Nomadic Diaries: Mastering Global Transitions

Two suitcases, 31 days, one letter at a time. In this opening episode, Doreen explains why every move abroad is really two journeys, the one you can map and the one you can’t, and invites you to ask yourself where you are on the road right now.

 Launch to Landed: The A to Z of Life Abroad is a 31-day NaPodPoMo series from Nomadic Diaries. In ten-minute episodes, Doreen Cumberford draws on fifty years of life across eight countries and four continents to guide you from the first thought of moving to the long road home. Whether you’re dreaming, packing, living abroad or heading home, there’s a letter for you.

 Share this episode with someone who’s standing at one of those thresholds: a new country, a return home, or simply a life that’s asking them to become someone they haven’t quite met yet.

We would love to hear from you, send us a text please!

Support the show

You can map the move. You cannot map the metamorphosis. Nomadic Diaries explores the interior journey of expat life — the belonging, the identity shifts, the repatriation, and everything that travels with you that can't be packed in a suitcase. 

Browse the full catalog at nomadicdiariespodcast.com and please share or leave a review if this episode resonated.

Fifty years. Eight countries. Two suitcases. Now 31 days.

Welcome to Launch to Landed: The A to Z of Life Abroad, a NaPodPoMo series from Nomadic Diaries. Every day this November, Doreen Cumberford brings you one ten-minute episode, built around one letter. The series runs from the first “what if we moved abroad?” to the homecoming nobody warns you about.

Whether you’re dreaming, packing, living abroad or heading home, there’s a letter for you.

New episodes daily, 1 to 30 November. Follow so you don’t miss one.

nomadicdiariespodcast.com

We would love to hear from you, send us a text please!

Support the show

You can map the move. You cannot map the metamorphosis. Nomadic Diaries explores the interior journey of expat life — the belonging, the identity shifts, the repatriation, and everything that travels with you that can't be packed in a suitcase. 

Browse the full catalog at nomadicdiariespodcast.com and please share or leave a review if this episode resonated.

About our Guest

Simon D. spent fifteen years running his own renovation business in Hamilton, Ontario, before he and his wife swapped Canadian life for Belize in 2022, a country they first fell for on their babymoon.

 Leaving his trade behind, he turned to content writing just as large language models arrived, and rather than retreat, he went all in. Today he helps founders and small businesses build AI integrations and automations, hosts the podcast Foreign Radio, and writes about life abroad on Substack. His newest project, MoveSmart, brings those two worlds together: an AI tool built to help people decide where in the world they might thrive.

What You’ll Walk Away With

Doreen and Simon explore self-initiated expatriation and the gap between the holiday version of a place and the lived one. Simon describes a pattern he sees again and again in Belize: people sell everything, ship their belongings, build a house, and are gone within eight to twelve months. 

His own family took two and a half years to feel truly at home. He talks about smashing the rose-coloured glasses, from months of sargassum on the beach to the quaint old town where you can never find parking, and shares a wonderfully telling story about high- and low-context communication at the immigration office, where the right question unlocked a stack of paperwork the wrong one never would have. 

An honest conversation about building and using your own judgement when moving overseas. 

Connect with Simon 

Email Simon at [email protected]

You can find him on Substack at Simo’s Substack, read his AI writing at BotBot, and connect with him on LinkedIn as Simon D.

https://simod.me/

https://movesmart.world/

Share this episode with someone who’s standing at one of those thresholds — a new country, a return home, or simply a life that’s asking them to become someone they haven’t quite met yet.

We would love to hear from you, send us a text please!

Support the show

You can map the move. You cannot map the metamorphosis. Nomadic Diaries explores the interior journey of expat life — the belonging, the identity shifts, the repatriation, and everything that travels with you that can't be packed in a suitcase. 

Browse the full catalog at nomadicdiariespodcast.com and please share or leave a review if this episode resonated.

Don’t Transplant Your Life, Translate It: Repatriating to Poland 

Lucyna Boland left Poland already asking where she could go next. Twenty years later she had lived in the United States, Germany, England, Spain and France. She had built a career in corporate learning and talent development, married a Canadian and started a family. Then, during the pandemic and while grieving her father, she felt a pull home she couldn’t quite explain. Within a week, the family had decided to move into her mother’s attic flat. Today Lucyna is an expat coach and a fractional learning and performance partner. She lives in a house built on the very plot where, as a girl, she was embarrassed to pick potatoes beside her dad.

What You’ll Walk Away With

Lucyna never called it going back. Poland had changed, and so had she, so she set out to build a new home in her old one. She admits to feeling like an outsider in her mother tongue, unable to joke or let go in Polish. People also asked her about her own country, and often she couldn’t answer.

You’ll hear what the move meant for her husband. He found Poland’s endless calendar of celebrations exhausting, yet sums it up in one line: here, things work. You’ll also learn how their trilingual family keeps three languages alive with a few simple rules.

If you’re facing a repatriation that feels harder than expected, Lucyna shares a practical tool. When she’s tempted to book a flight out, she rereads her written list of the six reasons she came back. She also explains why, as a coach, she rarely gives advice, and why she still hasn’t “landed” and doesn’t mind.

At the heart of it is the phrase that lingered after we stopped recording: "don’t transplant your life, translate it".  The soil is different, so your joys need a new language to grow.

Connect with the Guest

Expats, repats and anyone with more than one home can find Lucyna at lucynaboland.com. Recruitment agencies will find her on LinkedIn, where she posts every day.

Share this episode with someone who’s standing at one of those thresholds — a new country, a return home, or simply a life that’s asking them to become someone they haven’t quite met yet.

We would love to hear from you, send us a text please!

Support the show

You can map the move. You cannot map the metamorphosis. Nomadic Diaries explores the interior journey of expat life — the belonging, the identity shifts, the repatriation, and everything that travels with you that can't be packed in a suitcase. 

Browse the full catalog at nomadicdiariespodcast.com and please share or leave a review if this episode resonated.

In this inspirational and deeply personal conversation, Doreen Cumberford sits down with Melissa Parks, therapist, coach and author of A Compassionate Mess: A Therapist, Her Monsters, and a Journey to Self-Acceptance  - to explore the challenges and rewards of self-compassion, the realities of cross-cultural transitions, and the myths that hold us back from thriving as global nomads and returnees.

Key Topics Covered

Facing Our "Monsters"
Melissa Parks discusses reframing personal struggles as "monsters" instead of "demons," reflecting on her religious upbringing and therapeutic practice. She shares insight into how naming our inner critic helps us face, accept, and ultimately befriend our hardest feelings and patterns (00:41).

Self-Compassion: Fierce, Not Fluffy
Debunking myths about self-compassion (e.g., it's selfish or self-absorbed)00:09:56, and redefining it as a powerful, sometimes fierce act of self-care vital for those in constant life transitions.

The importance of self-kindness, especially for those in helping professions or navigating intercultural and international moves (00:10:52).

Transitions & Mental Health
Why frequent or major transitions (including repatriation) can challenge even the seasoned expat (00:30:04).

Tools for managing transition stress: allowing oneself to "ride the roller coaster," practicing radical acceptance, and letting go of perfectionism (00:30:18).

Techniques for Resilience and Well-being
Practical strategies discussed include "worry time" for insomnia, identifying and letting go of harsh inner thoughts (00:19:57), and using mindfulness and soothing touch as portable tools for settling the nervous system (00:34:52).

The science and technique behind a "self-compassion break": mindfulness, common humanity, and kindness (00:44:51).

The Power and Limits of Self-Discovery
Melissa Parks reflects on her self-diagnosis of autism after writing her book, the impact of family patterns and intergenerational trauma, and the need for both therapy and coaching, each at the right time (00:22:42, 00:43:10).

Discussion on how to heal and reframe without access to previous generations (00:39:04).

The Value of Community, Family, and Grace
Insights into managing family relationships post-expatriation and the complexities of sharing personal stories publicly (00:08:24).

The role of cultural practices (like daily prayer pauses) in building self-respect and compassion (00:13:46).

Memorable Quotes
“We all have these different monsters inside of us. If we look them in the face, they don’t have to be as scary.” — Melissa Parks 

"Self-compassion is not about being self-absorbed—caring for yourself is how you can truly care for others." — Melissa Parks 

Transitions are hard. It doesn’t mean anything about your capacity; it’s just part of the package.” — Melissa Parks (00:31:35)

Actionable Takeaways

1. Pause and Practice Self-Compassion: Use mindfulness, human connection, and kindness—especially during transitions or under stress.
2. Reframe Your Inner Critic: Name your "monsters" to lessen their power.
3. Adopt Cross-Cultural Practices: Seek out and adapt rituals from other cultures to support your own well-being.
4. Balance Self-Focus and Community: Filling your own cup allows you to show up authentically for others—they are not mutually exclusive.
5. Reach Out: Therapy and coaching serve distinct but complementary purposes—don’t hesitate to seek professional support in times of transition.

Resources & Book Recommendations

• A Therapist, Her Monsters, and the Journey to Self-Acceptance by Melissa Parks
• “Dragons Love Tacos” – a recommended children’s book for reframing fears
• Further resources, coaching, and writing by Melissa Parks: melissaparks.com
• Melissa Parks on Substack

Connect With Our Guest

• Website: melissaparks.com
• Substack: Melissa Parks
• Social: @drmelissaparks
• Ideal clients: People navigating the “stay or go” dilemma abroad, those moving through transitions, and anyone seeking purposeful next-life chapters.

We would love to hear from you, send us a text please!

Support the show

You can map the move. You cannot map the metamorphosis. Nomadic Diaries explores the interior journey of expat life — the belonging, the identity shifts, the repatriation, and everything that travels with you that can't be packed in a suitcase. 

Browse the full catalog at nomadicdiariespodcast.com and please share or leave a review if this episode resonated.

In this deeply personal episode, Doreen Cumberford interviews Sarah Deschamps, author of I Couldn't Tell You. Sarah Deschamps shares the harrowing and ultimately hopeful story of her family’s move from Tokyo back to Minnesota, a journey marked by her daughter's complex medical challenges and the mental health struggles entwined with repatriation. This conversation illuminates the hidden traumas of re-entry, caregiver PTSD, and the transformative power of storytelling.

Key Themes

• Repatriation Challenges: Navigating family transition, loss, and the complexities of 'returning home'.
• Invisible Struggles: Living through—and speaking about—mental health issues (ADHD, OCD, PTSD) in the expat and repat context.
• Caregiving Trauma: The unspoken weight carried by parents facing a child’s chronic medical issues across borders.
• Finding and Building Community: How identity, belonging, and tribe shift for expats in transition.
• Power of Storytelling: Why sharing your experience matters for personal and collective healing.

Notable Moments

• Sarah Deschamps's Origin Story: From moving to Tokyo with a toddler and giving birth in a foreign language hospital to her child’s life-changing diagnosis 01:25.
• Reentry and Medical Crisis: The unforeseen spiral as their daughter requires immediate surgery upon returning to the US, and the emotional fallout 12:06.
• Caregiver PTSD and Mental Health: Sarah Deschamps opens up about her struggles with OCD and PTSD, discovering the depth of her trauma only years after repatriation 29:04.
• The Importance of Telling Your Story: Why Sarah Deschamps says it’s “critical that you find a way to tell your story”—for your own healing and for others who witness it 40:21.
• The Search for Tribe: How ‘finding your people’ is both necessary and difficult when returning from life abroad 25:36.

Resources & Links

• Sarah Deschamps's Book: I Couldn't Tell You (and her first memoir about Japan)—available at sarahdeshant.com 43:45.
• Pull Through Network: Support for families with children facing anorectal malformation and similar medical journeys.
• Blog & Media Appearances: Follow Sarah Deschamps and her evolving story at sarahdeshant.com.

Pearl of Wisdom

Connect

• Find Sarah Deschamps & her books: https://sarahdeschamps.com
• Host: Doreen Cumberford

If you or someone you know is navigating the challenges of expat life, repatriation, or complex family transitions, this episode is a must-listen for hope, guidance, and solidarity.

Subscribe to Nomadic Diaries for more stories and strategies from thoughtful people living meaningful lives overseas.

We would love to hear from you, send us a text please!

Support the show

You can map the move. You cannot map the metamorphosis. Nomadic Diaries explores the interior journey of expat life — the belonging, the identity shifts, the repatriation, and everything that travels with you that can't be packed in a suitcase. 

Browse the full catalog at nomadicdiariespodcast.com and please share or leave a review if this episode resonated.

In this insightful episode, Doreen Cumberford is joined by Saehee Chang, an intercultural trainer, engagement specialist, and founder of Korea Connect. Together, they explore the journey of navigating life across cultures as a Third Culture Kid (TCK), the challenges of repatriation, balancing success and happiness abroad, and the quest for belonging.

Key Topics Covered

• Growing Up Global:
  Saehee shares her nomadic background across Korea, Vietnam, Kenya, the US, and Germany, and reflects on how these transitions shaped her curiosity and resilience as a TCK 00:01:16.
• Identity & Belonging:
  The discussion delves into the complexities of identity, feeling "different" even upon returning "home," and the continual process of self-discovery in international settings 00:08:11.
• The Challenge of Repatriation:
  Saehee discusses the emotional impact and unexpected difficulties of moving back to Korea and later to Germany as an adult, underlining the importance of patience and self-kindness 00:13:24, 00:43:01.
• Success vs. Happiness Abroad:
  Doreen Cumberford and Saehee explore the expat paradox—how outward success doesn’t always equate to inner happiness— and the essential role of mental, emotional, and professional balance 00:20:41.
• Strategies for Challenging Transitions:
  Saehee openly recounts her struggles with depression during the adjustment to Germany and the pivotal role of therapy, volunteering, and building community in regaining equilibrium 00:26:31.
• Professional Reinvention:
  The journey of reestablishing Korea Connect in Germany highlights perseverance, utilizing core skills, and finding the right niche across new cultural landscapes 00:32:02.
• Looking Ahead: Going “Home” Again:
  Saehee shares her evolving plans to return to the US to be closer to her aging parents, emphasizing the need for pre-planning and flexibility in future transitions 00:36:26.
• Advice for Expats & Global Nomads:
  Preparation, trusting the process, and practicing self-compassion emerge as top recommendations for anyone facing the challenges of life transitions abroad 00:43:01.

Notable Quotes

• “You have to be very patient and kind to yourself…give it time. Let the process work, and it does work out.” 
• “The grass is not always greener on the other side. That really is a huge lesson that I had to eventually learn and realize.” 
• “Find your tribe, find your people, find your community that makes you feel like you can be who you are and seek those communities out.” 

Episode Takeaways

• Curiosity and Openness: Essential tools for adapting and making authentic connections across cultures.
• Balance: Success abroad doesn’t guarantee happiness – pursue holistic well-being.
• Support Matters: Therapy, volunteering, and community all make a difference in challenging adaptations.
• Preparation & Patience: Plan as much as you can, trust the unfolding journey, and be gentle with yourself during every transition.
• Home Is Fluid: For many, home is defined by belonging, comfort, and identity—not just geography.

We would love to hear from you, send us a text please!

Support the show

You can map the move. You cannot map the metamorphosis. Nomadic Diaries explores the interior journey of expat life — the belonging, the identity shifts, the repatriation, and everything that travels with you that can't be packed in a suitcase. 

Browse the full catalog at nomadicdiariespodcast.com and please share or leave a review if this episode resonated.

This episode explores the layers of identity, privilege, and adaptation in expat experiences through a conversation with author Stephanie Cook. Topics range from cultural healing, maintaining authenticity, and the paradoxes of belonging, to practical and emotional strategies for global nomads and expat families.

Key Discussion Points

1. The Russian Dolls of Identity

Both speakers discuss how multiple cultural experiences accumulate like Russian nesting dolls.

Stephanie Cook emphasizes embracing every version of oneself: “My little 4-year-old German girl is still there, and so is the 25-year-old British girl. And it's all— they're all here” 00:00:57.

2. Pride, Privilege, and Sharing Roots

Acknowledgement of privilege in being allowed to celebrate one’s heritage, and the responsibility and difference this creates compared to immigrants from other backgrounds 00:01:56.

The American preference for celebrating heritage and cultural differences, demonstrated during national events 00:02:27.

3. Hidden Immigrants and Authenticity

Doreen Cumberford reflects on being a “hidden immigrant” and the challenge of feeling authentic in a new country while appearing to fit in 00:04:09.

4. Transitions Across States & Cultures
The soft landing in multicultural California contrasted with culture shock in Texas 00:06:28; the importance of local context in expat adaptation.

Community differences between international enclaves and more locally rooted environments 00:10:38.

5. Community Spirit and “Big-Hearted” Texas

Despite challenges, Stephanie Cook describes Texas and experiences there as marked by “big-heartedness” and deep community spirit that transcends differences 00:15:47.

6. The Third Culture Human

Exploration of identity labels: expat, immigrant, migrant, and the concept of being a “third culture human” as a broader, more inclusive term 00:25:55.

7. Open-mindedness & Self-care for Expats

Advice on adaptability: “The most important and also the simplest thing you need to be is open-minded… and make sure that you do say yes to all the things that happen. But make sure that you have time to process a move” 00:29:17.

Importance of creating balance between engaging and finding solitude and restoration 00:30:12.

8. Family & Mental Health Support

Discussion on the inadequacy of self-care expectations put on accompanying spouses and need for true mental health support for all family members during global moves 00:35:18.

9. Repatriation and the Future

Contemplating moves back to Europe—recognizing that life stages and global family contexts make plans fluid and non-linear 00:26:39.

10. Embracing Paradox & Wholeness

On the paradox of feeling more fragmented yet whole as a nomad: “You become more fragmented, and yet at the same time you become more whole” 00:20:42.

Resources & Mentions

• Book: Transcontinental Overload
  • Website: transcontinentaloverload.com
  • Instagram: Overloaded Steph

Memorable Quotes

• “Be prepared to deal with yourself.” 
• “I am the home.” 
• “Say yes to everything at first, but make sure that you have time to process a move.”

We would love to hear from you, send us a text please!

Support the show

You can map the move. You cannot map the metamorphosis. Nomadic Diaries explores the interior journey of expat life — the belonging, the identity shifts, the repatriation, and everything that travels with you that can't be packed in a suitcase. 

Browse the full catalog at nomadicdiariespodcast.com and please share or leave a review if this episode resonated.

Sarah Rapp is Director of Youth Advocacy and People at Junior Achievement Worldwide, and a nomad who has worked internationally for nearly a decade. Born in Germany, she moved abroad as an expat to Malta before building a fully nomadic life shaped by people and purpose rather than beaches. She previously hosted the podcast How to Be Global, closing it after 126 episodes once she felt she had "become global" herself, and has now launched a new movement, 1 Million Humans, drawing on her own experience of burnout and hard-won belonging.

What You'll Walk Away With

Doreen and Sarah trace her path from a shy, unbelonging childhood in Germany to a life spread across countries, friendships and time zones. Sarah speaks candidly about the real costs of nomadic living, from friendships and relationships to relentless jet lag, and why the trade-offs still feel worth it. The conversation turns to 1 Million Humans, born from watching high achievers run on empty, and why human skills matter more than ever in an AI-saturated world. Sarah also reflects on privilege, advocacy and a formative encounter with poverty in Accra, Ghana, that shaped how she shows up for others.

Connect with Sarah Rapp

Find Sarah on Instagram at @SarapGlobal or on YouTube for behind-the-scenes glimpses of her life. Join the movement at 1millionhumans.com, where the first thousand members become founding members of the Good Human Club.

Share this episode with someone who's standing at one of those thresholds — a new country, a return home, or simply a life that's asking them to become someone they haven't quite met yet.

We would love to hear from you, send us a text please!

Support the show

You can map the move. You cannot map the metamorphosis. Nomadic Diaries explores the interior journey of expat life — the belonging, the identity shifts, the repatriation, and everything that travels with you that can't be packed in a suitcase. 

Browse the full catalog at nomadicdiariespodcast.com and please share or leave a review if this episode resonated.

Daniel Yalowitz 

Daniel Yalowitz psychologist, professor and intercultural mentor came to talk to Nomadic Diaries about his story as a cornerstone of the intercultural field for nearly four decades. Daniel brought to this episode the generosity and warmth that have made him a mentor to so many of us who have navigated life across cultures.

His favorite words all start with a C. Curiosity. Creativity. Collaboration. Communication. Collectivity. When your values and your work align this completely, you stop compartmentalising. That is what living an intercultural life feels like from the inside.

We explored the three-word question he carries into every training room and therapy session, Is there more?  It's an invitation to go deeper rather than simply moving on as we are beckoned to do nowadays.  We talked about debriefing as a daily practice for anyone moving through big transitions, and about what living across cultures teaches us about our complicated relationship with time.

And then there is the rencently published book. Co-edited with Sandy Fowler, Creating the Intercultural Field: Legacies from the Pioneers gathers twelve of the founding voices of interculturalism, all scholars now in their mid-eighties to mid-nineties, and asked them to reflect on how building this field shaped their lives. It is a record told by the people who built it, while they are still here to tell it.

It's not often that we get to hear the stories of how an entirely new social field is formed as told by the living authors.

Resources & Links:

Creating the Intercultural Field: Legacies from the Pioneers by Daniel Yalowitz and Sandy Fowler is available from Palgrave Macmillan, or on Amazon, or as a signed copy by contacting Daniel or Sandy directly. Find Daniel at danielyalowitz.com. 

https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Intercultural-Field-Legacies-Pioneers/dp/3032013690/

Subscribe to Nomadic Diaries wherever you get your podcasts.

Share this episode with someone who's standing at one of those thresholds. It could be either a new country, a return home, or simply a life that's asking them to become someone they haven't quite met yet. 

We would love to hear from you, send us a text please!

Support the show

You can map the move. You cannot map the metamorphosis. Nomadic Diaries explores the interior journey of expat life — the belonging, the identity shifts, the repatriation, and everything that travels with you that can't be packed in a suitcase. 

Browse the full catalog at nomadicdiariespodcast.com and please share or leave a review if this episode resonated.