In this episode with my friend, Athena Ramsey, we reminisce on the early days of our friendship and the community that brought us together. She shares how her abuela, mother and a family she met while in university, impacted her life and inspired her to pay it forward to generations after her. Athena opens up about her journey into parenthood through adoption, and then healing her body from early menopause. She didn't expect to become a mother of four boys, but life rarely turns out how we expect and Athena speaks on the many ways her children open up her heart and capacity to dream. She continues to explore new parts of herself and resurrect old dreams; from writing to coaching basketball, Athena has never stopped building a life that is colorful. If you have mentors in your life who were pivotal in your journey, desire to become a parent someday or wonder how in the world your life turned out the way it did, then this is a conversation for you. Athena is yet another example of how life can surprise you in the most beautiful of ways.

Athena | Blog

Athena | Podcast: Go check out Torn: Finding a Mom Life Balance 

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This is a conversation with my friend Ish, who was diagnosed with kidney failure during his senior year in university. In this episode, he walks us through what that experience was like and how he didn't allow it to get in the way of graduating and pursuing the life he imagined for himself. Ish shares how his family, friends and faculty at App State supported him so that he could put his health first, while still achieving his goal. This is not only a story of overcoming, but also one that highlights the importance of community and paying it forward. Now an assistant principal, Ish is able to give back to students in ways that he experienced firsthand. May his story serve as an example and inspiration for us all. Only you can read your life as poetry by making something beautiful out of the cards you are dealt. Cheers to never giving up! 

Ismael | LinkedIn 

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In this episode, Samantha shares her story of immigrating from the Philippines to the U.S. and being tossed between two cultures with their own expectations placed on her. She reflects on the intentional way her parents surrounded her with Filipino culture to make sure she could experience that part of her heritage. Sam retells her journey of building community for Asian students at Appalachian State University and how her gift of connecting others birthed many of the relationships in our friend group today. She speaks of her journey into motherhood and unlearning the toxic belief that she had to be everything to everyone at the expense of no one but herself.  Sam opens up about how community was the buoy to guide her back to shore in that season of self-neglect. She also provides practical ways in which we can all build community wherever we are in this current season. You'll enjoy this episode if you're struggling to fight the anxiety around making friends, need help debunking the superwoman myth or love reading!

Samantha | Instagram

Samantha | LinkedIn

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This is an episode with a super fan, and my dear friend, Orlando. He shares his passion for rural communities and how they've shaped him into the human he is today. Orlando brings an informed perspective on small towns that sheds light on the beauty and magic these communities possess. He dives into why he's felt drawn to them most of his life, even during his travels abroad, as well as the lessons he's learned about himself and the world around him. Orlando talks to us about his experience as a Black man in the U.S. and sorting through what this part of his identity means when it is reflected back to himself. He opens up about his time volunteering in South Africa and coming to terms with the challenging moments therein. This conversation delves into what we are all after: discovering parts of self that peel back the layers of who we really are. We're all in search of self-actualization and at the heart of the matter, the community around us informs this journey. You'll enjoy this episode if you have ever pondered: Who am I? Who do I want to be? What's my purpose?

Orlando| Instagram

Orlando | Blog 

Orlando | Chatham county article 

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Share this episode with a friend and click 5 stars if you enjoyed it. There's four more episodes left in season 1. Follow Keiko to stay up to date on season 2 or reach out if you'd like to share how these conversations have inspired or challenged you. I'm so grateful to have an audience in you! x

This is a master class on creating friendship and being a friend, making life an adventure, accessible ways to reduce waste and how to ask the hard questions early on in a romantic relationship. Kelsey shares how she's grown into confidence in herself and the life choices she's made. I met Kelsey in university and here we retell our kindred travels through Europe and how those months together in foreign lands shaped the women we are today. Kelsey is passionate about sustainability, and provides practical ways we can all do our part in caring for the planet. There is something for everyone in this episode as we dive into the magic of platonic love, travel before the time of smart phones, and the often tumultuous journey to finding a partner. Kelsey shares how she lived her way into this current season of love and anticipation of what comes next. I mean come on, who doesn't love a good love story? *wink

Kelsey | Instagram

Kelsey | LinkedIn

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In this episode with my friend Tobi, he shares his experience immigrating from Nigeria to the States at the age of 10. He even plays the talking drum for us as he explains its relation to the Yoruba language. Tobi opens up about his journey to find his place in a new culture and some of the moments he came head-to-head with the nuisances of what it means to be Black in America. This conversation is filled with so much wisdom from Tobi's lived experience, as he takes us into his curious mind and how he continues to follow his curiosities which more than often lead him to purpose. He talks about being an extrovert, starting a career in tech, friendship and finding the courage to keep a soft heart. This episode is for everyone because we are all seeking a purpose-driven life. 

Tobi | Website

Tobi | Instagram

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In this episode with my university friend, Blakeley, we discuss all things existential. Blakeley shares his experience of being forced to spend three months in silence due to breaking his jaw during a rugby game. He opens up about his journey of figuring out how to live a life of meaning and one where he continuously asks the question, "how can I be useful?" This exploration led him into teaching English in Chile, then backpacking through Peru and eventually moving to France. For the past few years, Blakeley has been living in New Orleans and teaching history. In this exchange, you'll hear us talk about the aura of nihilism that seems to surround today's youth as the world continues to change shape. Blakeley's story of asking difficult life questions and, at times, existing his way into a sense of purpose, is one we can all glean from. This conversation is for you if you're in search of purpose, enjoy stories of adventure, are raising youth or are ready to lean into some self-reflection.

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This is a conversation with my Kiwi (New Zealander) friend, Jenny. I met Jenny in 2014 while she was on a three-year solo trip around the world. We found ourselves as roommates for a week volunteering in an English language immersion program in Poland, where we formed a deep connection which has carried our long-distance friendship all of these years. Jenny shares her heart with us as she recounts the end of a five year relationship. She talks about therapy, how her friends came to her rescue, feeling gratitude while heartbroken, and being in the thick of a spiritual journey. There are so many raw and vulnerable moments in this episode as Jenny so generously brings us into her experience of losing herself in a relationship, grieving it's end and then reclaiming her independence and zest for life. Heartbreak can feel like the world is closing in on us, it is a universal experience. This episode is for all of us because we all have a heart, and it is a rite of passage for it to break many times over. May you see yourself in Jenny and may her courage to choose to fall in love with herself and begin again serve as the sign you needed to do the same. 

*Profanity warning

Jenny | Instagram

Jenny | LinkedIn

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The U.S. is home to more than 427,000 undocumented students, including DACA recipients, enrolled in higher education.* In this conversation with my Pakistani-American friend, Sumera, she opens up about her experience going through university undocumented. University is where we met, yet I had no idea that she was carrying a weight of uncertainty and the anxiety that surrounds many DREAMers. As we trace back the origin story of our friendship, Sumera being the reason I ended up studying abroad and thus traveling the world, we both relive the magic that dwells in connections and connecting people in your life to each other. Sumera's resilient spirit and passion for building community is apparent all throughout this episode. She took the hand that was dealt her and never let it stop her from creating her life over-and-over again through her career, marriage, and now motherhood. Life rarely turns out how we planned, but Sumera's story is yet another example of how it has a way of pleasantly surprising us. This conversation is for you if you're feeling like there just isn't a way through, are feeling anxious in the unknown of youth, have friends who are undocumented or need some inspiration.

Sumera |LinkedIn

Sumera |Blog Feature 

*Higher Ed Immigration Data

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In this episode, I sit down with my Canadian friend Mark who is currently living in Jeju (제주), South Korea. He shares how he found himself at a crossroads in his career and decided to choose his own happiness over slogging through life. He went from the film industry, to teaching English abroad, to coding, back to teaching English. In this conversation, he'll share his journey and perspective on what it means to create a life that feels good to YOU. Mark is a serial hobby collector, but in the most beautiful and interesting way. Since I've known him, he's learned photography, free diving, drawing, surfing, Korean and countless other skills. Mark talks about his recent hobby, free diving, which has become his form of meditation. Throughout this episode, he opens up about some of his insecurities, doubts, challenges and insatiable curiosities. You'll enjoy this chat if you are looking for tangible ways to introduce novelty in your life, feel as if happiness is or has been hard for you to obtain, or are in need of inspiration.

*A few F bombs. Not for little ears. 

Mark | Instagram 

Shot by Mark | engagement photo, two, three, four, five

Shot by Mark | A Colorful Life Promo

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