The Homesickness Cure

Intro

Like many things, it takes a lot of time and effort to make a romantic relationship work. You plan for date nights, special occasions; you think about the gifts or surprises they like, and generally just making your special someone feel loved and important.

And one of the biggest contributors to a healthy dating relationship is communication.

Now there are times when you and your partner just totally get each other - I mean after all, you’re dating. But what do you do when things get awkward because of conflicting beliefs and/or ideologies?

How do we communicate when we deal with conflicts caused by cultural differences? And most importantly, how can you grow as a couple and as individuals in intercultural relationships?

In this episode, Narie Foster talks about the value of dating coaching, how to resolve conflicts caused by cultural differences, and how people in intercultural relationships can create a deeper connection with their partner.

Guest Bio

Narie Foster is the Co-Founder and COO of M.M.LaFleur, a fast-growing professional womenswear company based in New York City. She is also a Business Coach who advises early-stage startups, mentors and entrepreneurs, and more recently, started her career as a Dating Coach.

“I believe that we're most [fulfilled] when we're living in alignment with our internal worlds. And I think it’s the same in choosing a partner and dating.” (Narie)

“Over intellectualizing is a disservice to what your body's trying to tell you one way or the other.” (Narie)

“The point of dating is not to get everyone to like you. The point of dating is to be so specifically yourself, that you're filtering out the people who aren't good matches, and you're attracting the people who are.” (Narie)

Want to learn how to self-validate, let go of self-doubt, and figure out what a successful life looks like for you (not your parents)? Then download our complimentary audio guide here.

Take the first step to living your own life beyond anyone else's expectations!

New Episodes Are Dropping March 9, 2021

I’m your host, Anya Cherrice, CEO & founder of Navigating Culture, and I’m on a mission to help immigrants learn how to self-validate, remove self-doubt, and achieve their dreams by redefining archaic ideas of success.



No matter what your personality type is, conflict is something that we just want to avoid. But the thing is, we face conflict on a daily basis – whether that’s internal conflict where we deal with our own personal issues and even minor decision-making tasks, or external conflicts such as dealing with a rude neighbor or a toxic work environment.

It goes without saying that conflict is something that anyone would want to avoid. However, as we’ll be learning in this podcast, the best way to deal with conflict is not to hide from it or ignore it, but to deal with it face-on.

But how do we resolve conflicts in a healthy manner? What are some tools that we can use to help us deal with internal and external conflicts?

Bina Patel, a Conflict Resolution specialist, joins us on the podcast to share her expert advice on conflict resolution.

She talks about how we can resolve conflicts, how to avoid misunderstandings, conflict fatigue, and why it’s important to set personal boundaries and how it plays out in conflict resolution.

Bina Patel works as a Conflict Resolution Expert, and has helped organizations such as Coca-Cola, The Royal Caribbean Cruises, and the U.S. Army in resolving internal conflicts and improving workplace culture.

“How we project our energy is a reflection of what we get in return.” (Bina)

“It's really important that if we [deal with conflict] with a positive mindset despite our previous experience, then conflict can be resolved easily.” (Bina)

“We have to set a boundary for ourselves of what is acceptable and what is not, and the degree to what is acceptable or not.” (Bina)

“So I really find that conflict is a great way to grow ourselves, but also to look inside and think.” (Bina)

“Remember that we have choices, and you have a choice to leave an agency, a friendship, or a relationship. Because if it's hurting you and it's causing more anxiety than you can handle, then it's not healthy for you.” (Bina)

Want to learn how to self-validate, let go of self-doubt, and figure out what a successful life looks like for you (not your parents)? Then download our complimentary audio guide here.

Take the first step to living your own life beyond anyone else's expectations!

Have you ever made plans to travel solo before, but just couldn’t go through with it because you’re worried about getting bored or leaving your comfort zone for an unknown adventure?

For some, traveling solo isn’t a hard feat because they can make friends easily, find a community abroad, and adapt quickly to a new place and a new culture. But for others, it takes longer for them to find people they can connect with during their travels. This could be because of their personality, or maybe because of their unique backgrounds or interests.

Whatever the reason, some people just find it harder to settle in a foreign country and may experience longer periods of being alone. And this struggle is especially true among people of color and people who have decided to live a nomadic life.

In this episode, Kiersten shares her experience in finding belongingness in a certain country and how women of color travel and create community abroad. She also talks about travel coaching and how she has helped her clients create purposeful travel plans that will help them thrive and live fulfilled lives as expats and nomads.

Kiersten Brown is a Travel and Mindset Coach who helps women of color create strategic and intentional plans for traveling and living abroad. She is also the author of So You're Inspired, Now What? which is now available on Amazon.

“You don't have to do what you've been told to do. You don't have to go down this path that life or society has set out for you. That's the biggest thing that I've learned from living abroad is really understanding what I'm capable of – figuring out things, creating a business, etc.” (Kiersten)

“That's such an important aspect when it comes to moving abroad or following your dreams is having people that will support you, and then closing the door on the people that won't support you. (Kiersten)

“I think it's just such a mind shift, when you kind of realize that life isn't working against you [but that] it's working for you.” (Kiersten)

“Figure out who you are and you will find your people so much faster.” (Anya)

Want to learn how to self-validate, let go of self-doubt, and figure out what a successful life looks like for you (not your parents)? Then download our complimentary audio guide here.

Take the first step to living your own life beyond anyone else's expectations!

Find episode transcript here --> https://www.navigatingculture.co/the-homesickness-cure-podcast-how-to-be-at-peace-with-yourself

Whether it’s obvious or not the communities you belong too are tied up with your sense of self.

And you get labeled as a high school jock.

That’s exactly what I sat down with Daron to chat about. In England, as opposed to let’s say a country like American or Trinidad, being born in the country doesn’t make you an Englishman or woman. Being white does. And who gets to call themselves white? Well, that varies on who you’re asking.

In this episode, Daron and I will be talking about:

2. How your race affects not only what communities but also what identities you have access to

3. Is your birth-place as important of an identity-marker as we make it out to be

For the past five years, the term 'digital nomad' has made its way to people's bucket list as more and more technologies have afforded us the option to work from home – wherever that may be.

Like our guest for this episode, she has had the opportunity to travel all over South America for a year all while having a full-time job.

With this opportunity also comes the challenge of joining a social circle or a community that can help you settle in the new city that you're in. But how can you do that?

How can you build connections and create a community in a new place where there's a language barrier? Also, how permanent are these relationships and are you obligated to keep them long-term?

In this episode, Hannah talks about how to make friends and find a community during your travels, and also shares her perspectives on friendship and why it's okay to be okay with saying goodbye to newly found connections.

Hannah Kim is a Tech Support Specialist at Mixmax, Inc. Over the past year, she has travelled all across South America, to places such as Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Brazil, Chile, and even Argentina – all while working a full-time job.

“There's only one of you. So your perspective [and] your ideas are going to be unique and original. So don't try to copy someone else's life.” (Hannah)

“When we move to new places, we kind of expect strong or authentic friendships to fall in our laps. And then we get sad when it doesn't happen. Some things won't work out but you will find people who you connect with.” (Anya)

Want to learn how to self-validate, let go of self-doubt, and figure out what a successful life looks like for you (not your parents)? Then download our complimentary audio guide here.

Take the first step to living your own life beyond anyone else's expectations!

Living as an immigrant in a new country can be challenging. Everything is just new to you - the language, the culture, the people and their interests, and even the food. At some point, it might seem like it’s a lot of work and a lot of stress to move and live in a new country, but as our guests would teach us today, surrounding yourself with the right support system will make things easier.

Our guest is Megha Jindal, an immigrant who moved from New Delhi, India to the US six months after she met her now husband. To me, Megha is the true definition of poise. And in a world that says that toughness, resilience and badass-ery looks a certain way, she has shown that strength is also kindness, warmth, and big-heartedness.

In this episode, Megha talks about her struggles as an immigrant in the US, and how embracing your uniqueness can help you make friends and attract the right people in your life.

Megha Jindal works as a Portfolio Success Officer at Salesforce. She has more than five years of experience in Customer Success & Project Management and has exceptional skills in turning customers into brand advocates.

“When you figure out who you are, eventually, it becomes easier to discern the right people for you. And it just becomes easier to attract the right people to you as well.” (Anya)

“Unique doesn't have to be unique from one person's perspective. It's unique from your own perspective.” (Anya)

“I’m religious and I like to pray. I like to follow discipline. So I also liked connecting with people who were doing that. This is when I realized who I am and I like having that trust and belongingness.” (Megha)

“I feel like that's a lesson for everyone – to not judge things at face value. If you don't understand something or you don't agree with something, ask more questions to figure out the intention behind why someone is doing something. And from there, you can make another judgment or decision if you want to.” (Anya)

Want to learn how to self-validate, let go of self-doubt, and figure out what a successful life looks like for you (not your parents)? Then download our complimentary audio guide here.

Take the first step to living your own life beyond anyone else's expectations!

Find episode transcript here --> https://www.navigatingculture.co/the-homesickness-cure-podcast-how-to-make-friends-in-america-as-an-immigrant

When we think of relationships, we may picture ourselves going out somewhere, like in a café or in the mall, to meet with friends, a loved one, or perhaps with a fellow club member.

But because of the current COVID-19 situation, it has become increasingly difficult (and risky) for us to meet up in person and hang out like we used to. So what can we do to stay connected and look after our relationships while in quarantine?

In this episode, I will share to you some tips on how to host a virtual meetup, and how you can create meaningful conversations with your friends and/or loved ones online.

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“Feeling lonely isn't such a bad thing. In fact, I would argue that negative feelings are not entirely bad. Because these negative feelings let us know when things are off and when something needs to change.” (Anya)

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Want to learn how to self-validate, let go of self-doubt, and figure out what a successful life looks like for you (not your parents)? Then download our complimentary audio guide here.

Take the first step to living your own life beyond anyone else's expectations!

One of the things that solo travellers and expats struggle with is finding a community away from home. You’re in a new place, you want to explore the city, and you also want to get settled in as quickly as possible... But where do you start?

You may also wonder whether using online friendship or dating apps can help you find genuine relationships, considering the stigma that surrounds these kinds of apps or platforms. And what even is the definition of a genuine relationship? When can you say that you have truly formed a meaningful relationship with someone?

In this episode, Heeral Pattni shares to us how we can find meaningful friendships online, why it's important to choose your online friends, and the most importantly, how to survive and thrive in a new place with barely any connections.

Heeral Pattni is a 22-year-old graduate of Politics and International Studies based in London. She is the Founder of Amica, an app which aims to provide women with the opportunity to meet like-minded solo travelers, based entirely on mutual interests.

“For me, community is kind of a safe and supportive place that caters to a lot of different [facets] of my personality.” (Heeral)

“But you also have to find a way to keep living. And I think keeping friends around you that make you feel alive is really important.” (Heeral)

“I think the more that you are aware of how little time you have, the more you're aware of what drains your energy and what gives you energy. And I think that makes it a lot easier to realize who you want to spend your time with.” (Heeral)

I remember this quote [that says], “If you can't enjoy your own company, why inflict it on others?”” (Heeral)

Want to learn how to self-validate, let go of self-doubt, and figure out what a successful life looks like for you (not your parents)? Then download our complimentary audio guide here.

Take the first step to living your own life beyond anyone else's expectations!

Now more than ever, people have become more mindful about self-care. A simple search online can lead you to numerous articles about self-care, such as how to have glowing skin, lose weight, and how to take care of your mental health. There are even apps that can help you with your self-care goals.

But there’s another kind of self-care that people don’t usually talk about, and that’s “community care”.

No matter if you’re an extrovert or an introvert, connecting with like-minded people will greatly benefit your mental health, and in turn, your overall health. This is what community care is all about.

In this episode, we talk about community care and how we can connect with people during the pandemic. We also talk about different ways we can spark new connections online and how you can be a better conversationalist.

“If you can help create juicy conversations when you meet a potential friend, it’ll be easier to discern if you vibe well with the other person.” (Anya)

“Fostering engaging conversations helps everyone in the discussion to experience more of a connection.” (Anya)

Want to learn how to self-validate, let go of self-doubt, and figure out what a successful life looks like for you (not your parents)? Then download our complimentary audio guide here.

Take the first step to living your own life beyond anyone else's expectations!