamlessly into each new destination. But the reality is that every country presents its own unique challenges, and some destinations require a very different kind of adjustment.
India is one of them.
As beautiful, vibrant, culturally rich, and deeply rewarding as India can be, relocating here is often an experience unlike any other. Even for individuals and families who have spent years as expatriates across Asia, China, Central America, and other parts of the world, India can be unexpectedly intense in ways that are difficult to fully prepare for.
The practical aspects alone can feel overwhelming in the early days. Navigating housing, schooling, food preferences, medical support, transportation, documentation, and the countless nuances of everyday life can be demanding enough. Layer onto that the cultural recalibration, the sensory intensity, the pace, the unpredictability, and the emotional fatigue that often accompanies major transitions, and it becomes clear why settling into India requires more than just logistical support.
It requires trust, local insight, emotional reassurance, and a support system that understands both the practical and deeply human side of relocation.
That is why this testimonial from Elena Petevi and Frank Kleinegris, former VP, Head of Finance GSC at Maersk during his tenure in Pune, is especially meaningful.
What stands out in their words is not simply appreciation for relocation support, but an honest reflection of what many expatriate families quietly experience during international moves, even those who are highly experienced global citizens.
As they shared:
“Before moving to India, we had been expats for 15 years in Asia, China and Central America. Despite the fact that we had previously travelled and explored India extensively, there was still a significant shock moving to and settling here.
Nothing prepares you for the challenges in India.
The on-and-off availability of common foods you are used to, the constant calibrating for food safety in restaurants, online food shopping, supermarkets, the congestion, noise and pollution, as well as the cultural differences one has to constantly navigate can take their toll, especially in the early days of the move.
India is beautiful with amazing ancient culture, sights, and nature. It can also be brutal on one's energy and sensibilities.
Everything Expats team, with Loveena at the helm, cushions the shocks and evens out many of the lows of moving to India. They provide sensible, pragmatic advice for managing day-to-day living, be it accommodation, food shopping, medical requirements, or schooling.
They also provide a hand to hold and a shoulder to cry on and leave you with both relief and renewed energy to enjoy the best that the country can offer.
Additionally, they provide access to a network of other expats which enables settling in through building relationships and friendships faster than it could otherwise have been.
If we had to do the move to India again, we would not hesitate to go with Everything Expats. In all our expat years we have not come across a relocation company that is truly with you in the way Everything Expats are.”
Elena Petevi & Frank Kleinegris
(2022-2025)
There is a phrase in this testimonial that stays with me: “Nothing prepares you for the challenges in India.”
And while every relocation journey is deeply personal, there is truth in acknowledging that successful relocation is not just about preparation, paperwork, or operational efficiency.
It is about adaptation.
It is about emotional resilience.
It is about having the right support system when expectations and reality do not always align.
At Everything Expats, our work in global mobility, expatriate relocation, destination services, and settling-in support has always gone beyond process management. Yes, we help with executive relocation, housing search, school placement support, healthcare navigation, banking, utilities, cultural orientation, and practical settling-in services. But the real work is often in helping families find stability, perspective, and confidence while navigating an unfamiliar environment.
For organisations bringing international professionals into India, this is an important reminder.
Relocation success is not measured simply by whether an employee arrives.
It is measured by whether they settle well, adapt sustainably, and feel supported enough to thrive.
To Elena and Frank, thank you for your honesty, trust, and beautifully candid words. Testimonials like these matter because they speak to the realities of expatriate life in a way polished corporate messaging never can.