Available Worldwide

Tracy describes herself as "a soulful explorer living an inspired life." Her background is a study in contrasts: from a career in banking, fraud, and counterterrorism, she's come to embrace the role of creative and writer.

In this episode, Tracy talks about her transition from the Secret Service to the spouse of a diplomat, and how writing is what fuels her now. Instead of being defined by her role as an EFM or by a paycheck, she's learning to identify which passions and projects nourish her.

Tracy also shares advice on how to protect your space and time as a creative and "factor yourself into the equation."

+ Learn more about Tracy on her blog: https://carpediemcreative.com/
+ Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-macdonald-5477692/

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BIO
Tracy K. MacDonald is a southerner from Columbus, Georgia who holds a B.A. from Wesleyan College in Behavioral Sociology.

She is a Fraud and Risk consultant and public speaker, drawing on her experience as a former Special Agent with the U.S. Secret Service and from her key roles as a Counter-Terrorism Instructor for the Defense Intelligence Agency, and as a Lead Associate in Counter-Illicit Finance for Booz Allen Hamilton.

She has gained a unique perspective from living and working abroad in several countries and is currently posted with her husband, son, and Golden Retriever “Biscuit” as diplomats supporting the U.S. Embassy’s mission in Libreville, Gabon.

Tracy loves nature photography, beach walks, and writing. She captures her travels and life as an ex-pat on her personal blog, Carpe Diem Creative. She’s an active member of the Women's Fiction Writers Association (WFWA), and has recently completed the first draft of her debut fiction novel, Becoming Agent McKenna.

Her freelance articles have been published in Bella Grace Magazine and on Stampington & Company’s official blog, Grace Notes.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit availableworldwide.substack.com

Long-time listeners will know that we, Steph and Lauren, like to joke that our mothers are our biggest fans. So, in honor of May and Mother's Day, we are introducing them to you.

What do parents of Foreign Service employees and accompanying spouses think about the diplomatic lifestyle? What are their fears and opinions about what we do? What's their advice for other far away relatives?

This is the episode to share with your own far away friends and family, or with a new EFM who is still adjusting to foreign service life. We loved talking to our moms about stereotypes, misconceptions and the joys of a global life.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit availableworldwide.substack.com

Not every accompanying partner of an American diplomatic employee has the same access to employment and professional identity, or to many of the benefits and protections of US citizen Eligible Family Members. Non-citizens and spouses or partners designated as "members of household" struggle even more with maintaining their careers at post. Even at posts that have bilaterial work agreements (which permit diplomatic spouses to work on the local economy), non-US citizens are often not eligible for those work permissions, in addition to being ineligible for many positions in the embassy or consulate.

In this episode, Lauren interviews a first tour accompanying partner at a post without a work agreement. Helene struggled with the challenges of leaving behind a professional and creative career as well as the limitations on consulate jobs because she is not currently a US citizen. In doing so, she found two new professional identities: Employee Association Manager and Bagel Queen.

About Helene:
While sheltering in place in NYC during 2020's first Covid wave, Helene and her husband learned that he was admitted into the Foreign Service. A few months and a totally remote on-boarding process later, they were on a plane headed to Guangzhou, China.While neither of them were strangers to living in China, Helene quickly found that this would be a totally new experience for her. With no avenues to work on the local economy or in any capacity at the consulate, she started baking bagels to occupy her days and bring a piece of NYC to her breakfasts. When word spread, she started a bagel business, then got involved with the American Employee Association where she linked up both activities for a while.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit availableworldwide.substack.com

Having a client-facing business can be challenging if you're an introvert, empath or HSP (highly sensitive person). But Brigi has found what works for her, and she's eager to support other heart-centered entrepreneurs.

In this interview, we learn how Brigi leveraged her office management background in organizing Foreign Service moves, then transformed her knowledge and experience into becoming a Digital Business Manager.

She also offers sage advice to EFM's with business ideas: jump right in! Once you have an idea, run it by other EFM business owners because "we're there as a community to help you and support you."
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BIO

Brigi Perez is a Digital Business Manager and Notion Consultant who supports heart-centered, introverted, empath, and sensitive entrepreneurs to get organized in their businesses.She uses Notion to help them manage and keep all their information in one central hub to save them time and energy and move them from feeling overwhelmed to calm with ease.

As a Notion expert, she applies her love for strategy, planning, and project management to every aspect of her, life from planning her family's next move to organizing her life in her new country through her clients work. She loves breaking big visions into focused, manageable projects and tasks.

She was born in Hungary. She considers herself a lifelong learner, book and movie lover, and a highly sensitive person living a global life.

• Learn more about Brigi and her work at:
  https://www.brigiperez.com
  
• Download her FREE Notion template:
  https://brigisvirtualsolutions.ck.page/a8bacbce20
  
• Sign up for the Pivot Mastermind waitlist:
  https://brigisvirtualsolutions.ck.page/a32296260c

Connect with Brigi on:

• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Brigisvirtualsolutions
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/brigiperezdbm
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/Brigiperezdbm
• YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK2rPBHUXCiv7Zc4hQ34OHA

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit availableworldwide.substack.com

Last year, we profiled the Around the World 5K, an annual Foreign Service run for charity that takes place every April. The participants nominate non-profits to benefit from the event and this year, they selected the Mountain Seed Foundation, an EFM-led NGO supporting people impacted by war through art and wilderness therapy, housing and refuge support, and ongoing networks of alumni. In this episode, Lauren talks to Bryn Beary and Nathan Schmidt about their work with the foundation and the great things that are happening. The team behind Mountain Seed all met while serving in Ukraine in the mid 2010s, now they're all over the world, but dedicating their careers and hearts to restoring hope and confidence to Ukrainians and others impacted by war.

They're here on Available Worldwide to ask you to spread the word about the Mountain Seed Foundation and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The Mountain Seed Foundation (MSF) is a veteran-led nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that aims to provide healing to children and families who have been affected by war. Our approach involves a range of experiential programs, including mountain-based healing programs, art therapy, and outdoor therapy. By utilizing the healing power of the mountains and mountain climbing, we help individuals regain their self-confidence which trauma often steals away.MSF was founded by Nathan Schmidt, a U.S. Marine who served in many war-torn countries during his career. Through his own experience with PTSD and its impacts on his family, he grew to recognize the importance of mental health support, and found a powerful way to cope and heal through experiences in nature, most notably in mountaineering.

Nathan’s story and dream of providing support to families of war and trauma was brought to life by a team of EFM's that met during our overlapping postings to Ukraine. It was during the early years of the invasion that these strong relationships, bonds, and experiences were established, in turn empowering us all to take the leap of faith and build Mountain Seed.Learn more about Mountain Seed at

• https://mountainseedfoundation.org

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit availableworldwide.substack.com

Join the Available Worldwide Team!

Lauren and Steph have produced the Available Worldwide podcast for the past 2 years in addition to running our personal businesses.

We volunteer our time to tell the inspiring stories of EFMs, and we’re looking for someone to join our team who has a similar passion for encouraging EFMs. By volunteering with us, you'll gain experience promoting a podcast while giving back to your community.

All interested applicants should send an email to <[email protected]>

Let us know a little bit about your experience & why you’d like to join the Available Worldwide team.



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit availableworldwide.substack.com

From publishing kids' books in the Marshall Islands to teaching astronomy in Nicaragua. From researching cosmic rays in Utah to writing a book on science writing for Johns Hopkins. Jamie has pursued an incredibly varied career.

Everywhere she goes, Jamie tries to level up....and she's done a stellar job! Listen in on our conversation to hear how she lets her wide-ranging interests guide her, and why MacGyver's mullet is her spirit animal.

BIO
Jamie Zvirzdin researches ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays at the University of Utah and teaches science writing at Johns Hopkins University.

She has published work in The Atlantic, Kenyon Review, Brevity, Creative Nonfiction Magazine, CONSEQUENCE, Orion Magazine, Issues in Science & Technology, and elsewhere.

She writes a monthly newspaper column about citizen science for newspapers in Otsego County, New York, and she is the author of Subatomic Writing: Six Fundamental Lessons to Make Language Matter from Johns Hopkins University Press.
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Learn more about Jamie at

• www.subatomicwriting.com
• www.jamiezvirzdin.com
• www.unboundbookmaker.com

Connect with Jamie on

• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiezvirzdin
• Twitter https://twitter.com/jamiezvirzdin

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit availableworldwide.substack.com

Justin has created a personal career built on a love of problem solving and social entrepreneurship. At each post, he jumps into the challenge of making his new home and finding his new project. Whether that's boat building, catering or invention, he's discovered a new story, a new identity in each new place. In this episode, Justin and I talk about how he finds his new adventures and the way food has been a theme throughout his life. In 2022, Justin was awarded the Secretary of State Award for Outstanding Volunteerism Abroad for a project that brought Malagasy sensibilities and production techniques together with efficient pressure cooker technology to reduce fuel use and cooking time.

Biography:
Justin Wimpey has traveled the world, trailing his spouse, a US Foreign Service Officer. He is an engineer with over two decades of experience with renewable energy, mechanical and industrial design, and project management. Currently, he resides in Arlington, VA and is the Executive Director for a 501c3 non-profit the BeLocal Group, which leverages global knowledge to solve local problems.Recently he was posted in Madagascar. Recognizing that 97% of Madagascar’s population uses charcoal for cooking, Justin sought a better solution which would not only be technologically feasible but highly affordable, produced locally, and culturally accepted. Starting from the traditional Malagasy pot design, he created a pressure cooker which he offered without compensation to a local metalworker and foundry. He also improved the manufacturing process and helped establish a women-led business to market and distribute the pots across Madagascar. The “Cocotte Minute Gasy” is rapidly gaining in popularity as it reduces charcoal use and therefore deforestation, and saves mainly women from spending many hours every day exposed to the health-damaging fumes of charcoal fires.You can read more about the project, and support it here:https://www.belocalgrp.com/cmg



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit availableworldwide.substack.com

A quick mini-episode to ask you to share your love of Available Worldwide by posting the podcast to your local community group, by sharing our homepage with a new EFM at post, or by leaving us a review on Facebook. We love you all!!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit availableworldwide.substack.com

Looking for a stable job with career progression from post to post? Valeria would recommend looking at jobs in international education.

After years of working as an educator and administrator, Valeria is taking the first steps into a new venture — resume and cover letter consulting.

In this episode, Valeria walks us through some of the questions she's asked and answered while setting up her portable business. She also shares her positive perspective and advice as a third-culture kid, a mom to TCKs, and as an accompanying partner who continues to learn and grow as she moves from educator to business owner.
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BIO
Valeria Laitinen has lived and worked internationally for over 20 years. She began her career in international development and worked on democracy and governance projects in Bangladesh, Ghana and Nigeria. In Bangladesh, she was invited to develop and teach a course on job searching skills to graduate and undergraduate students at East-West University.

When she became a parent, she switched careers and became a certified international educator. She taught elementary school in Slovakia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Greece and Armenia. While in Greece, she entered administration and served as Elementary Vice Principal at ACS Athens.

In her role as school administrator, Valeria reviewed hundreds of resumes and cover letters, noting a vast range in effectiveness in how the applicants presented themselves on paper.

As a result, she founded Better See V https://betterseev.com/ to provide qualified and affordable resume and cover letter support to help jobseekers strengthen their application materials.

Valeria teaches the "Teaching and Working in Education" course for Eligible Family Members (EFMs) at the Foreign Service Institute.

She holds a Bachelor's degree in Government from Harvard University, a Master's degree in Conflict Resolution and Post-Conflict Reconstruction from the Fletcher School at Tufts University and a Master's in Education degree in International Education Administration from Endicott College.
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Learn more about Valeria's resume consultations:
https://betterseev.com/

Connect with Valeria on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/valeria-laitinen-b56a90186/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit availableworldwide.substack.com