Third Culture Thriving

In Part 2 of our series on house / domestic staff, we discuss how to find the right person, hire them, and how to set you both up for a successful relationship. Tips on training, trial periods, interviewing, and more! 

Part one of our series on hiring domestic / house staff as an expat. In this episode, we discuss identifying what you actually need to hire for, what type of person you're looking for, how much you should pay and what amenities you should provide. All the prep work to make the actual hiring process as smooth and successful as possible! 

Living in Rwanda, I get asked for food and money by children almost daily. In a global pandemic, this has become even more pressing of an issue to so many in our communities. My usual move is to buy something small at a nearby shop- a package of peanuts, some remade waffles or a loaf of bread. But, over the years, the inevitable jadedness has creeped in and I've found myself wondering- am I doing...

As I was writing some other episodes for this show, I came across a very similar journal entry of my own- one that I had typed up in a flurry of feelings, likely to never be posted anywhere- but I remember just wanting to get what I was learning down and out of my head. I want to share this entry- written about three years ago- with you today. I hope it blesses you.

So much of learning to live and thrive in a new culture is chaotic and unpredictable. But- we all have to eat! Whether you're a faithfully serving single or a devoted mama of many, meals are an integral part of our day- and honestly, a big part of thriving! Gradually, I adjusted my meal plans to include more locally available foods and to really center around ease and convenience. I also got strat...

I'll never forget telling my counselor how I was struggling with being kind and giving time to my housekeeper- every interaction just felt too stressful, like I didn't have the bandwidth. And yet, she was the one Rwandan that I saw and interacted with every single day! But I realized that all my stress was being spent on the stress of driving a long, congested way- and when I would get home, I had...

What do we mean when we say "thriving"? Living overseas as an expat mom looks really different for all of us- where we live, what we do, how long we'll stay- all of these things can change the definition. Today, we're talking about our working definition for this podcast, and what that means for you. 

Hello friends, and welcome to Third Culture Thriving. I'm your host, Karli Von Herbulis, coming to you this morning from Kigali, Rwanda- and I'm so excited that you're here for our very first episode! To start us off today, I want to give you kind of an overview- both of who I am and why I'm starting this podcast, and what I hope for this community to be. This is a project that is near and dear to...