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PODCAST

Round Trip Stories

Tracy Vilanova and Melissa Ens

Through weekly guest interviews, hosts Melissa Ens and Tracy Vilanova offer gifts of understanding for those who have recently returned from living abroad, reflection for those who have been back for years, and insight for those who have never left their home country. These stories help us all understand the world and ourselves just a little better. www.roundtripstories.com

society & culture places & travel

All Episodes

00:28:52

Weather Is Another Adjustment: Customs Chat - Episode 29

Round Trip Stories ·

2024/05/07

This customs episode is about WEATHER, and we have several guests share their stories! Along with the myriad of cultural changes when moving globally, weather is one more adjustment. How did moving to a new climate (or hemisphere!) affect us? We can settle into the cycles of a rainy season or dry season, and still be caught off guard by the almost suffocating humidity. Life is like the weather: sometimes we have dry seasons where not much seems to be happening. Other times we have a rainy season

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00:29:47

A World Turned Upside Down: Stacy's Return Stories...

Round Trip Stories ·

2024/04/17

This is Part 2 of our interview with Stacy Hipwood, International teacher, mother and wife, who is passionate about Kenya and holding up her family. Stacy fell in love with Nairobi and stayed for eleven years teaching, marrying, and raising her two children. She never wanted to leave. But her husband’s brain aneurysm and recovery period sent her whirling. With a two and four year old to care for and now the sole provider, she and her husband made the decision to move to the U.S. Resource

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00:29:43

Relationships Were the Priority: Stacy's Stories from...

Round Trip Stories ·

2024/04/09

This is Part 1 of our interview with Stacy Hipwood, international teacher, mother and wife, who is passionate about Kenya and holding up her family. Stacy fell in love with Nairobi and stayed for eleven years teaching, marrying, and raising her two children. Her transition to living in Kenya was supported by her connection to friends who became like family. Even though long utility outages just about drove her out of the country, the culture of focusing on relationships and caring for others kept

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00:28:58

Leaving Wuhan Just in Time: Dr. Stanley's Return to...

Round Trip Stories ·

2024/03/26

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

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00:29:49

A Global Medical Education: Dr. Stanley's Stories...

Round Trip Stories ·

2024/03/19

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

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00:27:16

Music Feeds Our Souls: Customs Chat - Episode 24

Round Trip Stories ·

2024/03/12

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

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00:29:24

Putting the Pieces Back Together: Monica's Return...

Round Trip Stories ·

2024/02/27

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

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00:27:53

Joy in Community and Diversity: Mónica's Stories from...

Round Trip Stories ·

2024/02/21

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

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00:25:48

More Than Just Bread: Customs Chat - Episode 21

Round Trip Stories ·

2024/02/13

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

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00:30:26

Rooted Deep and Wide: Val's return from China to New...

Round Trip Stories ·

2024/01/31

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

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00:30:45

Discovering Comfort and Home: Val's story from New...

Round Trip Stories ·

2024/01/23

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

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00:26:37

The Aerial Perspective: Seasons 1 & 2 Review-Preview...

Round Trip Stories ·

2024/01/16

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.

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00:44:07

Customs Chat and Season 1 Finale: Christmas and New...

Round Trip Stories ·

2023/12/19

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

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00:28:42

From China to Florida: Melinda's Return Stories -...

Round Trip Stories ·

2023/12/05

Melinda Howe, Disney Character Brand Manager, Ministry leader, amazing baker, and mom of four. In 2010, Melinda and her family started their four year sojourn to Beijing, China where her husband Ralph worked in the golf industry and they were both in leadership with their international church. Melinda was not ready to leave her life in Beijing when her husband was offered a job back in Florida, but after prayer and the cat coming back, she was at peace with packing up her kids and Chinese

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00:29:09

From Florida to China: Melinda's Stories - Episode 15

Round Trip Stories ·

2023/11/28

This week's interview is with Melinda Howe, Disney Character Brand Manager, ministry leader, amazing baker, and mom of four. In 2010, Melinda and her family went to Beijing, China where her husband Ralph was offered a job in the golf industry. They saw this as an opportunity for their whole family to live in their adopted daughters’ birth country. Although they faced challenges like not being able to transport their whole family in one vehicle and homeschooling for the first time, they found

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00:27:11

Customs Chat: Let's Talk about Nature's Reminders! -...

Round Trip Stories ·

2023/11/14

Today's episode is a collection of stories about how nature reminded us of home or our time abroad. Our world is replete with natural beauty and landscapes vary wildly, but sometimes they are so similar that it reminds us of another beloved place. What encounters with nature brought us comfort while abroad? Did a particular landform, park, climate, or creature remind us of home? Or when we returned home, did something in nature remind us of our place living abroad? Let’s hear some Customs

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00:28:32

From Japan to California: Kat's Return Stories -...

Round Trip Stories ·

2023/11/07

This is Part 2 of our interview with Kat Borba, a teacher, supporter of overseas missionaries, and mother of three. She and her husband were missionaries in Sapporo, Japan for three years. They had hoped to stay for much longer, but after diagnosing their daughter with Moebius syndrome, they knew they needed to return back to the U.S. for a time and season. Reentry was harder than she was given permission to feel, but a week of debriefing and renewal helped her focus on giving herself permission to

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00:30:17

From California to Japan: Kat's Stories - Episode 12

Round Trip Stories ·

2023/10/31

This is Part 1 of our interview with Kat Borba, a teacher, supporter of overseas missions, and mother of three. In her mid twenties, she and her husband became missionaries to Sapporo, Japan, landing five weeks before the 9.1 earthquake and tsunami hit Japan many miles south of them. This event sparked a great need for humanitarian service, and she and her husband were able to give support through their Japanese church. Throughout the years, Kat and her husband worked in their local Japanese church

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00:27:49

Customs Chat: Let's talk about ART! - Episode 11

Round Trip Stories ·

2023/10/17

Today's Customs Episode is about ART. Beauty and creativity are an indispensable and unique part of every culture. What caught our eye and hearts as we lived and worked in other countries? What did we learn? Art is an expression of not only aesthetics but also culture, history, and creative communication. In this episode, we hear stories about how art teaches, heals, and allows us to remember. We do not need oral language to create it, all can participate in it, and community helps inspire

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00:28:34

From Sweden to California: Aileen's Return Stories -...

Round Trip Stories ·

2023/10/10

This is Part 2 of our interview with Aileen Hendratna, an Indonesian-American agriculture scientist who feels most at home in international communities. She studied her masters in water resource management in Sweden for over two years. There, she relished the time in nature, in the fika culture of building relationships, and in the diversity of her international community. Financial challenges had her return to California, and her transition back home to the Bay Area and Central Valley was a

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70 results

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