The reality has been that the Swedish relatives have remained healthy while Mrs Hansson has made four unplanned trips to her native Australia for family emergencies. Being far away and unprepared for crises back home raises questions, evokes strong emotion and involves decisions that make dealing with family emergencies amongst the most difficult of expatriate experiences. So when something bad happens to someone we love we are likely to become highly stressed and overwhelmed. Time differences make reaching doctors or other family members difficult which can render the information we receive as incomplete or inaccurate. When we call we wonder if it is the right time.
Distance also increases our sense of helplessness and fear.
Guilt is frequent as we may blame ourselves for being so far away when others are suffering at home. We may also face the brunt of the anger and frustration of relatives who are left to cope at home. We feel isolated by distance and may also believe that we shouldn't burden people with our troubles, or we feel that we don't have a friend in our host country that we know well enough to talk to. Loved ones in need raises questions about the choice to live abroad. Then there is the impact on your immediate family.