Cultivating Community in Rwanda, China, and Portugal with Keturah Kendrick
SEASON 7 EPISODE 13 |Flourish in the Foreign - Black Women Living & Thriving Abroad
Keturah Kendrick shares her experiences of living abroad in Rwanda, China, and now Portugal. She details her thoughts on community building, the importance of having a support system, and offers advice for Black women considering living abroad.
Meet Keturah
Keturah is a world traveler and serial expat, having visited 30 countries and lived on four continents. An author and freelance writer, she's written about travel and the interior lives of Black women for NBC News, The Huff Post, Next Avenue, Business Insider, MSNBC, USA Today, and numerous other outlets.
Connect with Keturah
What resources (books, blogs, services, apps) did you utilize to help you go abroad & thrive abroad?
Staying and Thriving Abroad: Social media groups that formed community in the countries I settled in. (Don't think I utilized much before I moved...lol)
What's something you wish people would ask you about your life abroad?
How do you foster real, meaningful friendships - whether with locals or within the expat circle? Does it look different when you've moved to another country instead of just a nearby city?
What wellness practices/mindset shifts have you adopted to support your wellness, sustainability, and longevity abroad?
I chant nam myoho renge kyo twice daily and attend regular community meetings with other Buddhists practitioners. I've stopped trying to control every single moment of my life and how living "abroad" will look. I'm getting much better at accepting that the local pace and customs will always win so I should stop waging futile battles against them. I've also stopped trying to do and see everything. I no longer pressure myself to go on trips to other cities as often as possible and plan to see X number of countries in the region by a certain date. I just exist. I'll see what I see when I see it.
What is the motto (affirmation, prayer, poem, song lyrics, etc.) that you live by?
Embrace even the "not so good" emotions and treat them as friends. Invite them in, offer them coffee and pastry. Query them until THEY decide to leave.
This Episode Covers:
Deciding to Move Abroad
Life in Rwanda and Moving to China
Finding Community in Shanghai
Repatriation to New York
Choosing Portugal as a New Home
Aging Abroad and Practical Considerations
Identity and Black Womanhood
Building and Integrating Community
Migration as Liberation
Defining Wellness
Episode Credits:
Christine Job-Creator & Host
Zachary Higgs-Theme Music
Subscribe to the Substack: https://christinejob.substack.com/
If you enjoyed this episode, listen to these next:
Finding Healing Abroad in Thailand with Halona Black
Moving to Lisbon as a Digital Nomad with Cinnamon
Be Sure to Follow Flourish in the Foreign on Social Media