7 Tips for Stayers and Goers
As a military kid I grew up hearing about these things called “Hail and Farewells.” I didn’t really know what they were; I didn’t even know it was two separate words. I thought of it more as “hailenfarewell” and was at a complete loss as to what it was. But as I began to contemplate […]
A Cord of Three Strands
You might remember an article from The Culture Blend late last year. Writer Jerry Jones dissected the never-ending transition of overseas workers and expat transplants known as Goers, Stayers and Newbies. If you’re like me and the 94 commenters on the article, I’m guessing his thoughts resonated with you, too. I’m a Goer. Call it […]
Rest, Breathe, and Receive
Registration for Spring Connection Groups will open in two days. A year ago, I hit the point where I was done. The kind of done that says, “I have nothing left to give, so I think I will crawl into the nearest hole and sleep for a year.” Since I am not a bear and […]
Capture the Fluffy Moments
Twice a week, a soft knock taps on our gate, alerting me that our vegetable lady has arrived. She is a sweet lady who comes with her sister with baskets of fruits and vegetables on their heads. She might offer me her cell phone and ask me to translate an English text from another “toubab”, […]
10 iPhone Apps You Needed Yesterday
I AM SO THANKFUL FOR THIS WEEK’S THEME! My life is all kinds of too serious. I love things that are helpful. And hilarious. And just generally awesome. So I’m here with ten iPhone apps I can guarantee will revolutionize your life. You may already have half of them, but please humor me as I […]
A Letter to Singles
You are loved. Cherished, even. Not because you were brave enough to move overseas “alone.” Not because you ignored the caring relatives who asked, “How in the world will you find a husband over there?” You are loved. Adored, even. Not because you’re an independent thinker, a strong person. Not because you’ve sacrificed. You are […]
Competition: One-Upped!
It was our first summer back in Asia in the country where I had been born and raised. I was a young wife and mother learning to navigate living in familiar territory, except now I was no longer a child, but rather an adult with adult responsibilities. My family had been well known in that […]
Tangled Webs
Oh what tangled webs we weave when we agree to go overseas. I’ve never seen a spider weave it’s web, maybe that’s the stuff of science labs where people are paid to study the creative science that is nature. Is it made in an orderly way? Is it made in the same way every single […]
For When You’re Trying to Adjust + Plus New Community Builders!
My family and I are in a season of major adjustment. June, July and August were all about uprooting, traveling, and change. Now we’re midway through September, and the proverbial dust is beginning to settle. Now is the time we’re supposed to be adjusting and finding our new normal. Or whatever normal looks like when […]
6 People that Kill Community
We’ve heard it for years, right? That statistic. “The number one reason overseas workers leave the field is because of other overseas workers.” Someone please tell me this is no longer true. Tell me we’ve grown up and beyond that. I don’t know what the statistics are currently. I do know from experience that overseas […]
The Transient Community of a Life Overseas
When I moved to Southeast Asia, she was one of the first people I met. We were staying in a teammate’s house that shared a wall with Calah’s backyard. I was outside at the same time she was one day, and we introduced ourselves. The discussion quickly led to the things I needed to acquire […]
This week’s prompt: Community
It’s a big week around here. We’re launching registration for our spring session of Connection Groups! Because we believe in the power of community. When we launched Velvet Ashes in November of 2013, the idea of online Connection Groups sat in the heart of our team. Once we got the site up and running, we […]