I began writing publicly in 2011, after returning from a humanitarian aid trip to Pakistan. Stories that had long lay silent and unwritten inside of me began spilling out onto the page. I began to put words into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, and paragraphs into essays or shorter reflections. I did that day after day, until one day – I had a book. It has been a journey of humility and joy.
What can you expect? Personal, reflective writing about all kinds of things! I care about all things cross-cultural, living between worlds, third culture kids, working out faith, and travel. I work toward posting once or twice a week on this site.Thank you for joining me!
Thank you for joining me!
Articles
A Life Overseas Articles – a cross cultural conversation
Plough Publications
- “Our Wasted Days are the Days we Never Laugh” and Other Lessons from Shithole Countries
- Repenting for Healthcare Inequality
- Feasting in Kurdistan
- Grieving Alone, Together – Bearing Witness in Isolation
Plough Publications Author Page
Fathom Magazine “Cradle to Grave: The Journey of 14,000 Pills”
D.L.Mayfield – Living in the Upside-Down Kingdom A Fight for Beauty
SWAN – Cultural Humility: Offending and Mending
The Washington Institute Lost to a Call
Zwemer Center
- Dear Mr. Graham: Let me Introduce You to Some Friends
- Palestinian Christians and a Prayer for Healed Eyesight
Djibouti Jones
Let’s Talk about Hijab: Rethinking the Veil
Healthy Leaders
6 Reminders for Parents of Third Culture Kids
Podcasts
Podcast – Home is Where Your Story Begins
Podcast – On Refugees, Fear, and Politics
Podcast – Tandem Nomads: Blending Your Skills to Find Your Zone of Genius
Podcast – Tandem Nomads: The Secrets of a Blogger & Writer
Podcast – Taking Route: Cultivating Christian-Muslim Friendships
Podcast – Orthodox Christian Network: On Understanding East and West
Books
Worlds Apart: A Third Culture Kid’s Journey
This sequel to Marilyn Gardner’s Between Worlds probes deeply into the journey that forms a third culture kid’s identity. Gardner weaves together memories of joy and pain, close friendships and loneliness in a compelling portrait of an international childhood. From the close quarters of boarding school, to the strangeness of furloughs in her parents’ native Massachusetts, Worlds Apart is an honest and moving portrayal of a young girl’s struggles with faith, friendship, and belonging. The book offers an inspiring model for other third culture kids seeking to make sense of their unique experience, and the final chapter brings together many practical resources to help TCKs navigate their own journey.
“This is a book that shows the complications of a challenging childhood, the healing power of a faithful life, and the precious gifts Third Culture Kids are to the world.” Rachel Pieh Jones, from the Foreword
Between Worlds: Essays on Culture and Belonging
“In the hall of an old Inn by the ocean is a sign that reads ‘Home is Where Our Story Begins.’ But if home is where our story begins, what happens when we can’t go back?” Marilyn Gardner was raised in Pakistan and went on to raise her own five children in Pakistan and Egypt before moving to small town New England. Between Worlds will resonate with those who have lived outside of their passport country, as well as those who have not. These essays explore the rootlessness and grief as well as the unexpected moments of humor and joy that are a part of living between two worlds. Between Worlds charts a journey between the cultures of East and West, the comfort of being surrounded by loved ones and familiar places, and the loneliness of not belonging.
Every one of us has been at some point between two worlds, be they faith and loss of faith, joy and sorrow, birth and death. Between Worlds is a luminous guide for connecting—and healing—worlds. – Cathy Romeo, co-author, Ended Beginnings: Healing Childbearing Losses
MARILYN R. GARDNER 