Trailing - A Memoir and Interview with Kristin Duncombe

Reading “Trailing – A Memoir” I remember feeling a mixture of admiration for the adventurous American wife as she accompanied her new husband on a mission with “Médecins Sans Frontières” to East Africa and recognition and understanding. Whilst way more exciting and challenging than my southern european adventures her search for structure and purpose to her daily existence certainly hit a chord.

When we started our podcast series of Inspiring Interviews I knew Kristin and her book had to be on the list. Kristin describes herself as a chronic American expat, having lived most of her life as a “foreigner”. Daughter of a career foreign service officer Kristin moved regularly as a child. As an adult Kristin has lived in her native America, East Africa and France. She is on the move again this summer as she and her family move from Lyon to Geneva. Professionally Kristin writes and is a psychotherapist and consultant working with international and expatriate families.

In the interview Kristin shares with us

• Her third culture identity and the cultural gaps that reside within and outside of her family.
• How childhood patterns of mobility became Kristin’s adult default mode leading to a life that surprised Kristin in many ways.
• The challenges Kristin faced in creating her new life in East Africa.
• Kristin’s quest to find meaning and purpose and why it was ultimately so important for the creation of balance in her relationship.
• The benefit of creating a portable career and sound sense of personal identity for future mobility.

You can listen to the interview HERE

You can download and read the interview transcript HERE

You can learn more about about Kristin, her books and her work as a psychotherapist and expat consultant HERE

Kristin’s second book, Five Flights Up is due to be published at the end of 2015.

Once you have listened we'd love to hear your feedback and opinions?

How do you relate to Kristin's experiences?

How and where have you found your own sense of meaning and purpose in your life abroad?

Please leave your comments below.