It's Tea Time Somewhere

We're doing a little series of "dos and don'ts" for the next few episodes. And we're starting off with home assignments (aka: furlough, home leave, going back for a visit, etc.) Returning to your passport country holds wonderful opportunities to connect with family, friends, and our home culture. It also has a lot of stressful elements. On this episode, Alicia, Melissa, and Denise talk about going back on home assignment and they share a few do's and don'ts based off personal experiences. So go ahead and make yourself some tea or coffee and get comfy. Get ready to take some notes so you'll be prepared for your next trip back to your homeland.

Check out our show notes for links to all the things we talked about in this episode.

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We're usually quick to notice where we fall short and often forget to celebrate the progress. In this episode, we'll be sharing stories about milestones we've reached in our own expat life—and we invite you to do the same! It's a great habit to acknowledge and celebrate the progress we've made. And speaking of celebrating, we recently reached a milestone for our podcast that you all played a huge part in!

Check out our show notes for links to all the things we talked about in this episode.

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There are so many ways to get involved in our community.

Join us on Instagram.

Interact with other expats on our private Facebook group.

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Conflict will arise from time to time in any friendship—even the best of them— and how we manage these inevitable disagreements with our friends can play a big part in the health of the relationship. In expat life, friendships are really important to invest in so we can find community with others who understand our life. During this tea time chat, Alicia, Denise, and Melissa discuss a recent conflict they had, how they worked through it, and how they learned more about one another in the process. Communication and empathy are important skills for resolving any level of conflict. We hope this episode will leave you feeling better equipped to work through conflict in friendships whenever it arises.

Check out our show notes for links to all the things we talked about in this episode.

_______

There are so many ways to get involved in our community.

Join us on Instagram.

Interact with other expats on our private Facebook group.

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You've already done the BIG-sell-all-your-things move. But now it's time to move again—maybe it's across town or across the country. You don't have to sell all.the.things again, but you do have to get it all from Point A to Point B.

In this episode of "It's Tea Time Somewhere," we'll be sharing how many times we've each moved, stories from previous moving experiences, our typical process for packing/moving, and what we do first when we arrive at our new place.

We also made up a new word (if Gen Z can do it all the time, we can too). We think it will make a great addition to your vocabulary.

Check out our show notes for links to all the things we talked about in this episode.

_______

There are so many ways to get involved in our community.

Join us on Instagram.

Interact with other expats on our private Facebook group.

Search for expat articles on our blog.

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Connect with Denise

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This episode is all about vacations! We talk about our vacation rhythms (back when, you know, we could actually go somewhere…), how we make them happen, or why they don't happen. We also discuss the guilt that many cross-cultural workers feel about taking a vacation. Rest is so necessary, in any kind of work, and we want you to feel the freedom to go create beautiful memories with your family. So, pack everyone up in the car/bus/train/plane, grab your travel mug, put your earbuds in and get outta town, cause it's tea time somewhere!

Check out our show notes for links to all the things we talked about in this episode.

_______

There are so many ways to get involved in our community.

Join us on Instagram.

Interact with other expats on our private Facebook group.

Search for expat articles on our blog.

Get monthly curated resources monthly via our newsletter.

Connect with Denise

Connect with Melissa

Connect with Alicia

In this episode, we're talking about "summer break" and whether or not we're actually having a break from school. We discussed how the 2020-2021 school year went for each of our families, how the school year ended (or has it?) and what we've learned from the Lord about ourselves and about our children in this last year. We also chat about a new word that the youths are saying (well, it was new back when we recorded this episode) and we have a pop quiz about its meaning. Join us!

Check out our show notes for links to all the things we talked about in this episode.

_______

There are so many ways to get involved in our community.

Join us on Instagram.

Interact with other expats on our private Facebook group.

Search for expat articles on our blog.

Get monthly curated resources monthly via our newsletter.

Connect with Denise

Connect with Melissa

Connect with Alicia

This is the Beauty Episode! In this episode we talked about the evolution of our style and beauty throughout the years; from all the way back in the awkward days when we first started trying to look pretty, till now. We discussed how to stay true to your style and "feel like you" when moving to a new country and how sweat drains our motivation to put on makeup. And since you asked (or even if you didn't), we put our Influencer hats on and wrapped it all up by sharing which products and beauty tips are working for us right now.

So, wash your face and plop up your hair because it's tea time somewhere!

Check out our show notes for links to all the things we talked about in this episode.

_______

There are so many ways to get involved in our community.

Join us on Instagram.

Interact with other expats on our private Facebook group.

Search for expat articles on our blog.

Get monthly curated resources monthly via our newsletter.

Connect with Denise

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Connect with Alicia

Today we're chatting Rachel Pieh Jones (who has previously joined us here on the podcast). For those of you who don't already know Rachel, she writes about life at the crossroads of faith and culture. Rachel just released her latest book, Pillars: How Muslim Friends Led Me Closer to Jesus. She shares stories that recount the personal encounters and growing friendships which gradually dismantled her unspoken fears and prejudices and deepened her respect for Islam. Along the way she also gains a far richer understanding of her own Christian faith. She divided her stories around the five pillars of Islam — creed, prayer, fasting, giving, and pilgrimage — and shows how her Muslim friends' devotion to these pillars led her to rediscover ancient Christian practices her own religious tradition has lost or neglected. We hope this interview encourages you to extend a holy welcome to your friends, neighbors, and coworkers, and to reach your hand across the chasm with empathy and respect toward fellow Image Bearers of God.

Check out our show notes for links to all the things we talked about in this episode.

_______

There are so many ways to get involved in our community.

Join us on Instagram.

Interact with other expats on our private Facebook group.

Search for expat articles on our blog.

Get monthly curated resources monthly via our newsletter.

Connect with Denise

Connect with Melissa

Connect with Alicia

Welcome to the Preggisode! But don't run away! This conversation is packed full of laughs that you'll enjoy even if pregnancy is far from your mind.

In this episode we talked about allll the pregnancy things. We've had a lot of kids overseas, a combination of 10 pregnancies. So, there are many paths to walk down our memory lanes.

Being pregnant and having babies far away from our passport country can be an intimidating experience. There is also something really special about experiencing pregnancy and childbirth in a different culture. So grab your cup of tea (or coffee) and enjoy this chat.

Check out our show notes for links to all the things we talked about in this episode.

_______

There are so many ways to get involved in our community.

Join us on Instagram.

Interact with other expats on our private Facebook group.

Search for expat articles on our blog.

Get monthly curated resources monthly via our newsletter.

Connect with Denise

Connect with Melissa

Connect with Alicia

In this episode, we're doing our first round of "ask us anything." We had so many questions from listeners there was no way to answer all, but we do discuss our friendship, how to maintain long-distance friendships and family relationships, meeting neighbors with limited language, and embarrassing moments (well, we only had time to share ONE moment this time because Melissa's story took us by surprise). We also give some rapid-fire answers to questions about books, pets, and what goodies we shove in our suitcases.

Check out our show notes for links to all the things we talked about in this episode.

_______

There are so many ways to get involved in our community.

Join us on Instagram.

Interact with other expats on our private Facebook group.

Search for expat articles on our blog.

Get monthly curated resources monthly via our newsletter.

Connect with Denise

Connect with Melissa

Connect with Alicia