
Advertise on podcast: Round Trip Stories
Rating
5from
This podcast has
88 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
Tracy Vilanova and Melissa EnsExplicit
No
Date created
2023/07/10
Latest episode
2026/08/12
Average duration
34 min.
Release period
17 days
Description
Through weekly guest interviews, hosts Melissa Ens and Tracy Vilanova offer gifts of understanding for those who have recently returned from living abroad, reflection for those who have been back for years, and insight for those who have never left their home country. These stories help us all understand the world and ourselves just a little better. www.roundtripstories.com
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Check latest episodes from Round Trip Stories podcast
87 | Grab a Cafecito and Prepare for Landing: Melissa and Tracy's Round-Trip Story about their Podcast
2026/08/12
The Round Trip Stories Podcast serves to encourage listeners in their return journeys. We have been privileged to collect an anthology of 36 guests’ round trip stories of their time outside their home country and back again. There are stories from every continent (except Antarctica) and every decade beginning in the 1950’s until the 2020’s. In this episode we share a different round trip story: our beginning and ending to our podcast. Hear us answer our own interview questions about our journey in creating this for you and what it has showed us along the way.
Teaching Takes You Places: Information about teaching internationally
See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at roundtripstories.com. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on facebook and instagram!
86 | Advice Spanning Seventy Years: A Compilation of Wisdom from Seasons 5 and 6
2026/07/30
In this episode we share a rich compilation of advice from our guests from seasons five and six. At the end of our interviews, we always ask our guests for a last word of advice or encouragement. As we did in episodes 60 and 32, we have pulled together excerpts from the recommendations our guests shared. We hope that this wisdom encourages you once again, and perhaps this episode will inspire you to go back and listen to their interviews (again)! Surely it will warm your heart to hear their voices and advice all in one place.
See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at roundtripstories.com. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on facebook and instagram!
85 | He is in Your Boat: Andy and Mary Ellen's Return Stories to Canada
2026/05/20
Welcome back to Part 2 of our interview with Andy and Mary Ellen Faust, Canadian Americans who have worked with a mission organization focused on Bible translating for over 20 years. Mary Ellen is a recruiter and missions coach, and Andy is an instructor at the Canada Institute of Linguistics. Separately, they spent many before marriage in former Soviet bloc countries, and then they met in and returned to Central Asia as a young family. Listen to their stories of what they thought would be a short return to Canada that turned into 16 years.
See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at roundtripstories.com. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on facebook and instagram!
84 | Translating the Needs of their Own Family: Andy and Mary Ellen's stories from Russia and Kyrgyzstan
2026/05/15
Our guests today are Andy and Mary Ellen Faust, Canadian Americans who have worked with a mission organization focused on Bible translating for over 20 years. Mary Ellen is a recruiter and missions coach, and Andy is an instructor at the Canada Institute of Linguistics. Separately, they spent many years before marriage in former Soviet bloc countries, and then they met in and returned to Central Asia as a young family. Listen to Part 1 of Andy and Mary Ellen’s stories, from when the locals celebrated as Andy and Mary Ellen met at an international church in Uzbekistan to when they moved to neighboring Kyrgyzstan to help with a translation project. With toddlers in tow and making two international moves, the needs of the family became greater than just finding alternative flour sources.
See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at roundtripstories.com. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on facebook and instagram!
83 | Still Supported by the International Community: Marie-Cécile's Return to France
2026/04/29
Welcome back to Part 2 of our interview with Marie-Cécile Collomp, an independent education consultant originally from France. Dubai was her family’s third expat assignment, and after COVID, the company transferred her family back to France. With her teenagers almost ready to graduate from international schools, they could not return to the French education system. Marie-Cécile's family had to find the best city with the best fit, and that was back in an international community. Listen to Marie-Cécile describe how she considered this move back home as another expat assignment and how they needed to pivot to support their eldest son who went overseas to college.
www.mc2studies.com
[email protected]
See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at roundtripstories.com. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on facebook and instagram!
82 | Nativity Sets in Dubai: Marie-Cécile's Stories from the UAE
2026/04/21
Our guest today is Marie-Cécile Collomp, an independent education consultant originally from France. She began her expat experiences in university, then married and went abroad again with her family. Marie-Cécile speaks about her time in Dubai, United Arab Emirates with her husband and teenagers and the beauty of the international community there. There were camel races and falcon hospitals, but then there was also COVID. Listen in on how Marie-Cécile worked to keep good communication within her family and with her international community even through the trials.
Learn more about Marie-Cécile's educational consulting services at http://www.mc2studies.com.
See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at roundtripstories.com. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on facebook and instagram!
81 | Upskilled and Adaptive: Pafoua's Return to the U.S. from China
2026/04/01
Welcome back to Part 2 of our interview with Pafoua Her Pistoresi, a Hmong American travel blogger, mom of one, and ministry leader. She spent four years of teaching ESL at an international Christian school in Wuhan, China, where she took advantage of all that it had to offer, including paying off college debt, saving, and traveling to 20 countries. But a relationship was calling, and she decided to return to the U.S. where she eventually married and now applies many skills which she acquired overseas to her Californian life. Listen to Pafoua’s stories about the layers of adjustments and reinventions upon her return to the U.S.
https://www.herwanderfulworld.com/
https://planitaway.com/https://youtube.com/@paftalks
https://lifeplusworldwide.com/
See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at roundtripstories.com. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on facebook and instagram!
80 | A Brave, New International Teacher: Pafoua's Stories from China
2026/03/24
Our guest today is Pafoua Her Pistoresi, a Hmong American travel blogger, mom of one, and ministry leader. She studied to be an ESL teacher and got her first job teaching in a Christian international school in Wuhan, China. These are her stories of her adjustment to Chinese culture, love of the international and local people, and beginning of her growing worldview and exploration. Hear how she became brave in the midst of double adjustments: the stress of being a first year teacher and settling into a new culture and place.
https://lifeplusworldwide.com/
79 | Landing on Humility: Dave's Return Stories to the United States
2026/03/11
Welcome back to Part 2 of our interview with Dave Darval, bush pilot turned commercial pilot and husband to Ginger Darval of episodes 76 and 77. Dave’s work for Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) in Colombia was cut short after safety issues, so he and Ginger packed up their family of five and returned to southern California. He continued flying into Mexico during their first years of transition, and then he decided to fly commercially after that. Listen to Dave reflect on his time back in the U.S. and his partnership with Ginger as they get ready to celebrate their 50 years of marriage.
Mission Aviation Fellowship
Jungle Pilot book by Russell T. Hitt
See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at roundtripstories.com. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on facebook and instagram!
78 | A Pilot Goes Global in the 1980's: Dave Darval's Stories Flying in Colombia with MAF
2026/03/04
Our guest today is Dave Darval, bush pilot turned commercial pilot and husband to Ginger Darval of episodes 76 and 77. Dave picks up where Ginger left off in the story of their forming a family in the mid 1970’s and going abroad for Dave’s work in aeronautics. First they were off to train pilots in Saudi Arabia, and then to fly Cessna bush planes for Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) in the mountains of Colombia. Listen as Dave shares his stories of starting his young family (each of his children were born in different countries) and honing his precision landings in the grass landing strips surrounded by rain forest.
Mission Aviation Fellowship
See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at roundtripstories.com. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on facebook and instagram!
77 | When the Support is Strong: Ginger's Return Stories to the U.S.
2026/02/18
Welcome back to Part 2 of our interview with Ginger Darval, a retired nurse and boomerang third culture kid who spent her growing-up years in Ecuador, returned to the U.S., and then went abroad again after she was married (hence, the boomerang). In this episode, Ginger tells us stories from when she returned to Chicago for college and how, even though she was beginning a new life, her previous life sent connections and built-in support in those college years. And now, more than fifty years later, she shares how she remains connected to the place where she grew up.
Third Culture Kid Book
76 | Quito was Home: Ginger's Stories from Ecuador in the 1960's
2026/02/10
Our guest today is Ginger Darval, a retired nurse and boomerang third culture kid who spent her growing up years in Ecuador, returned to the U.S., and then went abroad again after she was married (hence, the boomerang). She finally moved back to the U.S. in the 1980’s where she continued to work as a nurse and raise her three children. In this episode, Ginger tells us stories of what it was like growing up in the 1960’s as part of a missionary community in Quito, Ecuador. Her father worked in the hospital connected to HCJB (now Reach Beyond), and Ginger and her siblings were part of a close knit group which saw each other through trauma and at the same time, possibility.
Recovering from Traumatic Stress book
Mental Health Support for TCKs, ATCKs, and Expat Families
Reach Beyond Radio Ministries
75 | Finding and Making New Communities: Embassy Kid J. K. Amerson López’ Return Stories to the U.S
2026/01/28
Welcome back to Part 2 of our interview with J. K. Amerson López, author of the book Embassy Kid. Kelly grew up in a U.S. diplomat family in the 1950’s and 1960’s in Latin America, Italy, and Spain. In this episode, Kelly tells stories that take place after the ones in her book. In the early 70’s, she “aged out” of her diplomat family and returned to the U.S. for university. Now a young adult, she explored college, dance, and living in several different states from Colorado to New York for ten years until she found solid ground. Her dance teaching and Spanish language connected her to her communities and eventually her Puerto Rican-American husband.
Embassykid.com
See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at roundtripstories.com. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on facebook and instagram!
74 | The Family Unit was Home: J. K. Amerson Lopez’ Stories of Growing up as a U.S. Embassy Kid
2026/01/21
Our guest today is J. K. Amerson López, author of the book Embassy Kid. Kelly grew up in a U.S. diplomat family in the 1950’s and 1960’s in Latin America, Italy, and Spain. In this episode, Kelly shares stories from her book and her childhood growing up in the warmth of Caracas and Bogota immersed in Spanish and the adventure of exploring Italy with her family unit. She learned to be a professional American overseas, but when she returned to the U.S. for middle and high school, the same skill set was underappreciated.
EmbassyKid.com
See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at roundtripstories.com. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on facebook and instagram!
73 | Establishing Who We Are Again: Christen’s Return Stories to the U.S.
2025/12/27
Welcome back to Part 2 of our interview with Christen Morrow Ara, a U.S. advocate for youth with disabilities and their families, divisional coordinator for Young Life Capernaum, and mother of four. During five years in Peru, Christen found life- giving work in helping to establish and train others to care for the intellectually disabled. Shortly after she married her Peruvian husband, a frightening accident gave her time to think of the next steps in her life, family, and work, which eventually meant moving back to California. This would be her return but her husband’s first move to the U.S.
YoungLife Next Gen Leader
Book: Being Latino in Christ by Orlando Crespo
Book: Beyond Color Blind by Sarah Shin
See photos of our guests and sign up for our email list at roundtripstories.com. Follow @roundtripstoriespodcast on facebook and instagram!
Podcast reviews
Read Round Trip Stories podcast reviews
kellyjgrace 2024/02/25
Exploring Community Around the Globe
I just discovered this podcast full of such a variety of stories from so many intrepid travelers who have ventured all around the world. There’s nothi...
Amyfarmer 2024/02/10
You must listen to these Wonderful, heart-warming stories
These are such interesting stories. They will make you laugh and they will make you cry. Having lived overseas and then returned to the U.S. it is com...
Queen Laughy 2023/08/17
The podcast we need
I left California in 2012 to serve in Germany and abruptly (and a bit traumatically) returned with my kids in 2020. There’s been NOTHING to help my ki...
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