Belonging Episodes

What If You Learned How to Stay?
March 17, 2026

What If You Learned How to Stay?

About Pia Pia Mailhot-Leichter is a self-described "recovering nomad" who has lived in more places than most people visit, from Manhattan to Sri Lanka, London to France, and eventually dropping anchor in Copenhagen after decades of following the nomadic pull. Born to a French-Canadian mother and a …

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Belonging Everywhere and Nowhere
March 12, 2026

Belonging Everywhere and Nowhere

About Daniela Daniela Draugelis didn't just study cultural intelligence, she lived it before she even had a name for it. Born in Argentina to a Lithuanian immigrant family (her father fled Europe as a war refugee), she grew up speaking Lithuanian at home, celebrating cultural traditions on weekends…

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One Next Best Step: Dr. Joy Wiggins on Moving Abroad Solo, Raising a Teen in Lisbon, and Building a Global Career
March 8, 2026

One Next Best Step: Dr. Joy Wiggins on Moving Abroad Solo, Raising a …

Dr. Joy Wiggins Meet Dr. Joy Wiggins, we chatted about Raising Kids to Boardrooms she is a cultural agility expert, former professor, and single mum who packed up her life in Texas and moved to Lisbon, Portugal with her teena...

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Packed Your Bags But Forgot Your Mind? The Emotional Side of Expat Life
Feb. 17, 2026

Packed Your Bags But Forgot Your Mind? The Emotional Side of Expat Li…

What if the hardest part of moving abroad isn't finding a house, but finding yourself? In this episode, Doreen Cumberford sits down with Vivian Chiona, founder of Expat Nest, an online counselling platform offering psychological support in nine languages to expats, repats, and global nomads worldwi…

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Beyond Culture Shock
Feb. 2, 2026

Beyond Culture Shock

What does it really take to build a life across cultures? In this episode, intercultural trainer Kathy Ellis joins Doreen for an honest conversation about the messy, beautiful reality of cross-cultural living. From her small-...

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"Belonging Is Not Found, It's Formed": 30 Episodes, One Big Question
Nov. 30, 2025

"Belonging Is Not Found, It's Formed": 30 Episodes, One Big Question

In this heartfelt farewell to the Nomadic Diaries podcast, Doreen Cumberford and Megan Norton-Newbanks co-host reflect on a remarkable 10-month journey exploring the expansive topic of belonging. Together, they look back over...

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Hidden Superpowers: Ruth Van Reken on What TCKs Get Right About the World
Nov. 29, 2025

Hidden Superpowers: Ruth Van Reken on What TCKs Get Right About the W…

Show Notes Welcome back to Nomadic Diaries for part two of our conversation with Ruth Van Reken, the influential voice behind "Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds." Joined by Megan Norton-Newbanks and your host Doreen Cumberford, Ruth dives deep into cross-cultural identity, belonging, and …

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The Woman Who Named the TCK Experience: Ruth Van Reken on Identity and Belonging
Nov. 28, 2025

The Woman Who Named the TCK Experience: Ruth Van Reken on Identity an…

Episode Overview In this enlightening episode of Nomadic Diaries, Doreen Cumberford and Megan Norton-Newbanks welcome renowned author and expert Ruth Van Reken, whose work on third culture kids (TCKs) has impacted countless lives globally. The conversation centers on belonging, identity, and the of…

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When the Holidays Feel Wrong in Your New Country
Nov. 27, 2025

When the Holidays Feel Wrong in Your New Country

Support the show Nomadic Diaries explores expat life, repatriation, belonging and global living. This episode may be part of our Re-Entry Series (30 episodes on coming home) or The Belonging Project (29 episodes on belonging ...

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What Filming Survivor Taught One Director About Belonging
Nov. 25, 2025

What Filming Survivor Taught One Director About Belonging

In this engaging episode of Nomadic Diaries, Doreen Cumberford and Megan Norton-Newbanks welcome Caz Stuart, an accomplished documentary filmmaker, to discuss the art of storytelling, belonging, and community - both on and of...

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Expat Life & the Stories We Carry Home
Nov. 24, 2025

Expat Life & the Stories We Carry Home

In this heartfelt episode of Nomadic Diaries, Doreen Cumberford opens up about the challenges and transformations of expat life, drawing from her own 15 years as an accompanying spouse in Saudi Arabia. She reads an excerpt fr...

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When School Feels Foreign: Third Culture Kids in the Classroom
Nov. 21, 2025

When School Feels Foreign: Third Culture Kids in the Classroom

In this heartfelt and insightful episode, hosts Doreen Cumberford and Megan Norton-Newbanks welcome Stephen Toole for a rich conversation about the challenges and triumphs surrounding belonging and transition for Third Cultur...

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Being Seen in the Mess: Megan Norton-Newbanks on Letters From 90 Expat Lives
Nov. 20, 2025

Being Seen in the Mess: Megan Norton-Newbanks on Letters From 90 Expa…

In this heartfelt solo episode, Megan Norton-Newbanks pulls back the curtain on her new book, Letters Now Sent , a collection of letters from over 90 contributors who have experienced life as expats, nomads, and third culture...

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The Crisis of Belonging: Tayo Rockson on Identity, Inclusion and Living Across Five Countries
Nov. 19, 2025

The Crisis of Belonging: Tayo Rockson on Identity, Inclusion and Livi…

In this episode, Doreen and Megan dive into the theme of B elonging with Tayo Rockson, whose life as a global citizen, diplomat’s son, writer, and basketball lover has uniquely shaped his perspective on identity, inclusion, a...

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Why Expats Are Obsessed With Food From Back Home
Nov. 18, 2025

Why Expats Are Obsessed With Food From Back Home

In this delightful “Belonging Bite” mini-episode, hosts Doreen and Megan dive into the profound connection between food and belonging. From childhood comfort foods to international culinary adventures, they explore how what w...

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The Inner Work of Belonging: Dr. Helen Fagan on Nomadic Heritage and Cultural Self-Awareness
Nov. 17, 2025

The Inner Work of Belonging: Dr. Helen Fagan on Nomadic Heritage and …

In this insightful episode, Doreen Cumberford and Megan Norton-Newbanks chat with Dr. Helen Fagan about the nomadic spirit, the challenging journey of belonging, and the importance of self-awareness for meaningful inclusion. ...

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What Your Body Knows About Belonging: Marcia Bonato Warren on Somatic Awareness Across Cultures
Nov. 16, 2025

What Your Body Knows About Belonging: Marcia Bonato Warren on Somatic…

This episode explores the deep connections between movement, body awareness, identity, and belonging, especially as experienced by people who navigate multiple cultures. The conversation dives into Marcia Bonato Warren's uniq...

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From Texas to Brussels: Erin Meyer-Cherneux on Raising Multicultural Children and Finding Home
Nov. 15, 2025

From Texas to Brussels: Erin Meyer-Cherneux on Raising Multicultural …

In this heartfelt and insightful episode, host Doreen Cumberford and co-host Megan Norton are joined by Erin Meyer-Cherneux —author, cultural anthropologist, and visual artist —for a rich discussion about belonging, transnat...

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BelongingI Am Me: Hiroko Bell on Japanese TCKs and Finding Home Between Cultures
Nov. 12, 2025

BelongingI Am Me: Hiroko Bell on Japanese TCKs and Finding Home Betwe…

In this heartwarming episode of Nomadic Diaries, hosts Doreen Cumberford and Megan Norton-Newbanks welcome Hiroko Bell, a Japanese adult third culture kid (ATCK) and passionate advocate for cross-cultural families. Hiroko sha...

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25 Years in San Miguel de Allende: Camie Fenton on What It Takes to Truly Belong Somewhere
Nov. 12, 2025

25 Years in San Miguel de Allende: Camie Fenton on What It Takes to T…

In this episode of Nomadic Diaries, hosts Doreen Cumberford and Megan Norton-Newbanks are joined by Camie Fenton, a long-time resident of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Camie shares her extraordinary journey of belonging, com...

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Between Belonging Everywhere and Nowhere: Melki Siddiq on the Nomadic Identity Paradox
Nov. 11, 2025

Between Belonging Everywhere and Nowhere: Melki Siddiq on the Nomadic…

In this heartfelt conversation on Nomadic Diaries: The Belonging Project, host Doreen Cumberford and co-host Megan Norton-Newbanks, interview Melki Siddiq, a communication coach, English teacher, counselor, and avid traveler....

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The Language of Home: How Your Mother Tongue Shapes Where You Belong
Nov. 7, 2025

The Language of Home: How Your Mother Tongue Shapes Where You Belong

Episode Overview: In this episode of Nomadic Diaries, co-hosts Megan Norton-Newbanks and Doreen Cumberford dive into the nuanced relationship between language and belonging. Drawing from their own global upbringings and exper...

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BrusselsBorn French, Raised Egyptian, Living Global: Beatriz Nour on Finding Yourself Between Cultures
Nov. 6, 2025

BrusselsBorn French, Raised Egyptian, Living Global: Beatriz Nour on …

In this thought-provoking episode of Nomadic Diaries, Doreen Cumberford and Megan Norton-Newbanks interview Beatriz Nour and dive deep into the complex and evolving concept of belonging —especially through the lens of those w...

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When Your Teenager Feels at Home Nowhere: Andrea Schmidt on TCK Girls and Identity
Nov. 5, 2025

When Your Teenager Feels at Home Nowhere: Andrea Schmidt on TCK Girls…

In this insightful episode of the Nomadic Diaries' Belonging Project miniseries, Doreen and Megan welcome Andrea Schmidt, a trilingual global teen life coach specializing in supporting third culture kids (TCKs), especially teenage girls. The conversation delves into the complex processes of identit…

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