Best Third Culture Kids (tck Podcasts (2025)

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158 - TCK Creatives 17:56

29d ago17:56

17:56

Introducing a new online group for TCK creatives! If you are a TCK who loves working creatively, join us via Facebook (just search 'Third Culture Kid Creatives') and discover how many TCKs are exploring their stories creatively, using these creative outlets to process their experiences. The link to the group on Facebook is https://www.facebook.com/…

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From Chi-Town to China: Navigating Identity, Supply Chain, and the China Dream with Joshua Charles Woodard 1:07:57

6d ago1:07:57

1:07:57

What does it really mean to live in-between—cultures, dreams, identities? Joshua Charles Woodard, entrepreneur, engineer, artist, and nightlife maestro, has spent his life exploring this very question. In our first episode, Josh (affectionately known as "Jashy") shares the incredible journey that took him from Chicago's South Side to Beijing’s pres…

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159 - I finished the to-do list... and it feels weird 23:44

22d ago23:44

23:44

Reflections on how things actually going to plan - life doing what we wanted - can actually trigger anxiety in TCKs! Even finishing my to-do list... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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157 - Grief Sticks 11:52

1M ago11:52

11:52

Inspired by a conversation with another TCK, I've decided to make tangible representations of all those losses that have felt so hard to name - especially the loss of things that we never had - and invite you to do the same. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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156 - The Focus on Arrival 17:14

1M ago17:14

17:14

What happens with perfectionism collides with a short internal timeline? This episode I'm exploring the way in which our TCK experiences can shorten our sense of timeline, keeping our focus on achieving 'completion' even with those aspects of life that are just never going to be 'done'... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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155 - Are you allowed to be happy? 18:39

2M ago18:39

18:39

So in this episode I'm exploring the ways in which we absorb different cultural ideas about what kind of life is supposed to make us happy - aka, are we allowed to be happy with something outside of that? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Attachment Styles and the Faith of MKs 25:42

2M ago25:42

25:42

Thank you, friends, for clicking on this episode of the Pondering Purple podcast, a source of information, insight and inspiration for those who love MKs and those who are MKs. ··· This episode is based on an article by the same name: ⁠⁠⁠Attachment Styles and the Faith of MKs ... Other resources you might want to explore--I don't necessarily endors…

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154 - Sit with me and be 12:05

2M ago12:05

12:05

A shorter one today - This is me just finding myself wanting to sit and be, so I thought I would do it with you - pondering what it is to be still in the midst of spinning between the different facets of self... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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153 - Now that I'm 40... 20:09

2M ago20:09

20:09

I've turned 40! So cue reflections on aging, the ways in which our cultures and places contribute to our perspective on age, and a poem. Thank you so much for being with me for so long, and I'm so grateful to have arrived here, with you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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152 - Tolerating the Awkward 18:38

3M ago18:38

18:38

Good at smoothing out social glitches? Feel desperately uncomfortable being 'demanding'? Welcome to the club! I hear so many of us struggling to tolerate the awkward... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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151 - Control and Decision-making 19:36

3M ago19:36

19:36

I hear so many TCKs characterise themselves as 'control freaks'. Here I unpack what control might mean to us, given our TCK stories, and how our experience of control impacts our confidence around decision-making... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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150 - Behind Our Own Eyes 20:19

3M ago20:19

20:19

As TCKs we can spend a lot of time in other people's heads - looking at ourselves from their perspectives. What happens when we get back behind our own eyes? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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149 - The Cycle of Change, and Staying 18:03

3M ago18:03

18:03

It's that time of year I get restless... actually, more like that time every four years... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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BOOK RELEASE DAY! 7:49

4M ago7:49

7:49

Thank you, friends, for clicking on this episode of the Pondering Purple podcast, a source of information, insight and inspiration for those who love MKs and those who are MKs. ··· This episode is based on an article by the same name: ⁠⁠⁠Book Release Day ... Other resources mentioned in this episode are: ⁠⁠The book's home page on my website, with m…

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148 - Frustrated with myself... 24:30

5M ago24:30

24:30

This episode is born of frustration - and I know it's frustration I share with other Third Culture Kids. This is my meandering offering this week - a honest glimpse at the process of making choices from what can feel like an impossible spinning carousel - who will this choice make me, express and what kind of me 'should' I be in this moment? Hosted…

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147 - Holidays... there and back again 16:53

5M ago16:53

16:53

So I missed talking to you all last week - because I was away on holiday! The most wonderful time, but also a good moment to reflect on themes that come up a lot for Third Culture Kids - travel, holidays, and coming home... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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146 - Concentrated Identities 21:10

6M ago21:10

21:10

Do you struggle with feeling not-enough? Confused about which of your identities you are supposed to focus on and do 'properly'? We aren't alone - and I'm seeing these sensations show up for many of us. In this episode I explore the notion of growing up with identity archetypes, concentrated identities played out in short bursts. Hosted on Acast. S…

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145 - A Space to Grieve 22:37

6M ago22:37

22:37

So many Third Culture Kids are dealing with deep reservoirs of grief. Present day loss has a habit of pressing the bruises of losses felt earlier through our story, and it can be devastating to our sense of safety. In this episode I walk through one way of creating space for this grief, via intentional space and ritual. Hosted on Acast. See acast.c…

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The Incredible Power of Positive Childhood Experiences 15:44

6M ago15:44

15:44

Thank you, friends, for clicking on this episode of the Pondering Purple podcast, a source of information, insight and inspiration for those who love MKs and those who are MKs. ··· This episode is based on an article by the same name: ⁠⁠The Incredible Power of Positive Childhood Experiences ... Other resources mentioned in this episode are: ⁠My pre…

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144 - TCKs and Helplessness 22:15

6M ago22:15

22:15

How big a part of your identity is 'helper'? And what happens when we find ourselves unable to help others, or even ourselves? What happens when we encounter helplessness? This episode ponders the ways in which our TCK experiences impact our experience of helplessness, and how we can meet it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informat…

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143 - Is being a TCK a good thing? 21:16

6M ago21:16

21:16

How many of us have been confronted with the question, "Is being a Third Culture Kid a good thing?" It's a question that feels to me to miss the point - and in this episode I explore why, and how we can better understand our traits and tendencies with nuance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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142 - Identity by Association 21:28

7M ago21:28

21:28

As TCKs, many of us are aware of the nature of our representational or ambassador identities growing up. In this episode I explore how this early experience of identity by association could be impacting the choices around friendship or relationships we may be making in our adult lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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141 - Exceptionally Ordinary 18:02

7M ago18:02

18:02

In January, many of us are reflecting on various ways to improve ourselves. In this episode I'm exploring how often I hear TCKs struggling with the need to be extraordinary, and the fear of identities more mundane. I'll share my observations about what's going on here, and a poem I wrote today, on the Forbidden Fruit of being Ordinary. Hosted on Ac…

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140 - The Narrative Voice 19:12

8M ago19:12

19:12

Who is the narrator of your story? And is the voice a critical or demanding one? Or is it on the hero's side? In this episode I explore the impact and power of our narrative voices, and explore what these voices could sound like. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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139 - Frivolous Identities 15:56

8M ago15:56

15:56

I loved this phrase I heard last week, "frivolous identity" - and wanted to explore it here with you. I've often pondered the way we manage an internal hierarchy of our many identities and this phrase put it's finger on a theme I see come up a lot! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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138 - Making and Creating 13:28

8M ago13:28

13:28

How many Third Culture Kids are busy deconstructing our stories? Or working to build identities from what often feel like disparate fragments? In this episode I'm pondering my own relationship with making and creating, and what it can do for us! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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GPS - Transition Stress in Children: What Does Normal Look Like? 12:59

9M ago12:59

12:59

Thank you, friends, for clicking on this episode of the Pondering Purple podcast, a source of information, insight and inspiration for those who love MKs and those who are MKs. ··· This is the first installment in our Guest Post Series (GPS). The original article, written by Lauren Wells of TCK Training, first appeared in ⁠⁠A Life Overseas⁠, and is…

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137 - Cultural Icebergs and Meaning-making 17:34

9M ago17:34

17:34

Some feedback from last episode on purpose and TCKs really brought home to me another challenge faced by many TCKs around purpose - which this episode attempts to do justice to. How do we navigate our own values when we've not been told stories of values, just observable differences? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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136 - TCKs and Purpose-Seeking 23:25

9M ago23:25

23:25

I've been avoiding this episode - partly because I'm feeling how incredibly important it is. How does the experience of being a TCK interact with our purpose-seeking? And what do we do about it? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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135 - Look how far you've come... 15:59

9M ago15:59

15:59

Taking pause in this episode, a moment to notice, acknowledge and celebrate how far we've come! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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134 - TCKs and Time 18:34

9M ago18:34

18:34

Time! How does the Third Culture Kid experience impact our sense of time? It's often said TCKs are somewhat allergic to the 10 year plan - but why? And what about the impact on how we do relationships? Join me in this week's ponderings - I'd love to hear your thoughts too! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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133 - Invisible Contracts 27:08

10M ago27:08

27:08

How many of us learnt that we could 'make ourselves safe' by offering certain behaviours - compliance, being a good listener, being 'interesting'? In this episode I'm exploring what we may have learnt we could expect back, if we could just find the offering to provide - the contracts we have entered into with our behaviours. "If I'm this, then you …

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GPS - Eight Ways to Help Your TCK Grieve 13:41

10M ago13:41

13:41

Thank you, friends, for clicking on this episode of the Pondering Purple podcast, a source of information, insight and inspiration for those who love MKs and those who are MKs. ··· This is the first installment in our Guest Post Series (GPS). The original article, written by ⁠RachelAllord.com, first appeared in ⁠A Life Overseas, and is shared with …

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132 - Attachment Figures... and a poem 25:08

10M ago25:08

25:08

What about the characters in our story that we struggle to find a place for? The people whose languages we've maybe lost but who cared for us as children, worked in our homes or with our parents; these are pivotal points of attachment safety for us. In this episode I explore the limits of attachment theory for TCKs, where it is getting delightfully…

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131 - The Money Narrative 25:57

10M ago25:57

25:57

Money! What's it got to do with the Third Culture Experience? Between complex juxtapositions between wealth experiences between countries, modelled standards and shapes of living, expectations around meaningful employment - quite a lot! I wanted to spend some time here on this because it does come up in my work with TCKs, and my own life too, and f…

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GPS - To My Adult TCK Self - I See You 11:52

10M ago11:52

11:52

Thank you, friends, for clicking on this episode of the Pondering Purple podcast, a source of information, insight and inspiration for those who love MKs and those who are MKs. ··· This is the first installment in our Guest Post Series (GPS). The original article, written by Rachel Hicks, first appeared in A Life Overseas, and is shared with permis…

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130 - Feasible Alternate Realities 22:56

10M ago22:56

22:56

In this meandering episode, I'm observing how the practice of imagining feasible alternate realities can benefit us. Sometimes called re-scripting, working with feasible alternative realities is about recognising when we are so busy accommodating (or trying to manage the outcome of) others' decisions, that we shoulder the emotional work to excess. …

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129 - Macro and Micro Identities 20:49

11M ago20:49

20:49

"Who am I?" is a question that Third Culture Kids agonise over, and I've observed some patterns here - that we often focus on the 'big identities', the ones that give meaning and purpose on a global scale, as we've been taught to. And there is nothing wrong with that. But I ponder here about the degree to which this identities are often socially fr…

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128 - If I make life work here... 20:00

11M ago20:00

20:00

"If I make life work here, then I'm committing to being here forever". Versions of this statement is something I hear so often in my work with Third Culture Kids, and so this episode spends some time looking at how hard it is for us to invest in the here and now... when this implies so much letting go of other options and opportunities. Hosted on A…

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[Africa] Ep107 South African DJ Meets a Taiwanese Tour Guide w/ Egon & Jo (2) 23:41

11M ago23:41

23:41

Diversity in a South African and American sense. What about it? Egon and Jo shared their view on race and culture. Being a foreign spouse, what did Jo go through during the marriage registration? Journey Africa IG @journey_2_sa https://www.instagram.com/journey_2_sa/ www.hopp.bio/journey-africa Don't forget to listen to Ep106 for the first part. If…

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127 - Guilt Triggers for TCKs 25:06

11M ago25:06

25:06

Guilt - that horrible twisting feeling in our gut that so often shows up, unbidden and unwelcome. As awkward as it is, today I'm digging into what can trigger this in TCK stories especially, and how we can bring understanding and context to this sensation - and recognise it as something beyond a simple indicator we've done something 'wrong'. Hosted…

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126 - Intrinsic versus Extrinsic Value 18:55

11M ago18:55

18:55

Are you confused by how you think about your own worth? Maybe one part of you feel like you have things to offer, that you have value to add, but another feels like you can't quite believe the idea you matter to other people... Third Culture Kids often experience this paradox - "I am someone, but I'm not someone to others". I explore this experienc…

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A Loving Letter to Missionary Parents 17:36

12M ago17:36

17:36

Thank you, friends, for clicking on this episode of the Pondering Purple podcast, a source of information, insight and inspiration for those who love MKs and those who are MKs. ··· This episode is based on an article by the same name: ⁠A Loving Letter to Missionary Parents⁠ ... Other resources mentioned in this episode are: The Five Cs That Explain…

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[Africa] Ep106 South African DJ Meets a Taiwanese Tour Guide w/ Egon & Jo (1) 38:00

12M ago38:00

38:00

In this episode, we explore the fascinating story of Ego from South Africa and Jo from Taiwan. They met unexpectedly, sparking chemistry that led to a profound exploration of their diverse cultural backgrounds. We discuss unique cultural concepts, from how natural disasters like earthquakes shaped Jo’s perspective to how Ego sees nature's power in …

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125 - The Courtroom of Feelings 16:09

12M ago16:09

16:09

I'm noticing how many of us TCKs are struggling to set boundaries without feeling the need to build a case of moral justification - our own feelings and needs don't seem to be 'enough' to allow us to say, "No". Here I'm exploring what might be going on, the potential impact of this, and how important it is to listen out for this in our narratives. …

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124 - Decluttering Identity 20:26

12M ago20:26

20:26

I'm in a season of decluttering... and my TCK self is happily familiar with how soothing it feels to streamline. So many of us get anxious at the accumulation of stuff (however will it all fit in my suitcase?!) but I'm a lover of things. What I'm seeing through is how important it is for my material surroundings to remind me of WHO I am. This episo…

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123 - Red Flags, Green Flags 19:27

1y ago19:27

19:27

"I saw the signs... and I went there anyway!" I hear this so often, and it's such a familiar cry of my own heart too. We are often admonished to 'watch out for the red flags' but I'm wondering how much this is the relevant issue. Here I'm exploring what can lead TCKs to be especially vulnerable to seeing the warning signs of incompatible behaviours…

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122 - Editing the Story 20:25

1y ago20:25

20:25

In this episode, I'm pondering associations between changes and endings. In my story recently, I realised my needs had changed and the impact this was having around my book club involvement. I quickly assumed that acknowledging this change would initiate an ending, a quitting and loss around community. But what if changes could be integrated into a…

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121 - Acclimatised to Discomfort 16:44

1y ago16:44

16:44

What are the implications of a life lived in adaptation? One of them seems to be a familiarity with discomfort! This can impact different TCKs different ways - some of us get super sensitive to challenge, over-saturated as we have been in early chapters. Some of us identify so much with challenge that we continue to seek it out in our adult lives. …

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120 - Coming Home 17:15

1y ago17:15

17:15

Today I'm reflecting on coming home. As TCKs, we can often develop sensitivities and strategies for managing the leaving experiences of our lives, but I'm noticing an area I want to work on - returning. I know leaving, do I know how to return? Turns out I didn't handle my most recent return brilliantly, so this episode is walking through that exper…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Third Culture Kids (tck Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

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