Nomadic Diaries a Podcast

05/06/2026

Friends — this week we reach Episode 200 of Nomadic Diaries! 🎙️

I'm spending the next ten days counting down to the milestone by sharing the themes and moments that have made this podcast what it is.

Today I'm thinking about the question that started everything: what does it mean to truly belong somewhere?

Follow along this week, and if Nomadic Diaries has ever meant something to you, I'd love to hear about it in the comments. 💙

04/13/2026

Guess! You got it Re- Entry!

Today is a re-entry day!

I am heading back to the Pacific Northwest — a place I lived, a landscape I loved, a version of myself I left behind there. One year away. It doesn’t sound like long. But anyone who’s ever returned somewhere that mattered to them knows that time is only part of the equation.

02/11/2026

"Bilingual, Bicultural, and By Myself."

That's what the T-shirts said at bilingual education conferences in Texas back in the 1980s.

My latest Nomadic Diaries guest, Kathy Ellis, wore one of those shirts. Now, after living in 7 countries and visiting 45+, she helps others navigate the deep waters of cross-cultural adaptation.
Her key insight? Noticing that food and language are different is just the surface. The real cross-cultural mindset dives below the waterline deep into the murky, ambiguous depths where true understanding happens.

Her advice for adapting to a new culture: Lead with positivity, find humor, and anchor yourself to what matters most about being there.

After decades abroad, Kathy's definition of home? "Comfortable, relaxed people."

Not a place. People. ❤️

Listen to our conversation on Nomadic Diaries! 🎧 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ogbv7iCjIw

02/02/2026

11/20/2025

Quick shoutout to Mel Robbins for building such an impactful podcast!
Now, real talk: Our Belonging Project isn't getting the listens we'd hoped for - like Mel Robbins yet! But we keep showing up because these stories matter.
If you've ever wondered where you truly belong, these conversations are for you.
Last week we shared five incredible stories:

🏡 Camie Fenton - Creating home in San Miguel de Allende
https://www.nomadicdiariespodcast.com/belonging-to-a-place/

🇯🇵 Hiroko Bell - Bridging New York and Japan as a TCK
https://www.nomadicdiariespodcast.com/tcks-japan-belonging/

🌍 Dr. Helen Fagan - Persian Bakhtiari nomadic roots and identity https://www.nomadicdiariespodcast.com/tcks-japan-belonging/

💕 Erin Meyer-Cherneux - From Texas to Brussels via love
https://www.nomadicdiariespodcast.com/belongings-heartbeat-in-brussels/

🧘 Marcia Bonato Warren - How our bodies know belonging
https://www.nomadicdiariespodcast.com/bodies-know-belonging/

The Belonging Project wraps at month's end, but these conversations will resonate for years to come.

This is such an international group from Iran, to Brussels, to Japan to Mexico and back again.

Which story calls to you? Let us know in the comments!

11/13/2025

This week on Nomadic Diaries, Megan and I chat with the brilliant Camie Fenton about her 25 years in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
https://www.nomadicdiariespodcast.com/belonging-to-a-place/
This week on Nomadic Diaries, Megan and I chat with the brilliant Camie Fenton about her 25 years in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
What I love about this conversation? Camie doesn't just talk about belonging - she lives it. She shares how the simple things matter: crossing the street to your local shop, saying hello, showing up with humility and humor.
And here's something that really struck me - she says there's "a lack of the transactional aspect" in San Miguel. You're invited to be part of things "for no other reason than connection." How beautiful is that?
If you're navigating life abroad (or thinking about it), Camie's wisdom will inspire you to put down roots wherever you are.
Listen to The Belonging Project on Nomadic Diaries - Episode 12
🎧 Available on all podcast platforms
https://www.nomadicdiariespodcast.com/belonging-to-a-place/

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, Mex…

11/11/2025

On our way to a SIETAR!

11/11/2025

Today's treat for the ears is from Melky Samuel.

Listen here: https://www.nomadicdiariespodcast.com/belonging-everywhere-and-nowhere/
The Paradox of Belonging:
Melki describes belonging as a push and pull between seeking connection with others and preserving individuality, a sentiment familiar to third-culture and cross-cultural individuals.

Skill of Adaptability:
Productive Tension & Self-Discovery:
Grounding Rituals:
Community and Safe Spaces