When Terry Repak and her husband moved to West Africa with two small children at the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 1990s, she seized the opportunity to connect with people of other cultures and bear witness to the ravages of the disease.
Today, Terry shares what she learned from this experience and the countless ways that living abroad can be both rewarding and challenging, especially with the constant push-pull between the excitement of new experiences and the longing for home.
Terry is the author of Circling Home—What I Learned By Living Elsewhere, which chronicles the adventures and challenges of raising children to be global citizens and trying to find home in countries as diverse as the Ivory Coast, Tanzania, and Switzerland. Her memoir spotlights the complexity, struggles, and profound lessons at the heart of the expat journey.
You’ll gain insights into navigating the potential risks of moving to another country, why forming deeper connections is key to a fulfilling experience abroad, and why it requires a different kind of openness and a willingness to question preconceptions and judgments.
How has forming deeper connections changed your travel experiences? I'd love to hear your insights, and I hope you’ll share them by sending me an audio message.
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Tune In To Learn:
- Why they decided to bring their family to Africa despite the risks
- How she was able to quickly integrate into society and have a feeling of home and safety
- Her heartbreaking experience on the ground during the AIDS epidemic
- Terry’s perspective on foreign aid for health issues
- How living in an African country shaped her children’s worldview
- The importance of resilience and openness to different cultures
- Her experience returning home and how to continue making cultural connections
- Considerations for anyone wanting to move abroad long-term
- Her motivation for writing a memoir
- And so much more
Resources:
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