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KATHY TAKES ACTIVE ACTION BY FINDING HER BALANCE AND PURPOSE IN DENMARK
BORN IN POLAND, KATHY BORYS SIDDIQUI HAS GARNERED A WEALTH OF MULTI-CULTURAL EXPERIENCES FROM LIVING IN TWO CONTINENTS, FOUR COUNTRIES, AND EIGHT CITIES. TODAY, KATHY IS REALISING HER DREAM, HELPING INTERNATIONALS MAKE A SMOOTHER TRANSITION TO LIFE ABROAD. IN THE PROCESS, SHE HAS CREATED ACTIVE ACTION, A CONSULTANCY FOCUSING ON PROVIDING TOOLS AND SOLUTIONS FOR A HASSLE-FREE TRANSITION, RELOCATION, AND RETENTION.
PHOTOGRAPHS CÉLINE MARTIN-PEDERSEN
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KATHY BORYS SIDDIQUI - a confessed global nomad and now a permanent resident in Denmark, is no stranger to crossing new frontiers. She has been doing it since she was eight years old — an only-child to progressive parents – mum, a lawyer, and dad, a rock band manager. Kathy’s childhood, as she knew it, was uprooted when her family left Poland as political refugees. Her family’s immigration to Germany came at the end of the Polish Marshall Law, a period that saw a significant immigration of Poles to the West. In Germany, and later in the USA, her family faced the reality of integration: learning a new language, culture shock, and nostalgia for the life left behind. To their credit, Kathy’s parents fostered in her an attitude of appreciation and openmindedness. “My parents instilled in me a deep appreciation for opportunities and the life we were able to create for ourselves. They were also always very open and welcoming to people of different backgrounds, and especially all my friends.”
SEPTEMBER 2019 - WWW.THE-INTL.COM
TEXT JUDY WANJIKU JØRGENSEN
Indeed, there is something about Kathy’s personable character that feels intentional, as if she is a total sum of her multicultural upbringing, destined even, to be a cross-cultural ambassador, to bear with poise the privilege and burden of carving out life abroad.
NOSTALGIA FOR A LIFE LEFT BEHIND Kathy has first-hand experience with the power of nostalgia. Having lived in the USA for twelve years, she learnt to play the cards life dealt with her. “When I graduated from high school, I had this strong feeling that I didn’t want to live in the USA anymore. I was very grateful for the opportunity of living in the USA; it shaped me into who I am – a global citizen – and how I approach things. But I wanted to return to Poland and experience life as a re-pat.” With conviction and clarity, Kathy decided to leave the USA and set off back to Po-