Posts tagged grief
COVID-19: The Good, the Bad, and the Privilege
COVID-19: The Good, the Bad, and the Privilege

I’ve been wearing my glasses these days. For those of you who wear glasses too, you know that when paired with a mask, the combination is not ideal. Usually, I wear contacts 97% of the time, so it may seem counterintuitive that now would be the time I make the switch. But at its root, the reason I’m wearing glasses more often than usual comes down to the same reason I’m wearing the mask: COVID. More specifically, I’m on my last bottle of contact solution brought from the States. Since our country’s borders are closed, I’m not heading back to get more solution (or anything else on the “America List” I keep in my notes app) anytime soon.

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Reflections From AbroadCaroline Swartzpandemic, global pandemic, COVID-19, grief, loss, joy, grief and joyComment
Processing Hard Things From Far Away with Tamika | Taking Route Podcast Ep. 34

One of the hardest parts about expat life is being so far away when tragedy strikes your home country. You want to hug your loved ones, process things out loud with your closest friends, and be near the ones you hold closest to your heart. In today’s episode, we talk with Tamika about what it’s been like to be a Black American woman, married to an Austrian, and living far away from the States as racial tension builds during a global pandemic.

Tamika shares what it’s been like to emotionally process events from afar, and how she and her children have become the go-to American source for their local friends and peers to ask questions about the current events in the U.S. We also discuss the delicate balance of talking with our TCKs about the hard things so they won’t be naive to what is happening in the world — and most importantly, in their own home country.

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PodcastTaking Route EditorsTaking Route Podcast, Podcast, grief, global pandemic, pandemic, multiracial family, injusticeComment
The Sudden Loss of Goodbyes
The Sudden Loss of Goodbyes

Yesterday I made pumpkin bread with frozen pumpkin puree that a friend had made from scratch and tucked away, intending to use herself. Today I made pot roast for dinner with beef from their freezer. These friends had to make the abrupt decision to leave their home in Rwanda due to medical reasons. Even though the airport closed last week, some embassies worked to figure out a handful more flights out this week. So, these friends took the last-minute opportunity, packed up their home and two small children in a matter of days, texted out the contents of their freezer and pantry to those of us who lived in the neighborhood to come pick up, and — a few hours later — were headed to the airport, unsure of how many months it will be until they can return.

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Reflections From AbroadCaroline SwartzCOVID-19, loss, grief, Coronavirus, pandemic Comments
Episode 27: Speaking Honestly About Living Overseas Long-Term with Rachel Pieh Jones
Episode 27: Speaking Honestly About Living Overseas Long-Term with Rachel Pieh Jones

When we first move overseas, we don’t often think about the long-term implications. It’s hard to wrap our minds around what nearly 20 years of life abroad will look like, or if we’ll even make it to that point. Quite honestly, not many people do stay for that long. Rachel Pieh Jones, author of the book Stronger When we first move overseas, we don’t often think about the long-term implications.

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PodcastTaking Route Editorslongevity, TCK, griefComment