Round Trip Stories

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 e...

Our 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 tee...

This 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...

Our 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....

This 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 famil...

Our 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 coffe...

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 Ameri...

Our 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. B...

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 everythin...

Our 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. A...

Welcome 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 mentione...

Our 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 internat...

This 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 line...

Welcome 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 u...

Our 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.

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This 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...

This 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.

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Melissa 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 ...

Welcome 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 fri...