Uncovered: Life Beyond
Join the conversations of Rebecca and Naomi, two ex-Amish Mennonite women who jumped the proverbial fence in their younger years and later experienced college as first-gen, non-traditional students. They discuss pursuing formal education while raising a family, navigating the hidden curriculum of academia, and other dimensions of reimagining a life beyond high-demand religion. Send your questions to uncoveredlifebeyond@gmail.com.
Episodes
What happens when women in a tightly-knit religious community decide they've had enough? It's a scenario rarely considered. Join us as we reflect on the gut-wrenching film directed by Sarah Polley and based on the novel by Miriam Toews.
While the film and novel take a real-life tragedy as their starting points, neither attempts to retell actual events. Instead, they invite us to imagine what might ...
How did Naomi stumble into one of the most defining experiences of her life? In this episode Rebecca gets the scoop on Naomi's (scenic) route to grad school as well as the good, the bad, and the unexpected that happened along the way. They discuss Naomi's inner struggles over combining motherhood and grad school, the impact on her children, as well as the activism she found at this intersection in her life. ...
Ever wonder how midlife moms juggle college, caregiving, and running a business? Today Rebecca walks us through the ways that she has combined her college career with all her other responsibilities. She gives us a glimpse into typical features of her daily life, describing the ways her days have changed over the past decade of her long, determined march to graduation. We find out how she motivated her teens to take re...
Ever wondered what it's like to break free from a high-control environment? Join us as we celebrate Tia Leving's incredible achievement—her book "A Well-Trained Wife" has skyrocketed to the New York Times bestseller list.
We share stories from our own past about compassionate bystanders who made a big difference and offer practical suggestions for ways to meaningfully support those in a m...
What if the very teachings that promise to bring you love and belong are the same ones that will put you in the greatest dangers? Join us as we explore Tia Leving's phenomenal book, "Well-Trained Wife," and the many parts that resonate with us. We discuss the tight grip of rigid faith traditions and societal expectations, and how liberating it can be to seize control of our own destinies. From personal ...
Are women guilty of manipulation and passive-aggressive tendencies? Sure! However, we are here to point out that these tactics are used across the board by women AND men. Moreover, we can't ignore the unfortunate reality that many of us were trained as young children to avoid more direct ways of communicating, so manipulation is often the only tool available to us to get our needs met.
In this episode, ...
What if the best way to get ready for fall is to rest this summer? In this episode we challenge common expectations about productivity and laziness, making the case that rest is not a luxury but is foundational for being the happy, relaxed parent our children need.
We're sharing 15 ways we're making the most of summer's remaining weeks. Instead of working harder, we're trying to work soft...
This is a continuation of the previous episode where we pull back the curtain on Naomi's divorce journey and her perspective six years later. We address systemic issues that often leave women feeling trapped--issues such as financial dependency, lack of education, and inadequate support from family and faith communities. We also discuss the benefits of no-fault divorce laws, which have been proven to reduce femal...
In this episode we pull back the curtain on Naomi's divorce journey and her perspective six years later. We address systemic issues that often leave women feeling trapped--issues such as financial dependency, lack of education, and inadequate support from family and faith communities. We also discuss the benefits of no-fault divorce laws, which have been proven to reduce female suicides and domestic violence. The...
In the mood for a deep, serious discussion? Then keep right on scrolling because this is NOT the episode for you. We're here to talk about the overwhelm that comes with summer's chaos--the kind of overwhelm that makes even picking out a watermelon feel like too much. Join us for a feel-good conversation that celebrates the small joys and the strong connections that make life beautiful. Expect to laugh, nod i...
This week we start out with an update on Naomi's recent health adventures and then turn our attention to recapping the first weekend in June when we attended a Symposium on How Our Amish Heritage Influences Our Education and Career at Elizabethtown College.
It all started with a very social Costco run to kick off our girls' weekend with all the necessary supplies (cheesecake, almonds, and salsa, FT...
Have you ever reread a cherished story from childhood only to find your sense of nostalgia replaced by cringe? In this episode, we reflect on The Pineapple Story, a seemingly innocent book that, for us, represents a mashup of influences that colored our upbringing and sense of the world.
The Pineapple Story is just one example of a missionary story that at first glance may seem to be an inspirational story ...
Have you missed us? We’ve missed you! This episode was recorded in mid-May 2024 but not released until mid-June because of some health issues that threw a wrench in our production plans. We're happy to report that all is well and we're back in action.
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Many of us who are the first in our families to go to college might be held back by the worry that we aren’t smart enough for college. If that’s t...
Now that we've (nearly) survived the end of semester crunch time, we're delighted to return to a regular podcasting schedule again. We're also excited about the new texting option for listeners. (Click the link above to try it out!)
Have you ever been overwhelmed by life circumstances beyond your control and wondered what good therapy could do? Maybe you've tried everything and concluded t...
Ever wonder how you got here as you blow out the candles on your birthday cake? That's where we begin in this episode, making space for the bittersweet emotions of milestone birthdays and the impending retirements of colleagues we admire.
In our main segment, we talk about the possibilities of the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) that can save college students serious time and money. Never heard...
This episode is for anyone who has called many different places home and often waffles just a bit before answering the question, "Where are you from?" How do we answer this simple question while accounting for all the twists and turns and layers of experience that make up our identity? How deep do our roots need to go before we can claim to be Amish or Mennonite--or any other particular cultural identity? T...
If the thought of scheduling an official campus tour fills you with uncertainty or even dread, this podcast is for you! Navigating unfamiliar places and institutions can feel daunting for any of us, including first generation students (and their parents) who may not be sure where to start or what to expect beyond the glossy brochures and flashy websites. In this episode, we (Naomi and Rebecca) talk about our own exper...
If your win this week is a kitchen floor that's clean for the first time in ages, you've found your people! We start this episode with a pop culture minute where we wonder aloud about the Royal Family's odd handling of Kate Middleton's recent absence from the public eye as well as the public's reaction to the public's reaction. Then we shift our focus to analyze a short video clip of a d...
Ever wrestled with the weight of a difficult decision, feeling the tug-of-war between what you've been taught and what your gut is screaming at you? Join us for this heart-to-heart as we peel back the layers of socialized guilt and its power in our lives. First, we explore some of the reasons we often find ourselves pulled along by social norms even when they aren't working for us or we fundamentally disagr...
We reflect on last week's episode and the events that prompted it--such as public figures spreading misconceptions about Amish culture and failing to honor the truths of those living in high-demand religion. We stress the importance of listening to and respecting the broad range of individual experiences that together make up a culture far more dynamic and complex than any fiction writer could imagine. We also as...
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