This is Part 2 of our interview with Stanley Anenyemele Asasu, doctor and writer from Ghana, Africa.  In 2015 Dr. Stanley left to pursue his dream of becoming a medical doctor through a Wuhan, China university program to educate foreign physicians.  He was set to return to complete his medical clerkship in Ghana for February 2020, and he made it out of Wuhan less than 24 hours before the city closed for seven months.  Back in Ghana after his five year sojourn, he received a warm welcome from his family, but there was some suspicion of him from his local community. Listen to how Dr. Stanley used his medical education for such a time as this.

See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠roundtripstories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to hear about upcoming customs episodes and share your stories with us!

This is Part 1 of our interview with Dr. Stanley Anenyemele Asasu, doctor and writer from Ghana, Africa.  In 2015 Dr. Stanley moved away from his country for the first time to pursue his dream of becoming a medical doctor through a Wuhan, China university program to educate foreign doctors.  After an emotional arrival, he found his support system through his international classmates and friends from church. He filled his five years with studying medicine and Chinese, tutoring others in English, and even wrote a book on the side!

See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠roundtripstories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to hear about upcoming customs episodes and share your stories with us!

Let's listen to stories about how music around the world has brought joy and beauty to our souls. Music is a universal language and can build bridges across cultures, and at the same time music carries culture and meaning specific to place and people. It can teach us culture, language, and even how to find friends.  Music marks celebrations and gathering of people, whether in Karaoke rooms or out in a school play yard.  Music’s beauty feeds our thirsty souls - let’s not go without it. 

See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠roundtripstories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to hear about upcoming customs episodes and share your stories with us!

This is Part 2 of our interview with Monica Baez, an international baccalaureate psychology teacher and foodie from Ecuador who spent six years in the U.S. before returning to Ecuador.  Monica’s six years in California not only gave her degrees and professional training in psychology and marriage and family counseling, but they also gave her a blueprint for what a Christian family and grace filled faith community could look like.  Things didn't work out exactly as planned when she returned to Ecuador: she missed her U.S. friends, her identity had changed, and her dream of being a therapist was not working.  But there were other opportunities on the horizon.

See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠roundtripstories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to hear about upcoming customs episodes and share your stories with us!

Our guest today is Mónica Baez, an international baccalaureate psychology teacher and foodie from Ecuador who spent six years in the U.S.  She describes the time at her small California Christian university as a magical experience where she enjoyed rich diversity, close community, and added grace in her faith practice. Mónica found that being outside her country helped her to define her own cultural viewpoint and gave her a foundation for who she is today.

See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠roundtripstories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to hear about upcoming customs episodes and share your stories with us!

This month's customs episode is about bread and bakeries. Just talking about bread makes us fondly remember times and places when we lived near bakeries, were empowered from communicating in them, or were so thankful for the comfort food they provided for our families. These bread stories have more ingredients to them than just flour, water, and salt: they are about history, immigration, science, and art. They are about humans thankful for the creativity of other humans, no matter where they are from, to help nourish their minds, bodies, and hearts.

For photos and more info about the stories we shared today or to sign up for our email list, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠roundtripstories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ to hear about upcoming customs episodes and share your stories with us!

This is Part 2 of our interview with Val Robb, a Canadian born New Zealander, writer and writing coach, and teacher who homeschooled for 25 years all through eleven international moves.  She and her family loved their years living in China where her husband was a professor, and even though it was time, it was difficult to return to New Zealand.  Val shares stories about some deep rooted and practical ideas to get through such a multi-layered transition.

Waiting to be Well: Sustaining hope while wrestling with weakness by Angela C Millen

Making Peace with Change by Gena Brenna Butz

Val's Website: inspiringwriting.co

See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at ⁠⁠⁠⁠roundtripstories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ to hear about upcoming customs episodes and share your stories with us!

Our guest for this episode is Val Robb, a Canadian born New Zealander, writer and writing coach, and teacher who homeschooled for 25 years all through eleven international moves.  Val had lots of practice helping her family of eight adjust and make a new home as her professor husband took positions in different universities around the world.  Val shares stories about her move to China where she discovered that, being rooted in Christ's love, she could find comfort and home anywhere.

Learn more about Val at her website: inspiringwriting.co

See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at ⁠⁠⁠⁠roundtripstories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ to hear about upcoming customs episodes and share your stories with us!

When on a flight, who doesn’t like to have a window seat and see the world from 20,000 feet up? This Review-Preview episode is that aerial view of themes from season 1 and a preview of our guests for season 2.  There are common themes which our season 1 guests spoke of, like refining identities or growing a larger appreciation for the world.  Listen to Melissa and Tracy reflect on more themes and where to listen to them, and hear a preview of the amazing guests they have lined up for season 2.  Guests are from Ghana, New Zealand, Ecuador, and the U.S. who have round trip stories from their time in China, Kenya, and the U.S.  Don't miss this Review-Preview episode for the window seat aerial view of season 1 and 2!

See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at ⁠⁠⁠⁠roundtripstories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ to hear about upcoming customs episodes and share your stories with us!

In this Season 1 finale episode we hear Christmas and New Years Stories from around the world.  We hear about Paneton in Peru, Kentucky fried chicken in Japan, and watchnight chicken sandwiches in the Middle East. There are New Year wedding saris in India, grapes in Spain, and burning the old year in Ecuador. These can be celebrations we miss or continue to celebrate as we bring bits of our times abroad into our current lives now, especially during the holidays.  And we should, because they are part of us.

Mentioned in this episode - Melissa's post: Navigating Grief: When You Have To Say Goodbye To The Place Your Heart Feels At Home

Sign up for our email list at ⁠⁠⁠⁠roundtripstories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ to hear about upcoming customs episodes and share your stories with us!