In this heartfelt episode of Nomadic Diaries, Doreen Cumberford opens up about the challenges and transformations of expat life, drawing from her own 15 years as an accompanying spouse in Saudi Arabia. She reads an excerpt from her book, "Life in the Camel Lane," diving into the core themes of home, identity, and the elusive sense of belonging for global nomads. Listeners are invited to reflect on adaptation, cultural transitions, grief, and the growth that comes from living liminally—caught between cultures and worlds.

Key Topics Covered

• Personal Expat Journey:
• Doreen Cumberford
• shares highlights from her memoir, detailing the realities of moving, adapting, and thriving in a completely different cultural environment.
• Anatomy of Adventure: Each expat experience is unique, demanding presence, adaptation, and a willingness to let go of familiar ways.
• Liminal Living: The challenge and beauty of living life on the threshold—balancing cultures, mindsets, and identities.
• Growth & Adaptation: How expatriates, especially Western women in Saudi Arabia, redefined themselves and built new support systems.
• The Role of Grief: Exploring the emotional cost of saying goodbye to friends, places, and former selves, and how these losses fuel future adventures.
• Re-entry and Repatriation: The struggle and skills involved in returning ‘home’ after deep immersion in another culture.
• Transformation through Mobility: Embracing the changes and expanded perspectives that come from global living.

Memorable Quotes

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Home is Where Your Story Crosses Borders!

We aim to inspire expat solutions, by helping you navigate global living with ease and grace.

In this episode, Doreen Cumberford and Megan Norton-Newbanks sit down with Sa-Eun Park, also known as San Shine, a belonging coach and spiritual entrepreneur based in Incheon, Korea. San shares her powerful story of growing up cross-culturally—moving from Korea to Saudi Arabia, then Austria, and later, the U.S.—and how these experiences shaped her journey with belonging, identity, and self-acceptance.

Key Topics & Takeaways

• The Wound of Uprootedness:
  San discusses the impact of being separated from her family at a young age and growing up across multiple cultures, and how this led to a lifelong search for belonging.
• Inner Boardroom Method:
  San introduces her unique approach to self-acceptance by creating an "inner boardroom," inviting listeners to listen compassionately to the many voices within themselves shaped by cross-cultural experiences.
• Belonging as a Superpower:
  The conversation explores the idea that the ability to hold multiple cultural identities is not just a challenge, but a superpower for empathy and connection.
• Authenticity and Wholeness:
  How embracing all parts of ourselves, even the conflicted or fragmented ones, leads to a fuller sense of authenticity and belonging.
• The Human Kintsugi:
  San is developing a new framework—“The Human Kintsugi”—inspired by the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold. It’s about turning life’s fractures into sources of beauty and strength.
• Senses and Belonging:
  The importance of using our senses, especially intuition, to recognize belonging and polarization in spaces we inhabit.
• Community in a Changing World:
  A discussion on how the meaning of community is shifting with technology, and why self-belonging is foundational for creating connections with others.

Memorable Quotes

• “Those voices are there to guide you to the wholeness in you.” – San Shine
• “Belonging is about returning to yourself and remembering who you already are.”

Practical Tips

• Practice the Inner Boardroom:
  Sit with your different identities and listen to each one with compassion, as you would to children with different needs.
• Create Your Own Healing Rituals:
  Physical objects—like a heart with country flags—can help visually acknowledge and integrate all the cultures and experiences in your life.
• Explore Playlists:
  Curate music that resonates with your sense of belonging, or helps you connect with different versions of yourself.

Connect with Today’s Guest:

Founder and CEO of Octopus and Stitch Consulting

• IG - @octopusandstitch
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanshine/

Resources Mentioned

• The concept of “Human Kintsugi”
• Megan Norton-Newbanks’ book: Belonging Across Borders
• Repatriation Playlist (referenced in the episode; available in show notes)

Thank you for joining us on Nomadic Diaries! If this episode resonated with you, share your thoughts or leave us a review. Stay tuned for more conversations on belonging, identity, and the global nomad experience.

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Home is Where Your Story Crosses Borders!

We aim to inspire expat solutions, by helping you navigate global living with ease and grace.

In this heartfelt episode, Doreen and Megan sit down with Dr. Jemina Watstein, an internationally experienced visual art educator who specializes in working with third culture kids (TCKs) and international families. Together, they explore the deep connection between art, identity, healing, and belonging - especially for people who’ve lived globally mobile lives.

What You’ll Hear:

• Jemina’s Background:
  Jamina shares her journey as a visual art educator over two decades, teaching in the US, Germany, and Thailand, and her academic path from a Master’s in Fine Art Photography to a PhD in International Educational Leadership.
• Art as Inquiry & Healing:
  She dives into what “inquiry-based art” means and gives practical classroom examples, explaining how open-ended questions can help kids - especially TCKs - explore and express where they come from.
• Universality & Differences in Children’s Art:
  Jemina discusses universal stages of artistic development, how art transcends culture, and what influences personal expression as children grow up in varied educational systems (IB, American, etc.).
• Avoiding Stereotypes and Cultural Appropriation in Art:
  The group examines how to teach cultural art forms with respect and depth, rather than relying on stereotypes, and emphasizes the importance of context and personal connection.
• Art, Family, and Belonging:
  Insightful tips for parents to use art as a way to help their children process change, loss, and belonging—whether after a move or while they’re adapting to a new environment.
• Travel-Friendly Art Supplies:
  Practical advice on traveling with art materials for families on the move—including the joy and portability of fiber arts and even something simple like a beloved pen or marker.

Key Takeaways

• Inquiry-led art empowers both children and adults to understand and express their identities.
• Art fosters belonging—both individually and collectively—especially for those crossing cultures.
• Parents and educators can support healing and adjustment through creative prompts and open-ended exploration.
• Bringing even compact art supplies or starting collaborative art practices can help root a sense of self and connection, no matter where you are.

Resources Mentioned

• TCK Art Education Website – Jemina’s site with research and contact info
• Jemina Watson Art – Jemina’s portfolio and works
• Book: “Slurping Stoop” (for art prompt inspiration)

Connect With Dr. Jemina 

https://tcksarteducation.weebly.com

Jemina Watson Art

Final Thoughts

Explore art as a safe space for inquiry and connection, wherever you are in the world. Don’t underestimate the power of making - and gifting - something by hand as a path to deeper human belonging.

Thanks for listening to Nomadic Diaries! If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone in your global community and let us know how art has helped you find your sense of home.

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Home is Where Your Story Crosses Borders!

We aim to inspire expat solutions, by helping you navigate global living with ease and grace.

In this heartfelt and insightful episode, hosts Doreen Cumberford and Megan Norton-Newbanks welcome Stephen Toole for a rich conversation about the challenges and triumphs surrounding belonging and transition for Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and their families. Stephen draws from his decades of teaching and counseling experience across the globe, sharing practical advice and personal anecdotes about fostering community, supporting children and parents through transition, and the growing focus on well-being in international schools.

Key Discussion Topics

1. Challenges of Belonging for TCKs

• Increasing diversity in international schools, with more local students mixing with expats.

2. Inclusive Practices in International Schools

• The shift away from “English only” policies and embracing translanguaging strategies.
• The importance of validating and integrating students’ home cultures and languages in the classroom.
• Offering a variety of extracurricular activities to help students find their community.

3. Approaches to Supporting New Students

• Allowing space and time (a month or more) for new arrivals to settle before deep check-ins.

4. Community Building Beyond the Classroom

• Roles of parents, teachers, and staff in fostering a sense of belonging for the whole family.
• School events like welcome barbecues, international days, and cultural festivals as bridges for integration.

5. Advice for Parents Navigating Transition

• Transition is difficult—normalize sadness, frustration, and “not getting it right” at first.
• Don’t dismiss your child’s (or your own) grief; making space for discomfort is important.
• When challenges persist, reach out and communicate with counselors and trusted staff; don’t try to handle it alone.

6. Self-Care for Educators and Counselors

• The importance of having personal rituals and support networks (e.g., family time, walking pets, supportive colleagues).
• Creating safe, welcoming office spaces for students to retreat to when they need a break.

Memorable Quotes

• “Transition is difficult and it’s okay to cry. You’re not going to get it right the first time, and that’s also okay.”  Stephen Toole
• “Allowing them to speak about where they’ve come from is just as important as helping them move forward.” —Stephen Toole

Resources & Contact

• Connect with Stephen Toole: He welcomes outreach via LinkedIn for resource sharing and conversation about TCK transition and school support.
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-toole-m-ed/
• Recommended Books/Practitioners Mentioned:
  • Doug Ota  “Safe Passage” (on transition care)
  • Ruth Van Reken  on TCK identity, transition, and support

Connect with Us:

• Subscribe for more stories and insights from global nomads and experts on the topic of Belonging.

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Home is Where Your Story Crosses Borders!

We aim to inspire expat solutions, by helping you navigate global living with ease and grace.

In this heartfelt solo episode, Megan Norton-Newbanks pulls back the curtain on her new book, Letters Now Sent, a collection of letters from over 90 contributors who have experienced life as expats, nomads, and third culture kids (TCKs). Inspired by Ruth Van Ryken's memoir, Letters Never Sent, the project explores themes of belonging, vulnerability, and the emotional tapestry of cross-cultural living.

Key Themes & Highlights

• Origins of the Project:
  Megan Norton-Newbanks was inspired by Ruth Van Ryken’s letter-form memoir and wondered how deeply personal reflections from those living cross-culturally could create a shared archive 
• Emotional Responses to Letter Writing:
  Contributors reported tears, laughter, and catharsis as they revisited formative memories. Letters range from humorous moments to deep expressions of grief and gratitude 
• Who Are the Letters For?
  Letters addressed parents, grandparents, children, mentors (including Ruth Van Ryken), and younger selves—showing the diverse impact of globally mobile lives (
• Standout Letters:
  • Chris O’Shaughnessy’s letter to his childhood friend highlights empathy and its lasting effects on cross-cultural connection 
  • Susie Brown, a U.S. Foreign Service mom, writes to her sons about the real challenges and closeness that come from their “vagabond life” (
• What is Belonging?
  Megan Norton-Newbanks concludes: belonging isn’t about fitting in, but being seen—especially “in the mess” of global mobility (00:07:02–00:07:34).
• Letters as Emotional Yarn:
  These aren't tidy stories, but threads handed to the listener—the reality of living between cultures (00:07:18–00:07:34).
• Shared Experience:
  Despite chaos and change, the book reassures listeners that they’re not alone in their questions and feelings. It’s “messy, lovely, layered, and deeply human” (00:09:24–00:09:31).

Memorable Quotes

• “Belonging isn’t about fitting in, it’s about being seen. Even in the mess.”
• “Sometimes being a part of someone else's story is the most sacred kind of belonging there is.”

Call to Action

Share the episode or the Belonging Project series with expats, nomads, TCKs, or anyone seeking to feel seen in their globally mobile journeys.

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Home is Where Your Story Crosses Borders!

We aim to inspire expat solutions, by helping you navigate global living with ease and grace.

In this episode, Doreen and Megan dive into the theme of Belonging with Tayo Rockson, whose life as a global citizen, diplomat’s son, writer, and basketball lover has uniquely shaped his perspective on identity, inclusion, and community. Together, they explore how moving across cultures influences our understanding of self, the growing crisis of belonging in a polarized, fast-paced world, and practical tools for cultivating more inclusive communities.

Key Topics & Takeaways:

• Tayo’s Global Journey:
  • Raised in five countries across four continents by age 17.
  • Navigating identity as a Nigerian living abroad: Code-switching, language barriers, and the pressure to “fit in”
  • The concept of "lily pad thinking" - that is growth through incremental changes rather than binary leaps
• Belonging in Today’s World:
  • We’re experiencing a “crisis of community, identity, and values.”
  • Binary (either/or) thinking and social media are fueling division and reducing our opportunities for true connection.
  • We need to slow down, reflect, and get comfortable with nuance, discomfort, and messiness.
• Moving from Head to Heart:
  • Practicing basic self-inquiry—What am I feeling? Why? How will I respond?
  • Importance of understanding personal biases, values, and triggers.
  • Ownership over our roles, both as those affected by bias and as people who may perpetuate it unconsciously.
• Authenticity & Inclusivity:
  • Authenticity starts with asking “Who do I want to show up as?”
  • The power of stating your needs and values, even when it’s uncomfortable.
  • Perfectionism and “the invisibility cloak”—how hiding our messiness suppresses humanity and connection.
• For Leaders:
  • “Don’t be afraid to be human.”
  • Admitting mistakes and modeling vulnerability fosters psychological safety and real team connection.
  • Perfection can be oppressive—process and progress matter.
• Lightning Round Highlights:
  • Synonyms for belonging: Safety, home, appreciation, understanding.
  • Language Tayo would learn: Igbo (Nigerian tribal language).
  • Dream destination: Singapore.
• Tayo’s Motto:
  • “Use your difference to make a difference.”
  • Embrace uniqueness as a superpower. Start with similarity if difference feels challenging.

Recommended Resources:

• Use Your Difference to Make a Difference – Tayo’s Book
• As Told By Nomads – Tayo’s Podcast Archive
• Rethinking by Adam Grant (book reference)
• Paradise Found (film) – For lighter reflections on difference and belonging

Connect with Tayo:

• Website & Socials: tyrockson.com | @tyrockson everywhere

Closing Quote:

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Home is Where Your Story Crosses Borders!

We aim to inspire expat solutions, by helping you navigate global living with ease and grace.

In this delightful “Belonging Bite” mini-episode, hosts Doreen and Megan dive into the profound connection between food and belonging. From childhood comfort foods to international culinary adventures, they explore how what we eat is never just about taste, but deeply tied to our sense of home, community, and personal story.

Key Topics Covered:

• Personal Food Memories:
  Megan shares her love for afternoon tea—a ritual that grounds her and transcends borders. Doreen reminisces about the comfort of udon noodles on a rainy day in Kyoto, and how learning to make rice helped ease transitions in different countries.
• Staples of Belonging:
  Doreen highlights rice as a cross-cultural staple, while Megan reflects on her mom’s grilled cheese sandwiches as a comforting family tradition.
• Food and Community:
  The hosts discuss how food anchors family and community gatherings, fostering connection beyond words. Doreen mentions feeling most at home in gatherings featuring a mix of cuisines that bring together diverse cultures.
• Out of Place or Welcome:
  Both hosts reflect on moments of feeling out of place or accepted due to the foods they brought to international settings—Megan notes her anxiety as a TCK (Third Culture Kid) at school lunch, and Doreen recalls cultural sensitivity around Ramadan in Saudi Arabia.
• Cultural Insights:
  The episode touches on the role of food in cross-cultural respect and community—like the breaking of fast in Ramadan, tea rituals in Bedouin tents, and TCK reunions where sharing tea is an act of collective memory.
• Invitation to Listeners:
  Megan encourages listeners to invite someone for tea, coffee, or a meal, highlighting the lost art of home hospitality as a powerful act of welcoming and community-building.
• Favorite Quote:
  Doreen closes with a favorite Anthony Bourdain quote:
  “Food is everything we are. It's an extension of our nationalistic feelings, our ethnic feelings, our personal feelings, our provinces, our tribes and your grandma.”

Takeaways:

• Food is a powerful trigger for memories, emotions, and a sense of belonging.
• Sharing meals—no matter how small—can foster deep connections across cultures.
• Hospitality is as simple as a cup of tea and as profound as a feast across divides.

Calls to Action:

• Invite someone for tea or a meal this week—rekindle the lost art of welcoming people into your home.

Connect with Nomadic Diaries:

Tune in for more "Belonging Bites" as Doreen and Megan continue to explore the everyday moments and meaningful practices that help us feel at home, wherever we may be.

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Home is Where Your Story Crosses Borders!

We aim to inspire expat solutions, by helping you navigate global living with ease and grace.

In this insightful episode, Doreen Cumberford and Megan Norton-Newbanks chat with Dr. Helen Fagan about the nomadic spirit, the challenging journey of belonging, and the importance of self-awareness for meaningful inclusion. Dr. Fagan shares her childhood experiences in Iran, her identity as a descendant of Persian Bakhtiari nomads, and how moving across countries and cultures shaped her worldview.

The group discusses the internal and external facets of belonging - from the hard “homework” of self-reflection and letting go of limiting beliefs, to the practical work of including and welcoming others. Dr. Fagan describes the Intercultural Development Inventory, which helps people understand their approach to cultural differences, and highlights why most people remain in a mindset of minimization—focusing on similarities while struggling to engage with differences.

Through open conversation and vulnerability, Dr. Fagan illuminates the struggles of cultural dissonance, TCK (third culture kid) experiences, and the paradox of being “interested and interesting.” The conversation closes with Dr. Fagan’s personal reflections on family in Iran, the challenges of global unrest, and the importance of building belonging both within ourselves and our communities.

Key Topics Discussed

• Nomadic Heritage: The Bakhtiari legacy; how a journeying spirit manifests both in moving and deep engagement with new places.
• Third Culture Kid Identity: Navigating cultural dissonance, frequent goodbyes, and the search for belonging.
• Belonging as Inner Work: The necessity of self-reflection, understanding one's core values and past experiences, and releasing old beliefs.
• Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI): An assessment tool that uncovers how individuals perceive and respond to cultural differences, often revealing the gap between self-perception and reality.
• Internal vs. External Belonging: Balancing personal development with actions that foster inclusion and belonging for others.
• Emotional Intelligence and Leadership: The intersection of neuroscience, emotional intelligence, culture, and leadership in promoting inclusive communities.
• Handling Global Hardship: Coping with uncertainty and trauma when loved ones are in crisis, and turning to trusted personal strategies and support systems.
• Community and Connection: Building bridges by listening deeply, sharing stories, and fostering both individual and collective belonging.

Resources & Mentions

• Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI)
• Dr. Helen Fagan’s books & leadership training
• Brené Brown on deep listening & belonging

Connect with the Guests

• Dr. Helen Fagan: 
• http://www.linkedin.com/in/drhelenfagan
• http://www.facebook.com/drhelenfagan
• http://www.linkedin.com/in/drhelenfagan

Thank you for joining Nomadic Diaries! For more episodes and resources, follow us wherever you get your podcasts.

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Home is Where Your Story Crosses Borders!

We aim to inspire expat solutions, by helping you navigate global living with ease and grace.

This episode explores the deep connections between movement, body awareness, identity, and belonging, especially as experienced by people who navigate multiple cultures. The conversation dives into Marcia Bonato Warren's unique approach to Embodied Code-Switching® and the role of somatic awareness in feeling at home within our bodies across shifting cultural contexts.

Key Topics Discussed:

• What is Somatic Awareness?
  • Originates from the Greek word for “body” (soma).
  • Goes beyond physical presence—encompasses bodily signals, wisdom, five senses, and cultural body norms.
  • Importance of asking: “What have my cultures told me about my body?” and recognizing how societal norms affect our sense of self.
• Belonging and the Body
  • The sensory cues that signal belonging or otherness, from environmental context to body types reflected around us.
  • Somatic experiences of cultural fit and difference, such as feeling physically at ease or vigilant in certain environments.
• Embodied Code Switching & The SIA Loop
  • SIA Loop: Sensation → Interpretation → Action. A tool for attuning to both internal body messages and cross-cultural cues, slowing down reactions, and choosing responses intentionally.
  • The cross-cultural transition is often first detected in the body, not the mind.
  • Examples include changing posture, tone, or movement in response to different cultural expectations (e.g., "shrinking" or shifting vocal inflection in Tokyo).
• The Power of Mirroring and Interpersonal Synchrony
  • Mirroring (matching movement, posture, or inflection) naturally helps connect with others and foster belonging - as long as it's authentic, not imitation.
  • Shared rhythms (like dance, group chants, celebrations) create community and signal inclusion even without shared language.
• Memory, Longing, and Grief in the Globally Mobile Life
  • Bodily memories connect us to places and cultures left behind—there’s always a sense of longing (“saudade”) for experiences that cannot fully accompany us home.
  • Creating rituals or writing can help honor these connections and process grief.
• Advice for Global Nomads and Culturally Fluid Individuals
  • You have permission to own your unique, multifaceted identity.
  • Being able to cross cultures with awareness is a superpower—it enhances empathy, flexibility, and compassion.
  • Allow yourself time to know both your hosts and yourself; notice, listen, and include your body in this ongoing conversation.
• “Home is in my body now, because this is what’s taken me to all those places. And I still have me.”
• “There’s always a part of you that can’t come with you to the next place, but your body has a memory of those places, and because of that, it stays connected.”
• “Folks that move in between cultures and with different cultures, with conscious awareness... it’s a superpower. And I don’t say that lightly.”

Resources

• Book: Movement and Identity: Multiculturalism, Somatic Awareness and Embodied Code Switching
• Where to find Marcia Bonasso Warren: 
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcia-bonato-warren/
• https://www.youtube.com/@MarciaBonatoWarren
• https://www.facebook.com/MarciaBonatoWarren

Connect With Us

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Home is Where Your Story Crosses Borders!

We aim to inspire expat solutions, by helping you navigate global living with ease and grace.

In this heartfelt and insightful episode, host Doreen Cumberford and co-host Megan Norton are joined by Erin Meyer-Cherneux —author, cultural anthropologist, and visual artist —for  a rich discussion about belonging, transnational identities, and the beauty of multicultural living.

Erin shares her journey from a small town in Texas to making a home in vibrant Brussels, raising four bilingual and multicultural children, and finding inspiration and connection in places like Normandy. She discusses the unique challenges and joys of building community in internationally transient environments and distills wisdom from her own life, including her experiences as an author and her love for art and long-distance swimming.

Together, they explore the importance of belonging—not just to a place, but to oneself and to humanity as a whole. The conversation covers everything from the meaning behind painting walls blue, to modeling connection for children, grieving friendships in expat circles, and drawing life lessons from World War II history.

Key Topics Covered

• Erin’s journey: From Texas to Belgium and finding both love and a sense of home
• Raising multicultural, multilingual children and navigating family identity
• The practice and philosophy of belonging in global, transient communities
• How Erin’s book, D Day Lessons for Today: How to Create Your Future History, draws life lessons from history for facing personal challenges
• The importance of intuition, self-knowledge, and “belonging to oneself”
• Initiatives like open water swimming across continents and art as transformative practice
• The resilience, adaptability, and richness found in the expat experience
• Cultivating curiosity, empathy, and connection across cultures
• How artifacts, traditions, and physical spaces (like blue-painted rooms and rugs) can foster a sense of home

Memorable Quotes

• “Brussels is my heartbeat and Normandy is my soul sigh.” – Erin Meyer Charnu
• “Belonging means belonging to yourself first—when I feel least like I belong, that’s when I’m not paying enough attention to myself.” – Erin Meyer Charnu
• “You can pick and choose the best of the different worlds that you live in.” – Erin Meyer Charnu
• “We all belong to the human race—and that diversity of expression is what makes the world so rich and colorful and wonderful.” – Erin Meyer Charnu
• “When you connect with someone, you realize you’re both human and have similar desires, even if they’re expressed differently.” – Erin Meyer Charnu

Further Resources

• Erin’s Book: D Day Lessons for Today: How to Create Your Future History
• Education First (EF) D-Day Anniversary Commemorative Exhibit
• The Belonging Project (hosted by Megan Norton)

Connect With Erin

• Erin Meyer-Cherneux: Author, artist, coach, and cultural anthropologist based in Brussels and Normandy

Thank you for listening to Nomadic Diaries!
If this episode resonated with you, don’t forget to subscribe and share your favorite moments on social media. For more stories and resources on global living and finding community wherever you are, follow us or reach out via our website.

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Masalama, sayonara, and hasta luego

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Home is Where Your Story Crosses Borders!

We aim to inspire expat solutions, by helping you navigate global living with ease and grace.