In this special episode we are joined by Shaden, who has experienced diplomatic life from three unique perspectives. She grew up as a diplomat child, later became a diplomat spouse, and is now raising her own children within this globally mobile life.

Drawing on her personal journey across countries, cultures, and life stages, Shaden shares how those experiences eventually inspired her to write a children’s book, Adam the Tiny Diplomat, a story created to help children understand movement, belonging, and what it means to call many places home.

In this episode we talk about:

• How Shaden turned her family’s lived experience into a story that could support other children navigating diplomatic life
• The courage it takes to reinvent yourself creatively and step into authorship

If you would like to get in touch with Shaden her instagram is @Shaden_Kraishan

ASK your questions on our anonymous link: https://tally.so/r/nP7zO5

🎧 Connect with your hosts:

Anna – Instagram: @notjustaspouse | notjustaspouse.com | anna@notjustaspouse.com

Emma – Instagram: @thezestielife | emma@zestie.org | zestie.carrd.co

Welcoming a baby is a life-changing experience wherever you are in the world. Doing so overseas can bring both beauty and challenge as you navigate early parenthood while being far from familiar support systems.

In this episode, we explore what it looks like to care for and raise babies abroad and the role that community, or the absence of it, plays in that experience.

Anna shares her personal journey of having her three children in three different cities, with and without family support.

In this episode, we explore:

- The importance of familial support and what happens when it is not available

- How to build your own community and support network from scratch

- Ways to ask for help, receive support, and create a sense of connection during this stage of life

Even when family is far away, support and connection can still be built around you.

ASK your questions on our anonymous link: https://tally.so/r/nP7zO5

🎧 Connect with your hosts:

Anna – Instagram: @notjustaspouse | notjustaspouse.com | anna@notjustaspouse.com

Emma – Instagram: @thezestielife | emma@zestie.org | zestie.carrd.co

We are beginning a new series on pregnancy and parenting in diplomatic life and in this first episode we start at the very beginning of the journey.

Pregnancy can feel vulnerable and life-changing wherever you are in the world. Experiencing it overseas adds another layer of complexity as you navigate unfamiliar healthcare systems, distance from family, and the emotional realities of growing a family far from what feels known.

In this episode, Emma shares her personal story of navigating pregnancy both overseas and in her home country and reflects on the differences between the two experiences.

In this episode, we explore:

• What it is like to move through pregnancy in two different healthcare systems
• How to manage travel, medical appointments, and practical logistics while overseas
• The physical and emotional needs that can feel amplified when you are far from your usual support network

This episode is an honest conversation about beginning your parenting journey in diplomatic life, honouring your needs, and recognising that there is no one right way to navigate pregnancy across borders.

ASK your questions on our anonymous link: https://tally.so/r/nP7zO5

🎧 Connect with your hosts:

Anna – Instagram: @notjustaspouse | notjustaspouse.com | anna@notjustaspouse.com

Emma – Instagram: @thezestielife | emma@zestie.org | zestie.carrd.co

Once the decision to move overseas has been made, a new question often follows quickly: how do I make this life work for me too? Wanting to support your partner does not mean you have to abandon your own professional identity or sense of direction.

In this episode, we move from reflection into action and share practical tools to help you feel prepared, empowered, and less lost when navigating career decisions abroad.

In this episode, we explore:

• The difference between portable skills, portable jobs, and portable careers and why this distinction matters
• Common barriers to working overseas including visas, qualification recognition, and local pay structures
• How to realistically assess your options before you arrive at post
• How to bridge the gap when you first arrive so you do not feel untethered or directionless

This episode is about taking ownership of your professional life within diplomatic constraints, setting yourself up for possibility rather than pressure, and remembering that preparation is not about control but confidence.

ASK your questions on our anonymous link: https://tally.so/r/nP7zO5

🎧 Connect with your hosts:

Anna – Instagram: @notjustaspouse | notjustaspouse.com | anna@notjustaspouse.com

Emma – Instagram: @thezestielife | emma@zestie.org | zestie.carrd.co

Sometimes diplomatic life brings moments of sudden disruption when plans change overnight and stability disappears. Drawdowns can be one of the most challenging experiences for partners as uncertainty, safety concerns, and emotional strain collide all at once.

In this episode, Anna shares her recent experience of being drawn down from Beirut and reflects honestly on what it was like to navigate such a sudden and intense transition.

In this episode, we explore:

- How sudden change can impact your sense of control, stability, and identity

- The tools Anna is using to support herself through uncertainty and disruption

-Ways to care for your mental and emotional wellbeing during times of crisis

-Why community and shared understanding matter so much during difficult periods

This episode is especially for partners across the Middle East who may be navigating similar realities and looking for grounding, support, and reassurance during challenging times.

ASK your questions on our anonymous link: https://tally.so/r/nP7zO5

🎧 Connect with your hosts:

Anna – Instagram: @notjustaspouse | notjustaspouse.com | anna@notjustaspouse.com

Emma – Instagram: @thezestielife | emma@notjustaspouse.com | zestie.carrd.co

One of the biggest and most emotionally complex questions partners face in this lifestyle is whether to put their own career on pause in order to move overseas. It is a question layered with identity, expectation, sacrifice, and love and one that rarely has a simple answer.

In this episode, we dig deep into the reality behind that question and explore what career, fulfilment, and purpose can look like within diplomatic life even when a traditional job is not available or accessible.

In this episode, we explore:

- The unspoken pressure many partners feel to step back professionally when moving abroad

- How to untangle your identity from your job title and reconnect with what truly fulfils you

- What purpose and meaning can look like beyond paid work

- How expectations around career can shift throughout a posting and over time

- Ways to create a sense of fulfilment, contribution, and growth even without formal employment

This episode is a conversation about honouring your needs, and building a meaningful life on your own terms no matter what your career looks like.

ASK your questions on our anonymous link: https://tally.so/r/nP7zO5

🎧 Connect with your hosts:

Anna – Instagram: @notjustaspouse | notjustaspouse.com | anna@notjustaspouse.com

Emma – Instagram: @thezestielife | emma@zestie.org | zestie.carrd.co

Arriving at post often comes with a rush of adjustment, learning, and emotional overload. Just as things begin to feel familiar, the posting shifts again and new challenges emerge. By the time the end approaches, uncertainty can return in a different form, bringing reflection, restlessness, and anticipation of what comes next.

In this episode, we complete our conversation on uncertainty and focus on how it shows up at every stage of a diplomatic posting from arrival, through the middle years, and toward departure.

In this episode, we explore:

- What uncertainty looks like when you first arrive at post and how to ground yourself during the initial adjustment phase

- How control and stability can feel different in the middle of a posting and the challenges that often arise once the novelty wears off

- Why the end of a posting can bring unexpected emotions including disconnection, pressure, and anticipatory grief

- Tools to support your wellbeing when circumstances shift and plans feel out of your hands

ASK your questions on our anonymous link: https://tally.so/r/nP7zO5

🎧 Connect with your hosts:

Anna – Instagram: @notjustaspouse | notjustaspouse.com | anna@notjustaspouse.com

Emma – Instagram: @thezestielife | emma@zestie.org | zestie.carrd.co

One of the most challenging parts of diplomatic life is being asked to make life-shaping decisions long before you have the full picture. From bidding on posts to preparing for arrival, you’re often required to commit while so much still feels uncertain.

In this episode, we continue our conversation on uncertainty and focus on decision-making within the diplomatic posting cycle- even when information is incomplete.

In this episode, we explore:

• How to approach bidding on posts without overthinking every possible outcome
• Why getting clear on your needs, desires, and non-negotiables is more important than trying to predict the future
• What to consider when thinking about your day-to-day life, not just the headline of a posting
• What shifts once you’ve been offered a post and how to move into deeper research with clarity and curiosity
• Why you are always allowed to change your mind and how reclaiming that choice can help you feel empowered and in control

This episode is about making grounded, values-led decisions throughout the posting process, trusting yourself through uncertainty, and remembering that agency and flexibility can coexist in diplomatic life.

ASK your questions on our anonymous link: https://tally.so/r/nP7zO5

🎧 Connect with your hosts:

Anna – Instagram: @notjustaspouse | notjustaspouse.com | anna@notjustaspouse.com

Emma – Instagram: @thezestielife | emma@zestie.org | zestie.carrd.co