Hiraeth Magazine

Dori Griffin is a designer and design historian interested in popular print culture and the narrative construction of social and cultural identity. Her first book, Mapping Wonderlands: Illustrated Cartography of Arizona, 1912-1962, explores tourist maps and the stories they tell about the state’s history, landscape and culture. Dori has also studied culture through looking at covers of vintage science fiction novels and Japanese travel brochures. She has an MFA in graphic design from the University of Florida and a phD in design history from Arizona State University, so her work has both an academic and hands-on component. She is an Assistant Professor at the University of Florida’s School of Art and Art History, and one of her favourite parts about teaching is seeing the amazing things her students create. I first met Dori when we were both sixteen-year-old homeschoolers looking for a pen-pal, and although we’ve never met in person, we’ve been pen-pals ever since. She grew up in Chattanooga Tennessee, but her academic life has taken her around the United States. She recently moved to Florida and bought her very first house, which she moved into just hours before coronavirus lockdown began. I talk with Dori about her work finding meaning in material as different as maps and the covers of science fiction novels, what lockdown is like with just her, her cat Milo and all her Zoom classes, and her resolve to ‘use the fine China’, meaning the objects and useful items family and friends have gifted her in her new home. DORI GRIFFIN ELSEWHERE Dori’s first book: Mapping Wonderlands: Illustrated Cartography of Arizona, 1912-1962: https://uapress.arizona.edu/book/mapping-wonderlands Her faculty profile at the University of Florida: https://arts.ufl.edu/directory/profile/166907 Follow Dori’s beautiful Instagram feed for interesting design and typography tidbits, and SO MANY lovely photos of Florida flora: https://www.instagram.com/p/B_uZlMhFUeU/ You can also follow her amazing students in the Graphic Design and Design & Visual Communications Programs at the University of Florida: https://www.instagram.com/ufdesigners/ This episode features music by Meydän under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Podcast produced by Sarah Bringhurst Familia on the canals of Amsterdam.

Ana Martins has been a local in Amsterdam for several years, but originally comes from Portugal. Amsterdam, she says, is the first place that has ever felt like home. She has been an actress and yoga teacher, and now writes a blog called Amsterdive exploring her own relationship with Amsterdam and the Netherlands while focusing on arts and culture, creative living, sustainability and self-development. Ana talks about her parents, who grew up Portuguese in Mozambique, her own quest to find home in Amsterdam, and what she loves about the city. Ana is currently undergoing active treatment for cancer, and during our interview she shares her journey toward healing, what she has learned along the way, and how it feels to be a cancer patient during a pandemic. We talk about how coronavirus and lockdown have impacted her, and what she wishes people knew about cancer in the time of corona, and how we can take care of the vulnerable among us. ANA MARTINS ELSEWHERE Follow Ana’s blog, Amsterdive, for cultural happenings in the city, musings on Amsterdam life and other stories. Especially be sure to read her recent post on What surviving cancer taught me about racism: https://amsterdive.com/2020/06/15/what-surviving-cancer-taught-me-about-racism/. Photos courtesy of Ana Martins. This episode features music by Meydän under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Podcast produced by Sarah Bringhurst Familia on the canals of Amsterdam.

Erica Eastley has lived an adventurous life in several different countries in Central Asia, the Middle East and beyond. We’ve never met in person; in fact, I think I first came across Erica when I stumbled on her fascinating blog, The Golden Road to Samarqand, where she was explaining how she cut the bindings off all her books and scanned them so she could take their contents with her abroad, which I found equal parts intriguing and horrifying. Erica discusses growing up amongst a family that still lives in the same house as when she was a baby, but knowing from very young that she wanted something else. She talks about why Central Asia and Cairo both feel like home to her, when Saudi Arabia and Mexico did not. She tells us what’s going on with the pandemic in Egypt, what has changed and what hasn’t, and how she is trying to help the refugees she works with make it through this difficult time. ERICA ELSEWHERE Follow Erica’s long-running blog for more on her adventures in Cairo and beyond: http://amiralace.blogspot.com/ Photos courtesy of Erica Eastley. This episode features music by Meydän under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Podcast produced by Sarah Bringhurst Familia on the canals of Amsterdam.

Rowena Dring is British, and spent time in Berlin and France before settling here in Amsterdam. She is an artist who challenges traditional boundaries by incorporating the traditional ‘women’s work’ of sewing and needlework with large-scale painting. She first started this type of art after her father died, and observes that ‘when you feel like your world has been shattered apart, actually working with collage, putting things back together with sewing and stitching is a way of reordering your world.’ We live in a world that, if not shattered apart, has been irrevocably changed. I talk to Rowena about how the resurgence of the traditional homemaking arts may be a natural response to that change, incorporating as they do the comfort of simple things like the whirr of the sewing machine or the smell of freshly baked bread. During lockdown, Rowena herself has recently put some of her same artistic techniques to work making wonderful, quirky face masks. She has also baked sourdough bread for many years. We discuss why we are drawn to these types of homemaking arts during a pandemic, and what they can do for us. ROWENA ELSEWHERE: Monica Perez Vega did an interview with Rowena on the very first episode of the Hiraeth Magazine Podcast, which you can find here: http://hiraethmagazine.com/hiraeth-magazine-podcast-ep-1-meet-the-team-part-i/ You can buy her unique, beeswaxed cotton canvas face masks (along with her paintings) in her webshop: https://www.rowenadring.com/shop Or follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/B-zQ3lxF6ui/ This episode features music by Meydän under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Podcast produced by Sarah Bringhurst Familia on the canals of Amsterdam.

‘Emily’ is an American, but grew up moving around a lot, and spent her teenage years living in Mexico. Now with four kids of her own, she has made the move to Saudi Arabia to give them a taste of international life. We have changed her name so she can speak freely about her adventures and what life is like in Saudi. ‘Emily’ tells us what it’s like being a woman in a country where her husband has to sign off on her every decision, from how to landscape the front yard to each and every withdrawal she wants to make from their joint bank account. And she talks about what life is like during the pandemic under 24-hour curfew, and what she misses most about the time when she was allowed to go further from her house than the garbage bin alley. Photo courtesy of ‘Emily’. This episode features music by Meydän under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Podcast produced by Sarah Bringhurst Familia on the canals of Amsterdam.

Lisa Ferland is an American living in Sweden. She has a background in public health, and is also an author and consultant. In the podcast she talks about her life in the Swedish countryside, why she chose to take Swedish citizenship, and what being both Swedish and American means to her. Lisa recently began working for the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), specifically on the coronavirus pandemic. We talk with her about how the Swedish approach to the pandemic differs from what other countries are doing, and how cultural differences affect the way the coronavirus progresses in different places. Lisa gives us a peek at what we might be able to expect in the coming months, and a few rays of hope about what good might come out of all this. LISA ELSEWHERE: You can listen to our previous interview with Lisa about her book, Knocked Up Abroad, here: http://hiraethmagazine.com/podcast-episode-18-knocked-up-abroad/ Lisa runs a consulting business helping authors to crowdfund their books: https://lisaferland.com/ Follow her on Instagram for a glimpse at the beautiful Swedish outdoor life: https://www.instagram.com/p/B9Yk_m2njsH/ This episode features music by Meydän under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Podcast produced by Sarah Bringhurst Familia on the canals of Amsterdam.

Olga Mecking’s book, Niksen just happened to come out the very week coronavirus lockdown started in the Netherlands, where she lives. Niksen is about “The Dutch Art of Doing Nothing”, which ends up being amazingly apropos in a time when we are all wondering what to do with ourselves while staying safe at home. In a world where we are assaulted by an ever-ballooning number of wellness trends–and trying to fit in self-care can be as exhausting as the exhaustion it is intended to alleviate–Niksen is a breath of fresh air. Sit down for a moment with me and Olga to talk about the freeing realisation that sometimes it’s OK to just do nothing at all. Olga tells us about growing up in a very international family, and her identity as a European. We discuss what language she and her multilingual husband and kids speak at home, how lockdown affects her career as a freelance writer, and what it’s like to try to do a book launch in the middle of a global pandemic. She tells us about practices around the world that mirror niksen by encouraging us to take a step back and take a break from our anxieties about productivity. And she gives us some great tips on how to start practising niksen to help us stay sane during quarantine and beyond. MORE ON NIKSEN: You can read the viral New York Times article that started it all here: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/29/smarter-living/the-case-for-doing-nothing.html Olga’s book is currently available for purchase from sellers in the Netherlands. English version: https://www.bol.com/nl/p/niksen/9200000125491500/?bltgh=kc8NqzlKDRGGiDR6GUVMSA.1_4.9.ProductTitle Dutch version: https://www.bol.com/nl/p/niksen/9200000125167175/?bltgh=kc8NqzlKDRGGiDR6GUVMSA.1_4.5.ProductTitle An international release is planned for early next year. In the meantime, you can connect with Olga and talk more about niksen in the book’s Facebook group, The Nikseneers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheNikseneers/permalink/672043520253148/ Or follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/B_W_-iTnB6j/ This episode features music by Meydän under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Podcast produced by Sarah Bringhurst Familia on the canals of Amsterdam.

Rachel Bringhurst is an American homeschooling mom and mother of four who has moved around a lot, and is now sheltering in place in California. By education and training, she is also a qualified teacher, so she brings experience from both sides of the teacher’s desk to this huge challenge of homeschooling under lockdown. Rachel talks about growing up in a military family where home wasn’t a physical place, but people who loved her, and a sense of purpose. She explains why she decided to homeschool in the first place, and how homeschooling under normal circumstances is different from homeschooling under lockdown. We pick her brain for ideas on staying sane, what to let go and what to keep, and how to help kids remain occupied and quiet on their own during those dreaded times when you and your partner are both on a conference call. During the podcast Rachel shares quite a few different resources parents can use for homeschooling during lockdown, so links can be found below. THINGS KIDS CAN DO ONLINE https://www.huffpost.com/entry/free-online-learning-activities-for-kids_l_5e73848dc5b63c3b648bc968 https://www.commonsensemedia.org/website-lists https://hellogiggles.com/news/coronavirus-zoos-aquariums-live-stream/ https://melscience.com/US-en/articles/ https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/you-can-now-download-over-300-000-books-from-the-nypl-for-free-031820 https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2020/3/17/21181994/coronavirus-art-museums-concerts-met-opera-louvre-smithsonian-virtual-tours-online-live-stream STUDIES ON THE BENEFITS OF BOREDOM https://www.theschoolrun.com/benefits-of-boredom-for-kids https://www.melbournechildpsychology.com.au/blog/the-benefits-of-boredom/ A digestible resource for getting your kids brains working through play: https://www.amazon.com/101-Brain-Breaks-Educational-Activities/dp/0999022008 THE EFFECTS OF STRESS ON LEARNING https://www.nature.com/articles/npjscilearn201611 Photos are courtesy of Rachel Bringhurst. This episode features music by Meydän under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Podcast produced by Sarah Bringhurst Familia on the canals of Amsterdam.

In this strange time of virus-induced isolation, home has become our world. What does that world mean? What does home mean, in a time when so many of us are benignly incarcerated there by circumstances that even in our enforced solitude bring us together in solidarity. At Hiraeth we are always asking the question, what is home? And now it has taken on new shades of meaning. What is home in the time of corona? In this new season of the Hiraeth podast, that is the question we will be asking. Lockdown. Curfew. Shelter in Place. I’ll talk to people around the world, from here in Amsterdam to Sweden to Egypt to the United States about how that injunction to stay at home plays out in their countries, and what their daily lives look like in this era of social distancing. We’ll discuss homeschooling, deciding whether or not to evacuate, working in public health, being medically fragile, the poetry that’s getting us through, what’s going on with this resurgence of interest in baking, sewing, and other homemaking arts, and much, much more. What are we making of this time at home? Join us for a new season of the Hiraeth podcast: ‘Home in the time of Corona’. This episode features music by Meydän under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Podcast produced by Sarah Bringhurst Familia on the canals of Amsterdam.

In this special guest episode of the Hiraeth podcast, five research master students from Leiden University with their own migration stories from around the world discuss Nigerian writer Chimananda Ngozi Adiche’s 2013 novel Americanah. It is a novel of migration, home, and return, giving voice to a multifaceted Nigerian diaspora experience. The story is primarily narrated by Ifemelu, a young woman who moves to the United States to study, and ends up spending eight years living there. The shorter migration journey of her high school boyfriend Obinze, who overstays his visa in Great Britain and is eventually deported back to Nigeria, forms a compelling counterpoint. Sarah, Jan, Rosanne, Cláudia and Amparo discuss how the novel treats racism, educational inequality, and the powerful role of memory in shaping identities and migration experiences, as well as Ifemelu's hair, her blog, and her boyfriends. For further reading: Americanah by Chimananda Ngozi Adiche (2013) ‘The Danger of a Single Story’, Ted Talk by Chimananda Ngozi Adiche, November 20th 2009 ‘The New Mobilities Paradigm’ by Mimi Sheller and John Urry. African Migration Narratives: Politics, Race, and Space, edited by Cajetan Iheka Song credit: “Silk n Cashmere Riddim” by Konrad OldMoney Photo credit: Namna Soukpanah Podcast produced by Sarah Bringhurst Familia on the canals of Amsterdam.

In this episode, Monica talks to artist Farnaz Gholami. Farnaz is originally from Iran, but has lived in Boston, South Africa and now London. Farnaz talks about how her experience of moving and living in different places has affected her work. She talks about what it means to to find home, neither here nor there, but in the liminal space between places, otherwise known as, ‘The Third Space’. Her work deals with this idea of hybridity in the ‘Third Space,’ and she uses domestic imagery and imagination to deal with the uncanny feelings of a fragmented identity between places. Farnaz is currently pursuing her MA at the Slade School of Fine Art in London, and will graduate June 2019. To see more of her work: www.farnaz.net Ig: @farnaz.gholami This episode features music by Ketsa (copyright) http://ketsamusic.com/ under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License

Describing herself as a child of "leavers and movers", Alissa Herbaly Coons has spent her life finding home around the world. From age five until the 9th grade, she lived in what she describes as a "very American" suburban neighbourhood in Montana. In high school she suddenly landed in Hungary in the middle of a long, cold winter. As a result of this first move overseas, she says she "gained German, and the knowledge that it was possible to do difficult things.” From her parents, Alissa learned to be "reckless in saying yes" to international adventure. So when she married a boy from her hometown and his career took them to Canada, she did just that, spending her year of maternity leave with her first daughter learning about her new home "at ground level" along with her child. After another move took them to Australia, she started a phD in Creative Practice at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. Her research examines expatriate Hungarian women and their stories of repatriation and return. As part of the phD she is writing a piece of what she calls "consensual bio-fiction", somewhere between a novel and a biography. For more information on this episode an others, visit our website: http://hiraethmagazine.com/ This episode features music by Ketsa (copyright) http://ketsamusic.com/ under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License

Donna Bardsley grew up in a big, warm Mormon family on the west coast of the United States. Even more than her nationality, she considered Mormonism her primary identifier, and couldn’t imagine how to leave, even as the belief system she grew up with felt increasingly irrelevant to her life. For more info visit: www.hiraethmagazine.com

‘I like to think of my work as a window to another reality, perhaps escapist and enchanting, like an hotel room, which is a symbol of a different reality than our daily life; perhaps a dreamlike experience, a place which is a temporary home.’ Michal Raz was born in Jerusalem and in spite of growing up in a predominantly Jewish society, she found her own spiritual path after her grandmother invited her to join a Buddhist meditation class. In her art practice, Michal strives to make her work universal, exploring themes of connection and hierarchy. Her work incorporates bright, vivid colours and strong geometric shapes, as well as layering and repetition. Born in 1984, Michal grew up as part of a “transition generation” when analog was giving way to digital, and her art incorporates many digital influences, from digital images to neon colours and even television screens. For her, home is wherever her partner and cats are, although she does recall that at one point her home was her backpack. During her interview she also mentions her spiritual home, the Centre of Inter-religious Peace in Tel Aviv. Michal recently graduated with an MFA from the Slade School of Fine Art in London. This episode features music by Lee Rosevere under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License Visit website: http://hiraethmagazine.com/

I had the pleasure of talking to two very astute young ladies. My daughter Luna and her friend Okxana. Both are 19 years old and go to college in Los Angeles, California. Luna has grown up between Europe and California. She lives in LA with her mom during the school year and, with her brother, visits us in Europe every Summer and Christmas. This unique perspective has allowed her to be open-minded in trying to understand the reasoning behind people's positions, a skill she often uses in debate. Okxana also has a curiosity for cultures and enthusiasm for travel, influenced by her mom who served 35 years in the military in order to see the world. As two Mexican-American women growing up in America right now, they share some of their experiences, as well as their fears and hopes for their country. Talking to these two brings to mind a quote by actor Jeffrey Wright that made the rounds shortly after Trump was elected: "May the election of Trump bring forth the fiercest, smartest, toughest generation of ass-kicking women this country could possibly imagine." -Jeffry Wright This episode also features music by Ketsa (copyright) http://ketsamusic.com/ under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License and by the Eaters under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US) http://hiraethmagazine.com/podcast-episode-28-coming-of-age-in-trumps-america/

A year ago, Hiraeth was invited to participate in a session on “Whose Heritages Matter” during a conference at Wageningen University in the east of the Netherlands. Meghann Ormond, Associate Professor in Cultural Geography at Wageningen, speaks about her own heritage, from her two passport countries, the U.S. and Portugal, as well as the Netherlands, where she has made her home for the past eight years, and other countries that have touched her life. Meghann’s own identity has been shaped by both her own travels around the world and her multifaceted family history, including her mother’s search for her birth parents on two continents. Through this experience, she realised: “We are all inheritors of extraordinarily transnational stories.” Heritage from Below is an acknowledgement that the everyday stories and lives of ordinary people should be included as a part of history. Meghann started the Heritage from Below Educational and Research Collective (HERC) to bring together cultural heritage and history scholars, practitioners and educators to help children of all backgrounds feel that their history and culture are important and recognised as part of a larger whole. This episode also features music by Ketsa (copyright) http://ketsamusic.com/ under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License http://hiraethmagazine.com/podcast/

Our new Hiraeth poetry editor, Jez Keighley, talks about the beginnings of his poetry career, musical influences on his poetry and his poetry/music collaborations with 3Bop, an Italian jazz artist. Jez is originally from the north of England, and “ran away” to university when he was 18. After moving to Vienna for love and then staying for the atmosphere, he moved to the Netherlands (again for love) and has been here for the last 20 years. We also interview Johanna Baudau, an artist and MFA student at the Slade School of Fine Art in London, where Hiraeth team member Monica Perez Vega also studies. Joanna has “three homes”, France, Morocco, and London, but she also lived in Brazil for six years. Unsurprisingly, harbours figure heavily in her painting, as places of in-between, and places of departure. She is fascinated by horizons, and how it is possible to keep different horizons as a part of you. Johanna writes poetry, and her poetry has a significant impact on her visual art. Jez Keighley and 3Bop have several albums on Spotify. The poem we included, “How Do I Step Back?”, is from their newest album, Blues for the Infidel. For images and more info visit website: http://hiraethmagazine.com/podcast-episode-26-harbours-and-horizons/ This episode also features music by Ketsa (copyright) http://ketsamusic.com/ under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License

Welcome back to our second season of the Hiraeth Podcast! This season will be focused around the themes of “heritage and identity.” What is heritage and how do we pack it with us from one place to the next? What does it mean to preserve one’s heritage and when does that become a bad thing? Sarah and Monica explore these questions while looking back at some highlights from last season. Website: https://wp.me/p8obcR-Lt Visit website for: Link to video clip of FIGT talk with Emmy McCarthy and Naomi Hattaway c/o Stephanie Ward of Firefly Coaching. Links to music featured in episode: Ketsa (copyright) http://ketsamusic.com/ under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License Turku, Nomads of the Silk Road (copyright) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License The Water Embers by Ask Again (copyright) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 4.0 International License

Francesca Aikman is an artist from the North West of England who lives and works in Amsterdam. She arrived directly after finishing a degree in Fine Art at university in Preston to take up a residency at OT303, and, without her really realizing or planning it, Amsterdam became home.  Recently, she has been making small, intimate ink paintings of streets in Amsterdam. These colourful works are all created using black ink, which is then allowed to divide into different colours when dropped onto wet paper (paper chromatography). They are beautiful depictions of fleeting moments in time; the moment when light hits a surface in a particular way. Rowena talks with Francesca about art and life, all over a cup of tea.  See Rowena's transcription of the interview, as well as Francesca's artworks, in the post: https://wp.me/p8obcR-GF Francesca and Rowena will also both have work on display at the upcoming storytelling event on 25 November at Butcher's Tears, with signed, limited edition prints available for purchase! https://wp.me/p8obcR-Ha This episode features music by Ketsa (copyright) http://ketsamusic.com/ using a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License

In this episode, Sarah talks to Lucille Abendanon who has three nationalities and has lived in six different countries. Lucille shares not only her own story of movement, but also the incredible stories of her Dutch Oma and Opa who survived life in Japanese concentration camps. Lucille is a writer and values the power of storytelling in understanding one's identity and hopes to pass this on to her kids just as Oma has done for her. Lucille documents her life experiences on her blog: Expitterpattica. http://wp.me/p8obcR-EV

In 2010, Masha and her brother inherited her grandparents’ home in Crimea, the place of her birth. Last Spring, she traveled there and felt a tug to return and explore her roots. She has long felt the pull between lands and questioned her sense of identity- having lived in the US since the age of ten but with strong ties to Yalta and Moscow. Masha shares with us her journey, having lived in both communist and capitalist countries. She watched as Russia transitioned between the two and the effects of these changes, such as how some were pushed to the brink of despair once they could no longer afford their homes. It is, therefore, understandable why Masha would work so hard to maintain her family home once you hear the lengths that some would go to try and take it away. http://wp.me/p8obcR-Cd

I met Cynthia on instagram- While she runs the very serious business of recruitment and coaching for expats through her company Xpath Global Careers, she also happens to run a hilarious instagram account called @expatmemes which pokes fun at the trials and tribulations of international life...  Many times, I found myself commenting (or at least thinking) YES!  I can relate...  It was so funny, I knew I had to meet the person behind it, and sure enough our interview didn't disappoint. Cynthia is a third culture kid.  Her father is from Chile, but he fled to Argentina during a coup.  There, he met her mom, but they were forced to flee yet another coup- to Sweden.  Cynthia grew up in Sweden, but recalls that she often faced prejudices based on her Latin heritage. “…My mom always said, ‘if you are a foreigner, you are always going to have to work three times harder than someone with a Swedish name to gain the same place; the same respect.” Aside from Sweden, Cynthia has lived in Tanzania, Spain and Holland. She compares her experiences of living in both developed and developing countries.  She also talks about life after kids and her search to find a place that truly feels like home, once realizing that her passport country was no longer that place. “...was it the country that changed or was it me?” Hear about Cynthia's adventures as well as her advice to other expats who are trying to find friends, find jobs or find themselves.  She says the journey can be challenging, but if you embrace it- you will grow- as will your heart and your possibilities. http://wp.me/p8obcR-Ce

In this episode, we talk about art, politics and plans for the future.  This episode is a series of audio clips from team meetings and conversations recorded over the past six months.  It is a reflection on the year so far- as we wrap up for Summer vacation.  We will resume in the Fall, and are excited about our next storytelling event on 16 September. Listen to this episode for more information! http://wp.me/p8obcR-AI

In this episode, I talk to Stardust Magick. Star is a transformation artist- transforming herself and others through costume and performance. She helped form the Mystic Family Circus in California and has performed at festivals the world over. She believes in radical expression and lives with an open heart and with the intention of simply spreading joy to others. Star has long explored the meaning of community, as she has woven her way in and out of tribes across the world- both ancient and self-made. She says that, over time, she’s learned that she doesn’t belong to any one tribe; that she’s a “tribe hopper” and adopts the best of each community she encounters. For the past two years, Star has been teaching hair styling at ASKV, an organization that helps undocumented refugees in the Netherlands. She talks about the rewarding experience that it has been and how it has opened up another element of community for her. She encourages others to learn about the organization and get involved. As a nomadic free spirit who has been changing countries ever since she was a child, I was curious how Star would define home, and she immediately reflected on her connection to nature as feeling like home, but after some thought, she went on to really explore and reflect on the various ways she feels at home. Check out more of Star’s work on her website or facebook. She is available to perform at parties. She is also available to do transformative styling through hair, make-up, and custom headdresses and costumes. Photos and Links on the blog: http://wp.me/p8obcR-wy

In this episode, we talk to Lisa Ferland, author and editor of the books Knocked Up Abroad and Knocked Up Abroad Again. She talks about how her personal experiences of giving birth in America and in Sweden led to the realization that there is no one right way to bring life into the world. She then began to ask other women from other parts of the world about their childbirth stories and documented these stories in the Knocked Up Abroad series. We'll also hear from two women whose stories are featured in Knocked Up Abroad Again. For more info and links: http://wp.me/p8obcR-ua

I had so much fun talking to Amanda Bates, founder and editor of The Black Expat. Amanda launched The Black Expat to provide voices from the Black perspective of traveling and living internationally. It is both an informative resource as well as a source of inspiration for those considering an international move. She says, “and by Black, we mean in the most inclusive sense, from the Bajan who goes to the US to study to the Nigerian entrepreneur who moves to Jamaica, and everyone else who may find themselves in Japan or Tokyo or Amsterdam.” Amanda laughs when people ask “Where do you find all these Black Expats?” To which she replies, “…they’re literally all around you.” http://wp.me/p8obcR-si

Erin Sinogba uses her experience of growing up as a transnational Filipino TCK to expand the narrative of what it means to be a “TCK”. Transnational refers to a person who is connected to more than one community across the globe, and TCK is short for third culture kid, which are kids who grow up outside of their parents’ passport countries. Generally a TCK is presumed to be a child of an expat- which tends to connote a certain demographic (ie. an upperclass, western family living abroad temporarily for work or diplomacy.) However, Erin holds a Filipino passport; was born in South Korea and has lived in South Korea, Grenada, USA and the Philippines. She grew up in international communities but realized there was always something that set her apart from many of her peers, and this had a lot to do with her Filipino identity and the limitations her passport provided. This experience led her to explore what it means to be not only a TCK, but also what it means to be Filipino- she works to expand the narratives of both identities. Working with the organizations TIGRA, and TCKid, Erin advocates for the various communities that intersect these definitions. In this episode, Erin talks about what it means to be transnational beyond the scope of the traditional expat experience. She also talks about the diverse and complex issues behind the Filipino identity. More info: http://wp.me/p8obcR-qz

In this episode I talk to two different women who both happen to live in Portland, Oregon. The first guest is Summer, who has been pursuing a master's degree in psychotherapy, but has continually put her career on hold as life took its course. She lived in Hong Kong for ten years, Amsterdam for five, and has now (somewhat reluctantly) made Portland her home. Summer talks about the challenges of returning to the USA after living abroad for 15 years and having experienced life in a social democracy. My second guest is Anisa Makhoul, who is an American illustrator. Anisa has a background in fashion design and even ran her own shop in Portland, but in 2012, she packed it all in to try life in Amsterdam. She talks about how her career in illustration really sparked in Amsterdam and how travel has now become an integral part of her creative process. http://www.hiraethmagazine/podcast-episode-15-landing-in-portlandia/

Today we are sharing an episode originally aired on the Shelter From the Storm podcast. Shelter From the Storm is a homeless shelter in London which provides bed, dinner and breakfast to 43 guests every day of the year. They host a podcast which tells the stories of some of their guests. "With amazing skill, experience and love, we pick up the pieces from the human fallout; we’ll find them a doctor, a counsellor, a lawyer, training, a job. Each evening they sit down to eat together; a simple ritual for most of us, but for many of them it will be the first time they’ve done that since they left home." In this particular episode, we will hear Lena's story. She is a 28 year old woman, daughter of a Guinean King- who spent her life fleeing female genital mutilation. It's a powerful story of not only finding refuge, but about her enduring strength and hope. http://hiraethmagazine.com/podcast-episode-14-escaping-fgm/

It can feel very isolating moving to a new city, let alone a new country- however with a quick search online, you’re likely to find a network of others just like you. Thanks to the foresight of people like Naomi Hattaway and Emmy McCarthy– who had the vision of connecting people online for advice and support. Naomi is the founder of I am a Triangle, which began as a support group for people re-patriating to America, who, perhaps were finding it difficult to fit back into American society, but the group includes people from all over the world adjusting to their various new communities. Emmy is the founder of Amsterdam Mamas which connects a broad range of international families based mostly in Amsterdam. Both facebook groups have a membership of over 12,000 people and both serve an international community. I’m curious about what other virtual communities exist- and how have they impacted your life. http://wp.me/p8obcR-nr This episode features music by Ketsa (copyright) http://ketsamusic.com/ using a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License

Meet Valerie, a Hungarian refugee who came to America at nine years old, and who still vividly remembers her early life in communist Budapest. Valerie's father was stoutly anti-Communist and worked hard to get his family out of the country at the earliest opportunity. However, due to family illness, he sadly had to stay behind and find another means of escape a month after letting his family go. Valerie reflects on their journey across the border and still gets emotional remembering how a stranger, simply out of the kindness of his heart, helped carry her, and others, across a stream and through barbed wire fence to help cross her and her family into Austria. Visit our bog to see photos from this episode. http://www.hiraethmagazine.com/podcast-episode-12-kindness-of-strangers/ This episode features music by Ketsa (copyright) http://ketsamusic.com/ using a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License

If ever someone had a sense of hiraeth, I think it would be today's guest, Kristina, whose homeland doesn't quite exist anymore. Kristina was born in Yugoslavia but spent her early years in America. At ten years old, her family decided to return to Yugoslavia, only to be forced out as refugees eight years later. While they never thought the war would come to their town, the rise of conflicting nationalist parties eventually did push them out of their home. During this war, families were torn apart; forced to take sides or risk becoming prisoners. Kristina says all of her friends eventually left the country. Kristina also has the unique perspective of being on opposite sides of migration- both as a refugee and as an expatriate. She has lived in America, France, and the Netherlands. She says she also married the son of an immigrant. Her (American) husband's mom is from Sweden, and he’s floated around quite a bit among Germany, the Netherlands, USA, and France. Visit blogpost for photos and more details: http://hiraethmagazine.com/podcast-episode-11-we-were-all-yugoslavians/ This episode features music by Ketsa (copyright) http://ketsamusic.com/ using a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License

In this episode, we talk to Daniela who was born in Angola, but fled to Portugal when civil war broke out in the 70's. She talks about what it was like to come from an unrecognised country; to live without papers. She reflects on her time living in a makeshift refugee camp as a kid. She says it was like summer camp, but as an adult, she now realises how stressful it must have been for her mom. We hear about her family's journey to get Portuguese passports and how her study of architecture led her to the Netherlands. Daniela talks about how she now uses her creativity as a 'food tailor' with Coco Sauvage. Among their many events, Coco Sauvage created a weekly (inexpensive) vegan menu serving 100 people at Plantage Dokhuis for a year, and Daniela also does creative food workshops for kids with Kleintjekunst in Amsterdam. http://hiraethmagazine.com/podcast-episode-10-coco-sauvage/ This episode features music by Ketsa (copyright) http://ketsamusic.com/ using a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License

"If all of us tell our stories, it enriches us, and it enriches the world. It helps to really break down those walls and build the bridges that we need." -Sarah Bringhurst Familia In this episode, we are exploring the term "migrant". We will look at some of the injustices and similarities across different migrant communities. What can we learn from each other's experiences and how can we be more open-minded towards migrants relating to our shared experience of seeking home? We talk to Amy K. Levin, editor of a new book called Global Mobilities: Refugees, Exiles, and Immigrants in Museums and Archives. Amy's book provides a wide range of voices on the subject of migration. We will find out what museums and archives are doing to not only preserve the stories of migrants, but also to engage immigrant and native communities. http://hiraethmagazine.com/podcast-episode-9-migrating-heritage/ This episode features music by Ketsa (copyright) http://ketsamusic.com/ using a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License

“When I reached the Netherlands, I thought, ‘this is the last step for me- to begin the first step for me- and my family.'” Mamoun Abu Naser was born “stateless” as a Palestinian refugee in Syria. While he made a comfortable life for himself working as an English teacher at UNRWA, (the United Nations Relief Agency for Palestinians in the Near East), his stateless status left him without much options for his future aside from having the choice to move back to Palestine, which, of course, due to the tumultous political situation there, was not much of an option. When war broke out in Syria, it became clear, that for any hope for a better future, let alone, survival, he would have to move himself and his family to Europe. So, once more, Mamoun was made a refugee when he opted to flee war-torn Syria in 2015. After making the difficult decision to leave his wife and kids behind (the youngest just 2 months old), Mamoun spent a year traveling from Syria to the Netherlands, mostly on foot, in search of a land to call home for him and his family. Hear his words of courage and optimism as he recounts his journey. http://hiraethmagazine.com/podcast-episode-8-in-search-of-homeland/ This episode features music by Ketsa (copyright) http://ketsamusic.com/ using a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License

"People will embrace a new food in a way they wouldn't necessarily embrace a new culture." -Edwina Bruford (The Matatu Kitchen) In this episode, we hear from Fozia and Edwina from The Matatu Kitchen, an East African supperclub based out of Bristol. "Matatus are the vibrant and noisy minibuses you see in Nairobi and elsewhere around East Africa. Matatus are particularly famous for their colourful decorations, great music, and lively conversation..." I met these two amazing ladies at a recent conference in London called "Unite Against Dividers". In this workshop, Fozia and Edwina used food as a vehicle for people from various communities to come together and discuss their experiences; bond over their similarities, all while discussing the difficult topic of racism in a post-Brexit society. We'll hear about the workshop, what the two ladies learned from the experience, and what we can all learn from simply listening to one another. For more info, links, and photos: http://hiraethmagazine.com/podcast-episode-7-matatu-kitchen/ This episode features music by Ketsa (copyright) http://ketsamusic.com/ using a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License and by Youssou N'Dour from the Open Remix Compilation by IntraHealth International in an effort to support the IntraHealthOPEN Initiative. Make a donation. (copyright) https://www.intrahealth.org/section/open using a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivs 3.0 Unported License

This episode is a about saying "goodbye," but it's also about how we stay in touch. I talk to my nine year old daughter about what it was like moving to a new country and how she stays in touch with her friends. We also discuss how she identifies herself as a sort of unassuming third culture kid. Then we hear from my parents who lived in the Philippines for a year back in the 70's. They talk about their life under martial law, their naive explorations around the country, and how they attempted to communicate with family back home in an age preceding internet and smart phones. Lastly, we hear from Joanna, a self-proclaimed "Missionary Kid," who has grown up in Cambodia. Still in high school herself, she reflects on life as a third culture Australian kid in Cambodia. Of her experiences, she says,"...I'm getting tired of being left behind; of seeing people go, and then seeing people come, and having to be the one that's okay..." Joanna shares her poem, "Ends Again." Giving another meaning to the episode title, "Don't Forget To Write," we refer to Joanna's mission to one day use her writing to "awake the emotions," of people who wouldn't otherwise be moved to help those who don't have voices themselves. http://hiraethmagazine.com/podcast-episode-6-dont-forget-to-write/ This episode features music by Ketsa (copyright) http://ketsamusic.com/ using a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License

Our last episode was about Tijuana and what life was like on the border for Edgar Morales. Edgar also talked about what it was like for him to migrate into America and go to college. He recognised how fortunate he was to have such opportunities, aware of how difficult and dangerous the journey can be for others, even for some of his own friends and relatives. This week, we continue on this theme, and hear about one person's dangerous trek into America from Mexico. We talk to Tony Sandoval, three-time Eisner-nominated comic writer and illustrator who recently released an autobiographical graphic novel called "Rendezvous in Phoenix" published by Magnetic Press. Tony made his way across the border to reunite with his girlfriend but also to try to fulfil his dream of becoming a comic book writer. Tony now lives in Geneva and has reached international acclaim with several published books under his belt. Visit our blog for more info, images, and links: http://hiraethmagazine.com/podcast-episode-5-rendezvous-in-phoenix/ This episode features music by Ketsa (copyright) http://ketsamusic.com/ using a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License and Doctor Turtle (copyright) https://doctorturtle.bandcamp.com/ using a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License

Welcome back and Happy New Year! As we enter this New Year, I want to reiterate our mission at Hiraeth Magazine which is to promote empathy and unity, for those seeking home, through the power of storytelling and art. In the first episode of the New Year, I wanted to talk to someone who is from a place that breathes transience and migration. We will talk to Edgar Morales, son of Mexican footballer, Alfredo "Harapos" Morales. Edgar reflects on what it was like to grow up not only as the son of a local hero, but also what it was like to come of age in the border town of Tijuana. Tijuana is situated on the cusp between Baja Mexico and California. It has long held its role as a place of transition for those seeking opportunities in the North as well as those deported, or retiring in the South. There is also a population who live in Tijuana and commute into San Diego for work or school, but with a growing economy, proximity to resources, and the founding of its own soccer team, Tijuana has grown to find its own identity and become more than just a rotating door, but a place to call home for many. http://hiraethmagazine.com/podcast-episode-4-tijuana/ This episode features music by Ketsa (copyright) ketsamusic.com/ using a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License and by Calexico (copyright) http://www.casadecalexico.com/ using a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 US License

In our third episode, we hear from two expat families that traveled abroad for the wife’s work! We’ll hear from Danielle, a third culture Canadian kid who grew up in Indonesia. She reflects on what home means to her now that there isn’t any real tie to the place she grew up, and what it was like seeing snow for the first time at 17… Then we chat with John, from New Zealand. His family wanted a bit of adventure and they found it in his wife’s career- which has taken them to Amsterdam and Seoul. He documents some of their “adventures, funny moments, and cultural misunderstandings…” on his website: Itchy Family Feet Lastly we hear from Kelly Merks. Kelly works at the Expatriate Archive Centre in the Hague. She created @WeAreXpats which is a Twitter Rocur (Rotating Curator) account. Expats are invited to be guest curators and share their international perspectives and adventures. If you are interested in participating, apply on their website: wearexpats.org or message Kelly directly on Twitter: @flaneurie http://hiraethmagazine.com/episode-3-itchy-feet-families/ This episode features music by Ketsa (copyright) http://ketsamusic.com/ using a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License Cover image is from John. He says, “Slight cultural oops today, guy came in to install washing machine and it appears everyone takes off their shoes at the door (I did know this part), what I didn’t know is that we should have some slippers prepared for guests. The guy is asking me something in Korean and pointing to his feet. I finally worked out that he was asking for slippers, but the only ones I could find were my daughter’s Dutch slippers. He didn’t seem to phased about wearing them.”

In this episode, we meet the rest of the Hiraeth Magazine editorial team. We will follow Sarah Bringhurst Familia as she backpacks her way across the globe, with babies in tow, to find herself settling in Amsterdam. She tells us about her work at the Expatriate Archive Center as she documents the trends in expat migration over the past century. I will talk to Pepe Villaverde, who traded his culturally rich Castillian heritage for the international experience. Lastly, Xenia interviews me! We talk about how in life sometimes we are forced to take the passenger seat and just enjoy the ride, and she relates the layers of my paintings to the layers of the lives we live. Links and music credit on our blog. http://hiraethmagazine.com/episode-2-meet-the-team-part-ii Do you have a story about home, migration, or hiraeth? Get in touch. http://hiraethmagazine.com/podcast This episode features music by: Ketsa (copyright) http://ketsamusic.com/ using a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License Doctor Turtle (copyright) https://doctorturtle.bandcamp.com/ using a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License and Maria Pien (copyright) http://mariapien.com/ using a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License

Welcome to our first episode! This is part one of "Meet the Team". There are six of us on the editorial team and I will chat with each member about where they are from and what home means to them. In the first episode, I speak with translator, writer, and lover of language Xenia Bordukowa Pattberg. A true third culture kid, we follow her from Moscow to East Berlin to Amsterdam. Then we meet British artist Rowena Dring as she goes from living out of her backpack to settling in Amsterdam, and lastly we follow art historian Tea Gudek Šnajdar from medieval Croatia to Golden Age Holland. http://hiraethmagazine.com/hiraeth-magazine-podcast-ep-1-meet-the-team-part-i/ Check out a few images from this episode on instagram. Next week, we will meet the other three members of the team: Sarah, Pepe, and myself, Monica. Do you have a story about home, migration, or hiraeth? Get in touch via our website: www.hiraethmagazine.com/podcast This episode features music by Ketsa (copyright) http://ketsamusic.com/ using a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License