Shows
Round Trip Stories70 | At the Peak of His Career: Phil's Stories in ChinaOur guest today is Professor Phil, teacher educator and mentor who moved to China to work with international schools. At 50 years old, it was finally the right timing for him and his wife and youngest son to make the move that had been in their hearts for decades. He left his U.S. professor post to become the director of teacher development for a multi-site international school consortium.https://lifeplusworldwide.com/ See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at roundtripstories.com. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on facebook and instagram!
2025-11-1931 min
Round Trip Stories69 | Applying All That She Learned: Carolina's Return Stories to El SalvadorWelcome back to Part 2 of our interview with Carolina Baiza, eco-hotel owner and sustainability entrepreneur from El Salvador. After fifteen years of traveling to study in Europe and then representing El Salvador in trade and world fairs, she decided to settle down and stay put in her home country. Listen to how Carolina took what she learned from her networks abroad and grew the sustainability model for her Arbol de Fuego hotel, where she also grew deeper roots in her community. Learn more here about Carolina’s Eco-Hotel in El Salvador: Árbol de Fuego.See phot...
2025-11-0530 min
Round Trip Stories68 | Sustainable Trade: Carolina's Stories from the World Fair CircuitOur guest today is Carolina Baiza, eco-hotel and sustainability entrepreneur from El Salvador. When visiting her brother in Germany, she noticed that the El Salvador World Fair booth had no representative. She volunteered to run it and before she knew it, she earned scholarships in Germany and Italy to study how to run trade exhibitions for her country. For fifteen years Carolina ran her hotel in-country and at the same time created fair exhibitions to represent El Salvador across the world.Carolina’s Eco-Hotel in El Salvador: Árbol de fuegoSee photos of our guests and...
2025-10-2934 min
Round Trip Stories67 | Keeping Connected to the World: Ken’s Return Stories to the U.S. and BeyondWelcome back to Part 2 of our interview with Dr. Ken Martens Friesen, professor of history and international studies and coordinator of the global education program at Fresno Pacific University. Ken grew up in India and continued to go abroad throughout his life. In this episode, Ken shares about his return to the U.S. as a ten year old and feeling like people looked at him like an alien. Time helped him adjust to the U.S., and once he was done with university he was overseas again working in a school in Lesotho, a refugee camp in Lebanon...
2025-10-1529 min
Round Trip Stories66 | Independence, Diversity, and Just Enough Support: Ken's Stories from Boarding School in IndiaOur guest today is Dr. Ken Martens Friesen, professor of history and international studies and coordinator of the global education program at Fresno Pacific University. Ken grew up in India and continues to go abroad throughout his life. Ken’s parents were missionaries from the United States, and he attended Kodaikanal International School until the age of 10 when he moved to the U.S. In this episode, hear about Ken’s growing up years in the south Indian mountains in the 1960’s, eating curry and rice on a banana leaf with 400 classmates after sports day, and how he probably should...
2025-10-0835 min
Round Trip Stories65 | A Shaky Landing After Being Pro: Branko's Return Stories to SerbiaWelcome back to Part 2 of our interview with elite water polo player athlete Branko Pekovic from Serbia. After twelve years of playing in Italy, Russia, and Kazakhstan and with many medals earned, he and his wife decided it was time to retire to Serbia and to begin to coach. With their five year old daughter and eight year old son in tow, they packed up Branko’s international water polo life. Upon return to Serbia, he wasn’t perceived quite as interesting anymore, and he needed to figure out how to manage life for his family without the perks of b...
2025-09-2530 min
Round Trip Stories64 | A Job That He Loved: Branko's Stories as an Elite International AthleteOur guest today is Branko Pekovic, an elite professional water polo athlete who grew up during difficult times in Belgrade, Yugoslavia which is now Serbia. He found a love and great success in playing water polo, so much so that he played for Serbia’s national teams and teams in Italy, Russia, and Kazakhstan. Branko shares about how water polo was his amazing job that took him to the Olympics and all over the world.https://www.stormwaterpolo.ca/content/coacheslinktr.ee/waterpolowestSee photos of our guests and sign up for ou...
2025-09-1733 min
Round Trip Stories63 | Only the Ear of the Hippo: Carolyn Grant’s Tips on Making it Through TransitionWelcome back to Part 2 of our interview with Carolyn Grant, physical therapist and transitions coach originally from South Africa. Carolyn knows deeply about transitions after moving to London for ten years and then to Texas, USA for fifteen. Along the way she developed her expertise as a physical therapist in London, but she was not able to practice after the move to Texas. This loss of identity and change was the painful catalyst to redesigning her personal and professional goals. While she raised her three daughters, she also began raising others up by mentoring them in their difficult life...
2025-09-0336 min
Round Trip Stories62 | A Transition Coach's Transitions: Carolyn Grant's Stories from South Africa, England, and the U.S.Our guest today is Carolyn Grant, physical therapist, writer, and transitions coach originally from South Africa. Carolyn knows deeply about transitions after moving to London for ten years and then to Texas, USA for sixteen. Along the way she developed her expertise as a physical therapist in London, was not able to practice after the move to Texas, lost her mother while being half way across the world, and reinvented herself by becoming a transition coach, all the while raising her three daughters. In this episode, Carolyn explains why she is an accidental immigrant, why she resists change at...
2025-08-2730 min
Round Trip Stories61 | Changing Seasons in Life, Place, and Purpose: a Preview to Season 5Welcome back from summer (or winter) holidays! Melissa and Tracy launch their 5th season with a talk about how our time during vacations can be a way to connect to goals we made while abroad. What is important to us to continue as we return home? Is it service trips or events? Is it keeping connected to our international side? What does that even look like after many years of being back home? Whatever season you are in on your round trip journey and transition, whether just having landed back home and beginning new routines or discovering how to...
2025-08-2024 min
Round Trip Stories60 | TCK Advice from Six Continents and 12 FriendsThis is our "Third Culture Kid Advice" episode. Our guests show the variety and diversity of the TCK experience. They come from six continents and spent time as children overseas because of diplomacy, education, missions, or business. They are now in their 20's to 50's, and as adults, they have spent lots of time thinking about their TCK experiences. This episode is a compilation of our twelve TCK guests’ responses to our last interview question asking for words of wisdom for our audience. We can't wait for you to hear their combined recommendations! Our guests’ advice help us g...
2025-06-1237 min
Round Trip Stories59 | Black Identity Doesn’t Fit In a Box: Amanda’s TCK return stories to the U.S.This episode is Part 2 of our interview with Amanda Bates, employer branding strategist , storyteller and transitions consultant who is also the founder and creative director of theblackexpat.com, a website for black identity and international living. Amanda is also the host of “The Global Chatter” and happens to be a third culture kid who spent her growing up years in Cameroon and then returned to the U.S for university. In this episode, Amanda shares about how she at first disliked college back in the U.S., was grateful to grow up in an African country, and that her blac...
2025-05-2931 min
Round Trip Stories58 | Layers Upon Layers of Identity: Amanda Bates' TCK Stories from CameroonOur guest today is Amanda Bates, employer branding strategist , storyteller and transitions consultant who is also the founder and creative director of theblackexpat.com, a website for black identity and international living. Amanda is the host of “The Global Chatter” podcast and happens to be a third culture kid from the United States who spent her growing up years in Cameroon. In this episode, Amanda shares about spending her teen years in her parents’ country of birth, where her black identity was affirmed and she became aware of her American privilege. She attended international schools where her global curiosity was la...
2025-05-2234 min
Round Trip Stories57 | Breathing Again: Marie's TCK Return to the PhilippinesThis is Part 2 of our interview with Marie Suazo, host of the podcast “Talks with a TCK friend” and author of Tales of a Diplomat’s Daughter. Originally from the Philippines, Marie grew up in South Korea and Egypt because she was part of a diplomat family. After college in Seoul, Korea, she moved back with her family and eventually returned to the Philippines. Not only was it difficult moving into a monocultural environment, but it was also challenging living with her family as an adult TCK.Tales of a Diplomat's Daughter@mariesuazoauthor on InstagramTalks...
2025-04-2927 min
Round Trip Stories56 | Loved That Expat Community: Marie Suazo's TCK Stories from South Korea & EgyptOur guest today is Marie Suazo, host of the podcast “Talks with a TCK friend” and author of Tales of a Diplomat’s Daughter. Originally from the Philippines, Marie grew up in South Korea and Egypt during her family’s diplomatic assignments. She loved being part of the expatriate communities in both places, and did not know any difference until she was on a rough home assignment in the Philippines for several years in her preteens. Mentioned in this episode: Tales of a Diplomat's Daughter@mariesuazoauthorTalks with a TCK Friend Podcast
2025-04-2330 min
Round Trip Stories55 | Too Complex for a Category: Ana Julia's TCK Return Stories to BrazilThis is Part 2 of our interview with Ana Julia Borges, a Brazilian third culture kid who spent seven years of her childhood in Uruguay. Ana Julia is a foodie, sociologist, and curriculum developer for TCK Training. When Ana was eight years old, her parents went to Uruguay to begin university groups for the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. When their mission was complete and when Ana was fifteen years old, the family repatriated back to Brazil. Ana Julia had always been a good student, but back in Brazil, that, and other parts of her identity, got squeezed like sugarcane...
2025-04-0831 min
Round Trip Stories54 | Rooted in People: Ana Julia Borges' TCK Stories from UruguayOur guest today is Ana Julia Borges, a Brazilian third culture kid who spent seven years of her childhood in Uruguay. Ana Julia is a foodie, sociologist, and curriculum developer for TCK Training. When Ana was eight years old, her parents went to Uruguay to begin university groups for the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. Those university students became part of her extended family, she drank a little too much coffee and mate, and Uruguay became her home until she was fifteen.IFES International Fellowship websiteLatin Link InternationalSee photos of our...
2025-04-0133 min
Round Trip Stories53 | Embracing the Now: Ben's TCK Return to the U.S.Today we're sharing Part 2 of our interview with Major Ben Scott, a US Army Signal Corps Officer who grew up as a Third Culture Kid in Kenya and Germany. He and his wife are now raising his five third culture kids of their own back in Germany where Ben is stationed. At 15 years old, Ben returned to the United States for high school. Despite a smooth first year, he entered a difficult time of negotiating what it meant to be an American teenager in a large suburban public school. Find out how Ben got through this reverse culture shock...
2025-03-1229 min
Round Trip Stories52 | A TCK Turned Career Officer: Ben Scott's Stories from Kenya & GermanyOur guest for this episode is Major Ben Scott, a US Army Signal Corps Officer who grew up as a Third Culture Kid in Kenya and Germany before returning to the United States for high school. As a missionary kid, he says that he always has a story in his pocket. He begins this interview sharing one story of a baby cheetah tackling him and shares another of him running down a U.S. highway with a German flag to celebrate a soccer win. Ben continues with more heartfelt stories of valuing his TCK experience and at the same...
2025-03-0433 min
Round Trip Stories51 | Claiming What Had Been Buried: Amy's TCK Return to the U.S.Welcome back to Part 2 of our interview with Amy Burton, a life and mindset coach living in Alaska with her husband and three teenagers. She grew up as a third culture kid in Spain in the 1980’s where her parents were missionaries. After 12 years, Amy’s family was back in the U.S. for a year-long sabbatical. Right before they were supposed to return to Spain, their mission was discontinued. To 15 year old Amy, that’s when everything fell apart. Listen in as Amy shares about both the hard journey and the healing that eventually followed.Learn more a...
2025-02-1831 min
Round Trip Stories50 | A Foundation in Spain: Amy Burton's TCK StoriesOur guest today is Amy Burton, a life and mindset coach who grew up as a third culture kid in Spain. Amy now lives in Alaska and is a mother of three. From the ages of two to 14 she was raised in ancient Madrid and then a brand new city called Tres Cantos as her parents planted a church in the 1980’s. Spain was recovering from the dictatorship under Franco, and Amy tells of the difficulties of beginning a protestant church there. At the same time, she shares endearing stories of her foundational years as a TCK in Spain....
2025-02-1133 min
Round Trip Stories49 | Make Space to Grieve: Jonny's TCK Return to CaliforniaWelcome back to Part 2 of our interview with Jonny Chin, science teacher from San Francisco and Chinese American third culture kid who grew up in Beijing, China for his K-12 school career. He repatriated to California to attend university and began the process of reflecting on his TCK identity in college and beyond. Jonny shares tips on how to reflect and even give back to others going through tough transitions.Resources mentioned:TCK/MK Re-entry Seminar TedTalk: "Don't Ask Where I'm From, Ask Where I'm a Local"S...
2025-01-2831 min
Round Trip Stories48 | Being Chinese American in China: Jonny's TCK Stories from BeijingOur guest today is Jonny Chin, science teacher from San Francisco and Chinese American third culture kid who grew up in Beijing, China from the ages of 5 to 18. Jonny’s dad was a public health doctor who worked for the World Health Organization and was sent to Beijing. While Jonny learned to wash his hands early during the 2003 SARS pandemic, discovering his Chinese American TCK identity has been a much longer journey. The international friendships he has made along the way haven’t just broadened his world view, they’ve deepened it as well.Instag...
2025-01-2230 min
Round Trip Stories47 | Third Culture Kids Series Aerial View: Season 3 Review & Season 4 PreviewThis Review-Preview episode is an aerial view of where we’ve been in season 3 and where we are going in season 4. We are in the middle of our two-season series of Third Culture Kid (TCK) guests who have spent some of their childhood living outside their passport country. We review our season 3 TCK guests and share quotes and a few lessons from each of their interviews. Then we give a preview of the amazing TCK guests we have lined up for season 4. They have stories of coming and going to and from Cameroon, China, Germany, Kenya, Philippines, Egypt, South Korea...
2025-01-1423 min
Round Trip Stories46 | Becoming a bridge from East to West: Justin's Return to Singapore and BeyondWelcome back to Part 2 of our interview with Justin Lau, Adult Third Culture Kid who grew up in Japan, originally from Singapore, and now working as a worship leader in London. After finishing up a deep rooted education in his international school in Japan, he had to move back to Singapore for mandatory military service. It was then that he felt more Japanese than anything, and felt comfort in the few friends who took the time to understand who he really was as a TCK.See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list...
2024-12-1829 min
Round Trip Stories45 | Friends Can Be Family Too: Justin's TCK Stories from JapanOur guest today is Justin Lau, Adult Third Culture Kid, originally from Singapore, who grew up in Japan and now works as a worship leader in London. Justin made the move to Japan at three months old and thrived in his international school community until he graduated at 17 years old. He shares stories about the warmth he holds for Japan and the deep connections he made with his international school friends.Learn more about Justin on instagram or read his writing on his Substack: Decolonising My Faith.See photos of our guests and sign up for our...
2024-12-1129 min
Round Trip Stories44 | Parents, Say Yes to Living Abroad: Maïa's TCK Return Stories to FranceThis is Part 2 of our interview with Maïa Talabard, a third culture kid from France who is a university business school student, artist, cheerleader, and travel lover. In this episode, Maïa shares about her return to France during middle school and the people who made her transition a little easier. She also tells stories about how her experience as a TCK continues to influence her life now and encourages parents considering moving abroad to do it!See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at roundtripstories.com. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on facebook and instagram!
2024-11-2628 min
Round Trip Stories43 | A Unique Childhood in Asia: Maïa's TCK Stories of Growing Up in Korea and ChinaThis is part 1 of our interview with is Maïa Talabard, a third culture kid from France who is a university business school student, artist, cheerleader, and travel lover. She spent three years in Korea and three years in China during her childhood before she returned to France for high school. Maïa shares about the freedom, adventure, pollution, and connections during her time in Asia as a TCK.See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at roundtripstories.com. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on facebook and instagram!
2024-11-1929 minRound Trip Stories42 | Creating Connection: a Customs Chat about HospitalityMelissa and Tracy share their stories about experiencing hospitality when living abroad, and they also share stories from listeners Alwina, Urmi, Monica, and Scott. Whatever the version of hospitality and whatever it looks like in a host country or upon our return, there is no denying the human warmth received and gratefulness produced. Today's stories show that hospitality is sharing food, places, and culture. It builds bonds and creates new memories. When we experience hospitality, it makes us feel connected, humbled, joyful, and more human. We may never be able to repay it, but we can always pass it...
2024-11-1329 min
Round Trip Stories41 | Feel the Way You Feel: Shukura's TCK Return Stories to the United KingdomWelcome back to Part 2 of our interview with third culture kid Shukura Babirye, a travel and nature-lover from the United Kingdom who grew up in the United States and Singapore. Her return to the UK was one she was nervous about, and even arriving at the airport produced anxiety. Without her mom or twin brother nearby, the transition to her UK university was a lonely one. Listen to Shukura share her trial and error of finding friends and feeling of belonging, learning London slang, creating her own brown and black hikers group, and advice she has for TCK parents. ...
2024-10-2931 min
Round Trip Stories40 | So Many Different Perspectives: Shukura's stories about growing up in the U.S. and SingaporeThis is part 1 of our interview with Shukura Babirye, a travel and nature-lover and adult Third Culture Kid from the United Kingdom. Shukura and her twin brother attended British schools in the United States and Singapore because their mom worked at their international British schools in those two countries. Shukura values the global perspective and access to service opportunities at her international schools. In Singapore, however, Shukura found it very challenging to be a young black woman in an elite Asian environment. Find Shukura and learn about moja collective at www.instagram.com/shucamina and www.instagram.com...
2024-10-2229 min
Round Trip Stories39 | Change is Constant: Sam's TCK Return Stories to the U.S.Welcome back to Part 2 of our interview with Sam Fisher, adult TCK who grew up in Indonesia and Malaysia as a missionary kid to a local Indonesian mom and an American dad. Returning to the U.S. for college was another huge transition, but his network of relationships from boarding school and all the new university friends helped him feel at home. In this episode, listen to Sam discuss his journey defining his identity, embracing his superpower of fitting in, and processing his childhood even more as he and his wife raise their own children. He realizes that it...
2024-10-0829 min
Round Trip Stories38 | Grounded in Faith Through Transitions: Sam's Stories of Growing up in Indonesia and MalaysiaThis is part 1 of our interview with Sam Fisher, an adult Third Culture Kid who grew up in Indonesia and Malaysia as a missionary kid to a local Indonesian mom and American dad. Returning to the U.S. for college, Sam is now a book seller and dad of four in his forties living near Boston. Sam’s family spent some periods of his childhood in the US, but they primarily lived in Indonesia in a small, tight knit community, until Sam went to boarding school in Malaysia for middle and high school. Though this meant that he only sa...
2024-10-0128 min
Round Trip Stories37 | The Freedom in Having Lived in Different Spaces: Sherene's Return Stories to India and BeyondThis is Part 2 of our interview with adult third Culture Kid Sherene Joseph, a writer and storyteller born in Tamil Nadu, India. After growing up in Oman from the age of 4 to 17 years old, she moved back to India for university studies. Sherene later married and moved to the US with her own family. In this part of her interview, she shares her stories of returning to India after university and not being able to fully share about her growing up in Oman. As time went on, she realized that she shouldn’t lock up those experiences which were so muc...
2024-09-1730 min
Round Trip Stories36 | An Idyllic TCK Childhood in the Middle East: Sherene's Stories of Growing Up in OmanOur guest today is adult third culture kid, Sherene Joseph, a writer and storyteller born in Tamil Nadu, India. From four to 17 years old, Sherene grew up in the Sultanate of Oman, and then moved back to India at 17 for university studies. Sherene later married and moved to the U. S. with her own family. In part one of her interview with us, she shares her stories of growing up in the Middle East in the 1980s. Sherene tells about her family being rooted in their community within the Islamic country and truly making a home.Learn...
2024-09-1029 minRound Trip Stories35 | Wisdom for Global Families: Interview with TCK Expert Tanya Crossman, Part 2This is Part 2 of our interview with Third Culture Kid expert Tanya Crossman who has worked over 20 years with and researching issues related to TCKs to support international organizations, schools, churches, and families. Tanya is from Australia and is the director of research at TCK Training. She is a TCK herself having spent her teen years in the United States. In this episode we continue to discuss her book "Misunderstood," and her recommendations she has for parents of TCKs and even Adult TCKs (ATCKs). You won't want to miss all the wisdom she has for families!Tanya's lat...
2024-08-2831 minRound Trip Stories34 | Unpacking the Third Culture Kid Experience: Interview with TCK Expert Tanya Crossman, Part 1This is Part 1 of our interview with Third Culture Kid expert Tanya Crossman who has worked over 20 years with and researching issues related to TCKs to support international organizations, schools, churches, and families. Tanya is from Australia and is the director of research at TCK Training. She talks a bit about her time as a TCK in the U.S and transition back to Australia, and then she shares about her research and writings, including her book: Misunderstood: the Impact of Growing up Overseas in the 21st Century (book site)TanyaCrossman.comTCK Training
2024-08-2030 min
Round Trip Stories33 | Season 3 Preview: Third Culture Kids' Round Trip StoriesWelcome to Season 3! This short episode is a preview of the amazing Third Culture Kid guest interviews we have for this season. Third Culture Kids (TCKs) are those who grew up outside their passport countries at some point before the age of 18. Melissa and Tracy have been touched by their TCK guests’ deep reflection on their own global experiences, identities, and settling into who they are now and how to use the gifts they have been given to share with their world. We hope that you are looking forward to this season 3 itinerary we have planned for you...
2024-08-1314 minRound Trip Stories32 | Jewels of Wisdom: Combined Advice from our GuestsAfter two seasons of interviews and ten guests, we want to share our guests’ combined wisdom and advice for what helps when living abroad and during the transition back after living overseas. In this episode we have gathered our guests’ excerpts from their responses to our question "What last word of encouragement or advice can you give to our listeners?" You will hear metaphors, practical advice for families, permission to take it slow, and encouragement on how to make that rough return trip back to your home country after a long sojourn abroad. We know you’ll treasure these jewels...
2024-06-0428 minRound Trip Stories31 | Back Home to Recalibrate: Joanna's Return Stories to TrinidadThis is Part 2 of our interview with Joanna Mead, an international baccalaureate Technology and Math teacher originally from Trinidad. After living abroad for sixteen years, she felt she was losing her Trinidadianness and time with her family. She landed a job at an international school in Trinidad an hour away from her mom, and began the process of immersing herself in her home culture once again. However, Joanna's accent had changed and people looked at her as a foreigner. Joanna discovered that she needed to be open minded in her own country, just as she had in her previous ove...
2024-05-2130 minRound Trip Stories30 | Resourcefulness Leads to Connection: Joanna's Stories from Trinidad to ChinaOur guest today is Joanna Meade, an international baccalaureate Technology and Math teacher originally from Trinidad. After attending university and teaching in the U.S., Joanna's itching for change took her abroad to teach in Japan, and China. She especially wanted to immerse herself in the local Chinese culture and language when she moved to Wuhan. She hit the ground running, but realized she did not have google maps to guide her. But no worries, Joanna’s tech savviness and willingness to ask for help allowed her to navigate so much more than a city map.Mentioned in...
2024-05-1528 minRound Trip Stories29 | Weather Is Another Adjustment: Customs ChatThis customs episode is about WEATHER, and we have several guests share their stories! Along with the myriad of cultural changes when moving globally, weather is one more adjustment. How did moving to a new climate (or hemisphere!) affect us? We can settle into the cycles of a rainy season or dry season, and still be caught off guard by the almost suffocating humidity. Life is like the weather: sometimes we have dry seasons where not much seems to be happening. Other times we have a rainy season with occasional clouds and powerful storms with sometimes inconvenient consequences. But...
2024-05-0728 minRound Trip Stories28 | A World Turned Upside Down: Stacy's Return Stories from Kenya to CaliforniaThis is Part 2 of our interview with Stacy Hipwood, International teacher, mother and wife, who is passionate about Kenya and holding up her family. Stacy fell in love with Nairobi and stayed for eleven years teaching, marrying, and raising her two children. She never wanted to leave. But her husband’s brain aneurysm and recovery period sent her whirling. With a two and four year old to care for and now the sole provider, she and her husband made the decision to move to the U.S. Resource mentioned in episode: Link Care FoundationSee photos of our guests and sign up for...
2024-04-1729 minRound Trip Stories27 | Relationships Were the Priority: Stacy's Stories from California to KenyaThis is Part 1 of our interview with Stacy Hipwood, international teacher, mother and wife, who is passionate about Kenya and holding up her family. Stacy fell in love with Nairobi and stayed for eleven years teaching, marrying, and raising her two children. Her transition to living in Kenya was supported by her connection to friends who became like family. Even though long utility outages just about drove her out of the country, the culture of focusing on relationships and caring for others kept her firmly rooted, hoping to never leave. See photos of our gu...
2024-04-0929 minRound Trip Stories26 | Leaving Wuhan Just in Time: Dr. Stanley's Return to GhanaThis is Part 2 of our interview with Stanley Anenyemele Asasu, doctor and writer from Ghana, Africa. In 2015 Dr. Stanley left to pursue his dream of becoming a medical doctor through a Wuhan, China university program to educate foreign physicians. He was set to return to complete his medical clerkship in Ghana for February 2020, and he made it out of Wuhan less than 24 hours before the city closed for seven months. Back in Ghana after his five year sojourn, he received a warm welcome from his family, but there was some suspicion of him from his local community. Listen to how...
2024-03-2628 minRound Trip Stories25 | A Global Medical Education: Dr. Stanley's Stories from Ghana to Wuhan, ChinaThis is Part 1 of our interview with Dr. Stanley Anenyemele Asasu, doctor and writer from Ghana, Africa. In 2015 Dr. Stanley moved away from his country for the first time to pursue his dream of becoming a medical doctor through a Wuhan, China university program to educate foreign doctors. After an emotional arrival, he found his support system through his international classmates and friends from church. He filled his five years with studying medicine and Chinese, tutoring others in English, and even wrote a book on the side!See photos of our guests and sign up...
2024-03-1929 minRound Trip Stories24 | Music Feeds Our Souls: Customs ChatLet's listen to stories about how music around the world has brought joy and beauty to our souls. Music is a universal language and can build bridges across cultures, and at the same time music carries culture and meaning specific to place and people. It can teach us culture, language, and even how to find friends. Music marks celebrations and gathering of people, whether in Karaoke rooms or out in a school play yard. Music’s beauty feeds our thirsty souls - let’s not go without it. See photos of our guests and sign up for our ema...
2024-03-1227 minRound Trip Stories23 | Putting the Pieces Back Together: Monica's Return from California to EcuadorThis is Part 2 of our interview with Monica Baez, an international baccalaureate psychology teacher and foodie from Ecuador who spent six years in the U.S. before returning to Ecuador. Monica’s six years in California not only gave her degrees and professional training in psychology and marriage and family counseling, but they also gave her a blueprint for what a Christian family and grace filled faith community could look like. Things didn't work out exactly as planned when she returned to Ecuador: she missed her U.S. friends, her identity had changed, and her dream of being a ther...
2024-02-2729 minRound Trip Stories22 | Joy in Community and Diversity: Mónica's Stories from Ecuador to CaliforniaOur guest today is Mónica Baez, an international baccalaureate psychology teacher and foodie from Ecuador who spent six years in the U.S. She describes the time at her small California Christian university as a magical experience where she enjoyed rich diversity, close community, and added grace in her faith practice. Mónica found that being outside her country helped her to define her own cultural viewpoint and gave her a foundation for who she is today.See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at roundtripstories.com. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on facebook and instagram to hear about upcoming
2024-02-2127 minRound Trip Stories21 | More Than Just Bread: Customs ChatThis month's customs episode is about bread and bakeries. Just talking about bread makes us fondly remember times and places when we lived near bakeries, were empowered from communicating in them, or were so thankful for the comfort food they provided for our families. These bread stories have more ingredients to them than just flour, water, and salt: they are about history, immigration, science, and art. They are about humans thankful for the creativity of other humans, no matter where they are from, to help nourish their minds, bodies, and hearts.For photos and more info about...
2024-02-1325 minRound Trip Stories20 | Rooted Deep and Wide: Val's return from China to New ZealandThis is Part 2 of our interview with Val Robb, a Canadian born New Zealander, writer and writing coach, and teacher who homeschooled for 25 years all through eleven international moves. She and her family loved their years living in China where her husband was a professor, and even though it was time, it was difficult to return to New Zealand. Val shares stories about some deep rooted and practical ideas to get through such a multi-layered transition.Waiting to be Well: Sustaining hope while wrestling with weakness by Angela C MillenMaking Peace with Change by G...
2024-01-3130 minRound Trip Stories19 | Discovering Comfort and Home: Val's story from New Zealand to ChinaOur guest for this episode is Val Robb, a Canadian born New Zealander, writer and writing coach, and teacher who homeschooled for 25 years all through eleven international moves. Val had lots of practice helping her family of eight adjust and make a new home as her professor husband took positions in different universities around the world. Val shares stories about her move to China where she discovered that, being rooted in Christ's love, she could find comfort and home anywhere.Learn more about Val at her website: inspiringwriting.coSee photos of our guests and si...
2024-01-2330 minRound Trip Stories18 | The Aerial Perspective: Seasons 1 & 2 Review-PreviewWhen on a flight, who doesn’t like to have a window seat and see the world from 20,000 feet up? This Review-Preview episode is that aerial view of themes from season 1 and a preview of our guests for season 2. There are common themes which our season 1 guests spoke of, like refining identities or growing a larger appreciation for the world. Listen to Melissa and Tracy reflect on more themes and where to listen to them, and hear a preview of the amazing guests they have lined up for season 2. Guests are from Ghana, New Zealand, Ecuador, and the U.S. who...
2024-01-1626 minRound Trip Stories17 | Customs Chat and Season 1 Finale: Christmas and New YearsIn this Season 1 finale episode we hear Christmas and New Years Stories from around the world. We hear about Paneton in Peru, Kentucky fried chicken in Japan, and watchnight chicken sandwiches in the Middle East. There are New Year wedding saris in India, grapes in Spain, and burning the old year in Ecuador. These can be celebrations we miss or continue to celebrate as we bring bits of our times abroad into our current lives now, especially during the holidays. And we should, because they are part of us.Mentioned in this episode - Me...
2023-12-1944 minRound Trip Stories16 | From China to Florida: Melinda's Return StoriesMelinda Howe, Disney Character Brand Manager, Ministry leader, amazing baker, and mom of four. In 2010, Melinda and her family started their four year sojourn to Beijing, China where her husband Ralph worked in the golf industry and they were both in leadership with their international church. Melinda was not ready to leave her life in Beijing when her husband was offered a job back in Florida, but after prayer and the cat coming back, she was at peace with packing up her kids and Chinese furniture to return to the United States. Organization mentioned in this episode: Int...
2023-12-0528 minRound Trip Stories15 | From Florida to China: Melinda's StoriesThis week's interview is with Melinda Howe, Disney Character Brand Manager, ministry leader, amazing baker, and mom of four. In 2010, Melinda and her family went to Beijing, China where her husband Ralph was offered a job in the golf industry. They saw this as an opportunity for their whole family to live in their adopted daughters’ birth country. Although they faced challenges like not being able to transport their whole family in one vehicle and homeschooling for the first time, they found an unexpected extended family in their international church and friends for their children from around the world right...
2023-11-2829 minRound Trip Stories14 | Customs Chat: Let's Talk about Nature's Reminders!Today's episode is a collection of stories about how nature reminded us of home or our time abroad. Our world is replete with natural beauty and landscapes vary wildly, but sometimes they are so similar that it reminds us of another beloved place. What encounters with nature brought us comfort while abroad? Did a particular landform, park, climate, or creature remind us of home? Or when we returned home, did something in nature remind us of our place living abroad? Let’s hear some Customs Stories about Nature’s reminders.Mentioned in this episode:Zhan...
2023-11-1427 minRound Trip Stories13 | From Japan to California: Kat's Return StoriesThis is Part 2 of our interview with Kat Borba, a teacher, supporter of overseas missionaries, and mother of three. She and her husband were missionaries in Sapporo, Japan for three years. They had hoped to stay for much longer, but after diagnosing their daughter with Moebius syndrome, they knew they needed to return back to the U.S. for a time and season. Reentry was harder than she was given permission to feel, but a week of debriefing and renewal helped her focus on giving herself permission to feel both the hard and the joys and to re-enter slowly...
2023-11-0728 minRound Trip Stories12 | From California to Japan: Kat's StoriesThis is Part 1 of our interview with Kat Borba, a teacher, supporter of overseas missions, and mother of three. In her mid twenties, she and her husband became missionaries to Sapporo, Japan, landing five weeks before the 9.1 earthquake and tsunami hit Japan many miles south of them. This event sparked a great need for humanitarian service, and she and her husband were able to give support through their Japanese church. Throughout the years, Kat and her husband worked in their local Japanese church college ministry, English teaching, and mothering groups. Kat first struggled with feeling incompetent without basic literacy...
2023-10-3130 minRound Trip Stories11 | Customs Chat: Let's talk about ART!Today's Customs Episode is about ART. Beauty and creativity are an indispensable and unique part of every culture. What caught our eye and hearts as we lived and worked in other countries? What did we learn? Art is an expression of not only aesthetics but also culture, history, and creative communication. In this episode, we hear stories about how art teaches, heals, and allows us to remember. We do not need oral language to create it, all can participate in it, and community helps inspire it. We hope that you are inspired by this customs episode about art!Me...
2023-10-1727 minRound Trip Stories10 | From Sweden to California: Aileen's Return StoriesThis is Part 2 of our interview with Aileen Hendratna, an Indonesian-American agriculture scientist who feels most at home in international communities. She studied her masters in water resource management in Sweden for over two years. There, she relished the time in nature, in the fika culture of building relationships, and in the diversity of her international community. Financial challenges had her return to California, and her transition back home to the Bay Area and Central Valley was a lonely experience. Aileen couldn't find the international community she so loved, but with God’s help and guidance, she recognized that being...
2023-10-1028 minRound Trip Stories9 | From Indonesia and California to Sweden: Aileen's StoriesOur guest for this episode is Aileen Hendratna, an Indonesian-American agriculture scientist who feels most at home in international communities. After college in California she was inspired to study her masters in water resource management in Sweden for over two years. She found the initial transition to be smooth because she knew how to adjust to a new country after her previous challenging adjustment to the U.S. during her teen years. However, she was surprised at having to explain her identity as both an American and an Indonesian in Sweden. She loved her international church community, Sweden’s fika...
2023-10-0325 minRound Trip Stories8 | Customs Chat: Let's Talk about Shoes!Once a month Melissa and Tracy pull a random topic out of a virtual hat and discuss what global stories come to mind, and today's topic is about SHOES. Do we take them off or keep them on when entering the home? If we see twenty shoes strewn outside a doorway, does that make us want to join the party or run the other way? We can't wait to share SHOE stories from our global listeners! Sign up here for our email list and share your stories with us for future episodes!
2023-09-1922 minRound Trip Stories7 | From California to Mexico: Jaime's Return StoriesThis is part two of our interview with family guy and Mexican entrepreneur Jaime Aparicio. In part one, Jaime shared about how moving away from Mexico to the U.S. during the later part of high school and through university helped to define who he was, know his inner voice, and value the U.S. university experience and beyond. In this episode, come listen to Jaime’s Round Trip Stories of returning to Mexico and how his adaptability and openness to change helped him navigate and put roots down in Mexico as an adult. Visit the Round Trip...
2023-09-1227 minRound Trip Stories6 | From Mexico to California: Jaime's StoriesThis week's guest is Jaime Aparicio, Mexican entrepreneur, family guy, and lover of all things international. Jaime spent eight years of his late teens and early 20’s in the U.S. before returning to Mexico to reconnect with his family, roots, and start his own business and young family. He had a sprinkling of time in Germany and Argentina as well! Jaime shares about how he reinvented himself and deepened his awareness of who he was while in the U.S. as a young man.Visit the Round Trip Stories website to sign up for o...
2023-09-0527 minRound Trip Stories5 | Customs Chat: Let's Talk about Customs!Once a month Melissa and Tracy pull a random topic out of a virtual hat and discuss what global stories come to mind, and today's topic is about CUSTOMS. Customs and immigration stations can hold long lines and are the gatekeepers to let us into our destinations. Can we go in the fast lane, or do we still have to stand in the lines even though our toddler is having a meltdown after a 12 hour flight? Maybe you have had an unexpected reception to your host or home country? We can't wait to share CUSTOMS stories from...
2023-08-2930 minRound Trip Stories4 | From Peru to California: Melissa's Return StoriesThis is part two of our interview with co-host Melissa Ens, mother of three, bilingual teacher, and passionate learner, leader, and lover of people. She and her young family became church capacity builders in Peru, and in our last episode she shared stories about what she loved and what was hard while living there. In this episode, Melissa describes seeing signposts of everyone and everything not thriving as it should, so she and her husband made the excruciating decision to return to the U.S. before their assignment was supposed to be up. This made their transition back a pain...
2023-08-2229 minRound Trip Stories3 | From California to Peru: Melissa's StoriesThis is part one of our interview with Round Trip Stories host Melissa Ens, bilingual teacher, mother of three and passionate learner, leader, and lover of people. When she and her third culture kid husband got married, their deal breaker was that they would one day go overseas to do mission work. Melissa shares about God’s timing to take them to Peru as they became capacity builders in local churches there. She cherished the new perspectives that shopping, helping her family become part of a new community, and exploring new places gave her.Join...
2023-08-1527 minRound Trip Stories2 | From China to California: Tracy's Return StoriesThis is Part 2 of Tracy’s Round Trip Stories interview. Tracy is an international educator, mom of three boys, and one of our podcast hosts. She encourages listeners to take time to unpack their own stories, which often come with baggage after their return from living overseas. Each of our experiences are gifts; we should air them out, hang them up somewhere, and see where they fit again in our new place. We don’t want to hide these gifts of global understanding and beauty. They, and you, make the world a better place.Resource mentioned: Returning Well: Y...
2023-08-0828 minRound Trip Stories1 | From California to China: Tracy's StoriesThis is part 1 of our interview with one of our hosts, Tracy Vilanova. She is an international educator, mom of three boys, and global history buff who lived and worked in China for eight years. In 2009, Tracy and her young family moved from California to Beijing and then to Wuhan to work in international schools. They loved learning about the world through their Chinese and international colleagues and friends there, even through the culture shocks which came from surprising places. Join our email list to receive updates about new episodes and opportunities to share y...
2023-08-0129 minRound Trip StoriesRound Trip Stories Podcast TrailerWelcome to the Round Trip Stories Podcast! Through weekly guest interviews, hosts Melissa Ens and Tracy Vilanova offer gifts of understanding for those who have recently returned from living abroad, reflection for those who have been back for years, and insight for those who have never left their home country. These stories help us all understand the world and ourselves just a little better.
Sign up for our podcast email list at roundtripstories.com so you can share your stories with us and our listeners. We hope you’ll join us!
2023-07-1002 min