3 Gifts of Reconnecting
Aug 30, 2021 1:07:05 PM Sarah Rymer China, Community Development, Children, Families, Living Overseas, Relationships
After 75 hours of travel with COVID restrictions, 3 kids under the age of 5, and 8 bags, we landed in the U.S. for the first time in 3 years feeling stunned, excited, exhausted, and overwhelmed.
Mirrors and Doors: Books for TCKs
May 24, 2021 12:02:01 PM Sarah Rymer Jordan, Education, Children, Families, IDEAS projects, Learning, Culture
As a librarian, I love to see the excitement when readers discover books with characters who are like them. Third-culture kids (TCKs) have a unique identity, not tied to any one place, growing up in one or more countries that are not their passport country.
6 Ways to Encourage from a Distance
May 3, 2021 11:14:44 AM Sarah Rymer Families, Hope, IDEAS projects, Life, Love, Relationships, Tips, community
To encourage means to make strong, to hearten, to give courage and hope to someone. Who in your life needs courage and hope today?
Finding New Joy in New Norms
Aug 17, 2020 12:39:41 PM Sarah Rymer Bangladesh, Children, Families, Life, Living Overseas, Culture, community
It turns out that living overseas is the best preparation for a world-wide pandemic a person could ask for (or not ask for).
Undaunted in the Unknown
Jul 20, 2020 11:25:18 AM Sarah Rymer Children, Families, Hope, Life, Living Overseas, Tips, travel, Culture
We all wrestle with different anxieties, whether fear of spiders, heights, germs, confined spaces, or the dark. Yet, something that tends to impact all of us is fear of the unknown.
6 Tips to Travel Internationally with Kids
Mar 9, 2020 10:13:02 AM Sarah Rymer China, Children, Families, Living Overseas, Tips, travel
My family and I recently returned from a long trip: 47 days, 9 hotels/homes, 5 flights, 2 small children, and many unexpected changes of plans. We lived to tell the tale and be thankful for it! We’ve lived overseas for almost five years and are not strangers to travel, but we’ve realized the way we travel had to change once we became parents.
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My Thoughts Before You Go
Feb 10, 2020 9:39:33 AM Sarah Rymer Tunisia, Children, Families, Living Overseas, Love, Relationships
Today it hit me, wells of emotions came rushing from nowhere and shook me from the inside out. My son is going away from his family core to begin his own life away from us, away from what we call home at this moment in time.
Keeping Grandparents Connected While Living Overseas
Jan 13, 2020 11:07:32 AM Sarah Rymer Children, Families, Living Overseas, Relationships, Tips, Technology
When my wife and I moved to Asia with our two boys many years ago, we knew that the only communication we would have with our family would be through letters. There would be the occasional phone call, but phone calls were expensive and the sound quality was poor. Our parents would experience their grandchildren growing up only though photographs and ...
Reflections on My First Year Living Overseas
Dec 9, 2019 10:08:47 AM Sarah Rymer Bangladesh, Children, Families, Life, Living Overseas, Love, Culture, community
It’s official! We’ve reached the one-year mark. One year ago, my husband, our three young kids, and I – along with 13 suitcases of everything we owned – boarded a plane and moved to South Asia, where we’ve lived, worked, and learned for 12 months now. As I reflect upon taking this giant leap of faith this time last year, I find myself stuck in a world of ...
Moving Overseas with Children: Inevitable Losses & Surprising Gains
Jul 1, 2019 9:43:54 AM Sarah Rymer Bangladesh, Children, Families, Life, Living Overseas, Love, Culture, community
For nearly a year before our family moved overseas, my mind was constantly processing the losses my young children would soon experience.