Synopsis: Today my guest is Pascale. She and her husband are living in different countries and working in different countries and she's going to share a little bit what it's been like for her, what they've put in place and just how it works for them to encourage listeners, anyone who's living and working in different countries. We always decide together which assignment is best for the family. We don't have any children so it's easier but we need to mind our dual careers. 00:26:17 - 00:26:30 Hig...
Jun 23, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 74
Synopsis: Karlijn Jacobs supports organisations to enhance the success of international relocations through a family centered approach. She is the world's first ombudsperson for international children and families.Today we're going to be speaking about what she does at Expat Valley, and we're also going to hear a bit of her story of a time when her husband was away for work. Highlights from today’s episode: Moving to Shanghai with the whole family - navigating change and maintaining both careers...
Jun 09, 2025•46 min•Season 1Ep. 73
Synopsis: This episode dives into the complexities of intimacy, fidelity, and connection for couples navigating life in different locations. In this candid conversation with Couples Therapist, High Sensitivity Specialist and Sex Therapist Karina Lagarrigue we bring to the forefront the tough and often unspoken realities faced by partners separated by distance. We unpack why issues like pornography and dating app use can arise. We discuss the loneliness and vulnerability that can lead couples to ...
May 26, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 72
Synopsis: Colleen Higgs shares her insights from many moves and times when her husband worked far from home. We discuss the hidden costs of change, the importance of recognising and naming transitions, and Coleen shares hard-won wisdom about making space for recuperation and letting go of impossible expectations. She offers practical strategies drawn from her upcoming book and her own journey - reminding us that it’s okay to prioritise, slow down, and ask, “What matters now?” If you are in the m...
May 12, 2025•30 min•Season 1Ep. 71
Synopsis: "It seems to me that globally mobile people and people who live these geographical separations, we tend to have these ongoing non stop transitions and not only one at a time, we tend to have multiple transitions going on at the same time." Whether it’s a big move, a new role, the bittersweet send-off when a loved one leaves, or adjustments that come with globally mobile living, transitions are everywhere. Using William Bridges’ renowned model, this episode explores the three phases of ...
Apr 28, 2025•23 min•Season 1Ep. 70
Synopsis: In this anniversary episode, we celebrate the third anniversary of the Holding the Fort Abroad podcast! With 66+ episodes, the podcast carves a unique space in the global podcast landscape. The podcast explores the realities and nuances of split location family life and life when one of you is a frequent business traveller. The podcast episodes include deeply personal stories, honest conversations, and connect with experts to bring you real talk and impactful narratives. My mission is ...
Apr 14, 2025•53 min•Season 1Ep. 69
Synopsis: Mylene Jalladeau specializes in fitness for busy people. Join us as Mylene shares her holistic approach to fitness, emphasizing the importance of integrating physical activity into daily life as seamlessly as eating and drinking. Mylene candidly discusses her personal journey from exercising for aesthetics to finding a balanced, health-oriented approach. Together, Rhoda and Mylene explore how fitness can serve as an anchor in the demanding lifestyles of expatriates and those living wit...
Mar 31, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 68
Synopsis In this episode, we explore how the C-Me Color profile can enhance communication and understanding for those living apart or frequently traveling.We have the pleasure of hearing from Kathleen Smith, the membership director of Families in Global Transitions and the founder of Global Grandmas. Kathleen brings a wealth of experience in assisting families in navigating international relocations and maintaining their core values across borders. Kathleen shares her fascinating journey, insigh...
Mar 17, 2025•58 min•Season 1Ep. 67
Synopsis: Living geographically apart can be a challenge, but with the right preparation and support, it can also be an opportunity for growth. I'm Rhoda Bangerter, host of Holding the Fort Abroad. In this episode, I share three essential ways to prepare for this unique lifestyle once the decision has been taken. This episode follows episode 42 about deciding whether to take on an assignment which would mean geographical separation. Tune in to learn more! You might want a pen and paper to jot do...
Mar 03, 2025•12 min•Season 1Ep. 66
Synopsis: Elizabeth Vahey Smith is back to talk about trauma informed leadership. Find out practical tips for parents on how to engage with their children when witnessing heightened emotional responses, ensuring the child feels heard and understood. We give examples about how that could happen when a parent is away for work. Elizabeth gives insights from her new book on establishing psychological safety in the workplace, recognizing elevated responses, and fostering a culture of trust and resili...
Feb 17, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 65
Synopsis: Dr. Funke Afolabi-Brown is a distinguished medical doctor specialised in sleep medicine. We discuss the crucial impact of sleep on well-being and productivity, particularly for those leading high-intensity lifestyles and constant travel. In This Episode: Importance of Sleep and Its Consequences Negative Effects of Poor Sleep Cognitive impacts: focus, memory issues, increased risk of Alzheimer’s Physical health impacts: blood pressure, heart issues, immune system functionality, metaboli...
Feb 03, 2025•40 min•Season 1Ep. 64
Synopsis: Welcome to Holding the Fort Abroad, the podcast about frequent business travel and working away from home. My name is Rhoda Bangerter and I help parents manage the stress and disconnect from living this life so that they can enjoy the growth and intention this lifestyle can bring. What you will learn: 1. What members of our family have said 2. Listen to those who know you and have followed your choice process 3. Split locations is an unusual way of life, but you are not the only ones d...
Jan 20, 2025•21 min•Season 1Ep. 63
Synopsis: How do families stay together when work takes them away from each other? Wellbeing, Partnership, Parenting Together, Smooth Transitions and Emergency Preparedness: strengthen these five pillars. After I describe the pillars, I go through how you can use this framework if you are the one travelling, you are the one with the children, you are deciding whether to take a posting that would mean time apart, you are preparing to live geographically apart. What you will learn: Pillar 1 Person...
Jan 06, 2025•13 min•Season 1Ep. 62
Synopsis: Megan Bearce is a therapist, a speaker and the author of the book ‘Super Commuter Couples, the subtitle sums it up ‘staying together when a job keeps you apart’. Something that she and her husband have personally experienced. The book is also full of stories of others who live it. In this episode, Megan and I talk about building resilience when we live this kind of lifestyle, silver linings and also her work with organisations and why organisations need to support their staff who are a...
Dec 23, 2024•46 min•Season 1Ep. 61
Synopsis: Navine Eldesouki shares with us what it is like living in split locations. She is the founder of Coffee with an expat, a community of women who lift each other up! At age 20, she left her home country of Australia and has lived in 8 countries, currently living in Dubai. Since 2020, her husband works and lives in another country. What you will learn: 9 lessons from the podcast episode with concise titles and brief descriptions: 1. Flexibility in Expectations Be adaptable, as life change...
Dec 09, 2024•43 min•Season 1Ep. 60
Synopsis: Is a high performance life compatible with family life? Christian Ray Flores went from being a child refugee, a famous popstar, to the founder of Exponential Life, high performance coaching for purpose driven professionals with a lot of philanthropy, teaching, and speaking as well. In this episode, we speak about high performance, work demands, what it means for the family, and the changes he has made in his life. Key Takeaways: After hearing about Christian’s fascinating experience gr...
Nov 25, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 59
Synopsis: Create a strong family narrative that embraces diverse cultures and values to bridge any disconnect. In this episode, my guest Dr Lidia Lae explains how to develop a unique family culture that blends elements from different backgrounds, recognizing the best of both worlds. Lidia is a seasoned psychologist specialising in self-narratives. She shares her extensive research on how these stories shape our identities and influence our emotional well-being. She also provides practical tips a...
Nov 11, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 58
Synopsis: Today my guest is Kathy Borys Siddiqui, she is the founder of Active Action and she works with organisations, helping them support their staff, specifically with intercultural training and family support. She was a panelist speaker at the HR event held in March on how organisations can better support their staff on split family assignments and today we are going to be continuing our conversation. If you are listening and you are the spouse of a staff or a staff member yourself, this co...
Oct 28, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 57
Synopsis: Listen to Jenny Butter’s story and learn how she and her husband navigate family life and his frequent work travel. She begins her married life leaving her job and accompanying her husband to Sri Lanka right after the Tsunami hits in 2004. He travels around the country and the region but she is surrounded by other spouses in the same situation. A little while later, they move to New York and have two children born a few months apart. Although culturally New York is closer to her home c...
Oct 14, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 56
Synopsis: Growing up as the child of a minister and a father who was also actively involved in cross-cultural work, had a profound impact on Michael. His father's frequent travels for youth ministry, pastoral duties, and later, more global roles in raising awareness about Third Culture Kids, created a complex dynamic in their family life. While there was a sense of pride and recognition in the meaningful work his father did, it also brought challenges. Michael reflects on the mixed emotions of h...
Sep 30, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 55
Synopsis: The ICAN Model helps you stay in touch with what is going on with your family’s life. If you are a father who travels, you may find it tricky to be emotionally present when you are away from home for work. The risk is that you feel like a stranger when you come home, especially if you’ve been away a long time, or that you stop being involved in raising your children. The ICAN model gives you a framework to stay connected. Your partner at home can use this framework to support your invo...
Sep 16, 2024•23 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Synopsis: In dual career relationships, couples must navigate the challenges of balancing career and family responsibilities. Rhoda and Yvonne discuss the impact of frequent business travel on the stay-at-home partner and navigating the complexities and challenges of spending prolonged periods of time apart. The podcasts shines a light on the need for clear boundaries and constructive dialogue to make informed decisions because split location living does impact both careers and relationships. Ke...
Sep 02, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 53
Synopsis: There are usually no episodes in August but this month I have a bonus episode in French for you. Florence Reisch has been an expat for many years, she is specialised as an expat coach and she has written ‘Expat Wife, Happy Life’ which is available in 6 languages. To celebrate her book being published in French, we share our conversation about expatriation, resources in French and the power of connection between women. Bienvenue dans cet épisode extraordinaire et en français pour la pre...
Aug 19, 2024•55 min•Season 1Ep. 52
Synopsis: Katia Vlachos’ father was away during her childhood. During this episode, she graciously shares her story of realising later on in life the impact her father’s absence had on her. Katia has lived internationally for many years. She's the author of the book A Great Move and a soon-to-be-released memoir. She coaches people going through major life transitions and reinventions. Join us in this intimate conversation about family, love and hope. Resources Mentioned in the Show: The core emo...
Jul 22, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 51
Synopsis: In this short episode of Holding the Fort Abroad, I give you four tips for your consideration if you are solo parenting during the holidays and your partner is working. Key Takeaways: Make it work for you Create memories Include the other parent Don’t pack in too many activities and visits What do you do to make it enjoyable and restful? Let me know on IG @amulticulturallife Enjoyed This Episode? Please Leave A Review Please leave a review or a comment. This will help more people find ...
Jul 08, 2024•10 min•Season 1Ep. 50
Synopsis: You feel anger, fear, sadness, resentment, disappointment? These can be intense emotions when living with someone who frequently travels for work. Elizabeth Vahey Smith and I discuss the principles from her book the ‘Practice of Processing’ and how . Elizabeth is an author, a speaker and the COO of TCK Training. What this episode is about: Elizabeth Vahey Smith takes us on an essential journey of: Understanding emotions: there are no negative emotions Developing an emotional vocabulary...
Jun 23, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 49
Synopsis: Continuing the series of Growing up with a Travelling Father, Lucas talks about his experience. Despite the financial constraints and the challenges brought on by his father's international career, Lucas expresses gratitude for a supportive family environment and discusses how travel and cultural exposure have shaped his worldview. What This Episode is About: A few things stood out for me in this interview with Lucas. He is now is now in his thirties and although during his teen years,...
Jun 10, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Synopsis: Saadia’s husband has travelled throughout their 14 year marriage. They have also moved countries during multiple times during that time. In this episode she shares her wisdom gained from experience over the years. You’re not going to want to miss this one! Saadia’ husband had explained to her before they got married that his work would involve a lot of travel. She explains that she only really understood what he meant after a few years of marriage and their firstborn was a couple of ye...
May 27, 2024•23 min•Season 1Ep. 47
Synopsis: In this compelling episode, Irene reflects on her childhood in Jakarta, living with her grandparents while her mother made a bold move to Greenland for financial stability. She opens up about the intricacies of cultural differences within her family, the support she had despite her mother's absence, and how she sees it as part of her story now as an adult. What you will learn: In this episode, Irene recounts her mother’s move, the people around them who cared, the responsibility she fe...
May 13, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 46
Synopsis: In this episode, Ophelia opens up about the nuances of growing up with a globe-trotting father, an experience that came with its blend of adventure and uncertainty. She reminisces about a youth punctuated by her dad's inconsistent presence and the creative ways her family maintained connections across continents in an era before the omnipresence of today's communication technology. Today she travels extensively herself for her job in editorial and styling for international publications...
Apr 29, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 45
