As we move on from our confidence series, we’re starting a new collection of conversations with inspiring people from within our community who are showing us the many different ways it’s possible to build a fulfilling life around a diplomatic and globally mobile life.

We’ll be hearing real stories of confidence, career, identity, reinvention and the choices people have made to create opportunities for themselves, wherever in the world they find themselves.

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Aoife Kenny, a New Zealander born to Irish parents and a self-described citizen of the world. Through her own career and her husband’s UN postings, Aoife has lived in nine different countries and has continually evolved her career alongside an incredibly mobile life.

In this episode, we explore:

• The realities of UN diplomatic life and how it differs from embassy life
• How Aoife has used her medical degree to create different opportunities across different countries
• Finding ways to build a career that can evolve and move with you
• How her experiences in medicine, international public health, humanitarian aid and yoga have shaped what she does today
• Aoife’s current work supporting women through perimenopause and menopause
• How she is building a global women’s health offering from Bhutan

Aoife’s story is a wonderful example of what can happen when you stop trying to fit your life into one fixed definition of success and instead remain curious about what is possible.

We hope these conversations will inspire you to see your own possibilities differently and remind you that there isn’t one right way to make this globally mobile life work for you.

🎧 Connect with Aoife

Instagram: @draoifekenny Website: www.aoifekenny.com LinkedIn: Aoife Kenny

Substack: https://substack.com/@draoife 

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’ve spent this confidence series talking about rebuilding your confidence, rediscovering who you are, and finding confidence beyond your job title. But what happens when you know what you want, yet still can’t quite bring yourself to take the next step?

In this episode, we turn confidence into action and explore what it really means to have the courage to design a life that feels right for you, even when you don’t have all the answers.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why we often wait to feel confident, ready, or certain before taking action
• How fear can hold us back from creating the life we actually want
• Using future self visualisation to get clear on what you really want

This episode reminds us to stop waiting for certainty and start taking small steps towards the life you want. Designing your life doesn't mean having everything figured out, it means choosing what matters to you and having the courage to take the next step.

And remember:

You don't need to feel ready to begin. Sometimes, confidence comes because you began.

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

For many diplomatic and expat partners, four simple words can feel surprisingly difficult to answer: "What do you do?" Whether you're working, taking a career break, raising children, volunteering, studying, or still figuring out your next chapter, this question can leave you questioning your identity, confidence, and sense of purpose.

In this episode, we unpack why this question feels so loaded and share practical coaching tools to help you answer it with confidence, no matter what season of life you're in.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why we often tie our identity and self-worth to our job title
• Practical ways to answer "What do you do?" with confidence and authenticity, whether you're working or not

This episode is a reminder that your worth isn't determined by your job title or productivity. You are so much more than your career, and your story deserves to be told with confidence. We hope you'll leave this conversation feeling empowered to answer one of the most common questions in diplomatic life with authenticity and pride.

🌱 Want to go deeper?

If today's episode resonated with you and you're ready to rediscover your confidence, identity, and purpose overseas, Emma would love to support you.

Find out more about Roots & Wings:

https://tinyurl.com/zestieRootsWings

Or explore The Portable You:

https://tinyurl.com/Zestieportableyou

If you'd like to find out more about Anna's coaching sessions, send her a DM on Instagram @Notjustaspouse

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

Moving overseas can leave you questioning who you are. When your career, routines, friendships, and sense of familiarity are left behind, it's easy to believe you've lost part of yourself. Many diplomatic and expat partners feel the pressure to "reinvent" themselves with every new posting—but is that really what's needed?

In this episode, we challenge the idea that every move requires you to become someone new. Instead, we explore how overseas life can be an opportunity to rediscover the strengths, values, and qualities that have been with you all along.

In this episode, we explore:

- The difference between reinventing yourself and rediscovering who you've always been

- How our roles, careers, and routines can become intertwined with our sense of self

- Reflective ways to reconnect with yourself

Every posting adds to who you are rather than taking away from it. Sometimes, finding yourself overseas isn't about reinventing your life, it's about rediscovering the person who has been there all along.

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

Confidence can feel elusive in diplomatic life. Every move asks you to start again, rebuild your routines, redefine your identity, and step into unfamiliar environments. It's no wonder so many diplomatic partners question themselves along the way.

In this episode, we unpack where confidence really comes from and why it isn't something you're born with, but something you build through experience, self-trust, and taking small courageous steps.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why confidence often takes a hit when you move overseas
• The myth that confident people never experience self-doubt
• Why confidence grows through action, not before it
• Ways to rebuild confidence, from celebrating small wins to learning to embrace being a beginner
• How self-compassion can help you navigate uncertainty and quiet your inner critic
• A simple reflection exercise to help you recognise just how much you've already overcome

This episode is a reminder that confidence is about trusting yourself to navigate whatever comes next. Every posting, every challenge, and every new beginning is another opportunity to strengthen your confidence and become the person you're growing into.

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're celebrating one year of the UNPACKED podcast. What started as honest conversations about the realities of diplomatic life has become a space for connection, reflection, and community for partners navigating this unique lifestyle around the world.

In this special anniversary episode, we have a massive catch up and reflect on what has happened in the last few months and where we find ourselves midway through this one.

In this episode, we explore:

Emma's reflections on the first 13 weeks of motherhood since welcoming her new baby

Anna's update on life since her evacuation from Lebanon and where she and her children are now

The challenges, surprises, and moments of joy that have defined this transition in our lives

The intentions we are setting as we move into the next chapter of the year and the next year of UNPACKED

Whether you've been listening since episode one or have recently found our podcast, thank you for being part of this incredible community and for unpacking diplomatic life with us.

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

As we close our parenting series, we turn to the experiences that are often less visible but just as important to acknowledge within diplomatic life. Not all parenting or personal responsibilities can be seen at post.

In this episode, we explore the often overlooked experiences of those who are childfree, parenting from a distance, or supporting adult children while living overseas.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why inclusion matters when social life at post often centres around families and children
• What it means to parent from afar when children are at boarding school or university
• The emotional and practical load of supporting children across time zones, even when they are not physically at post
• How adult children may still rely on parents

This episode brings our parenting series to a close with a reflection on the many different ways care, responsibility, and family show up in diplomatic life, and a reminder that every experience deserves to be seen, valued, and supported.

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

In this special episode, we are joined by Elina, Anna’s daughter, who shares her perspective of growing up in a globally mobile diplomatic life. Through her experiences of moving between countries, schools, and communities, she offers an honest and thoughtful insight into what this lifestyle really feels like from a young person’s point of view.

This conversation gives space to both the beauty and the challenges of growing up across cultures and constant change.

In this episode, we explore:

• What it feels like to grow up moving between countries and starting over in new environments
• The best parts of a globally mobile life and the opportunities it brings
• The harder moments including goodbyes, change, and navigating uncertainty
• How this lifestyle has shaped Elina’s perspective, identity, and outlook on the world
• The realities of building and maintaining friendships across countries
• Practical things Elina does to support herself through transitions and new beginnings

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

Raising teenagers comes with its own complexities wherever you are in the world. Doing so overseas adds another layer as young people navigate identity, friendships, education, and belonging across cultures and constant change.

In this episode, we explore what it means to support teenagers through the diplomatic lifestyle and how to balance their growing independence with the realities of a globally mobile life.

Anna shares her personal experiences of raising teenagers overseas and reflects on the challenges, decisions, and emotional that shape this stage of parenting.

In this episode, we explore:

-How much to involve teenagers in decisions about moves and postings

-The impact of relocation on identity, friendships, and sense of belonging

-How diplomatic life can shape a teenager’s worldview in both positive and challenging ways

-Supporting teenagers emotionally through transitions, loss, and change

-Navigating education choices, continuity, and long-term planning

-Ways to create stability, trust, and open communication during this stage of life

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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

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

Uncertainty is one of the hardest, and most invisible, parts of this lifestyle. Not knowing if a move will happen, when it will happen, or having plans change at the last minute can leave you feeling stuck in limbo, unable to fully move forward or settle where you are.

In this episode, we talk honestly about what it means to live in the “waiting room” of diplomatic life. That in-between space where decisions aren’t yours to make, timelines keep shifting, and your nervous system is constantly on alert.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why uncertainty feels so destabilising and emotionally draining
• What happens when plans change at the last minute and how to emotionally recover
• Practical tools to help you cope with uncertainty, ground yourself in the present, and reclaim a sense of agency, even when nothing feels certain

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

As the year closes, it’s tempting to jump straight into what’s next. But before we move forward, there’s so much value in pausing to honour the growth, challenges, and the victories that shaped your year.

In this episode, we reflect on three powerful questions:

✨ What are you proud of this year?

✨ What are you grateful for this year?

✨ What did this year teach you?

We share our own reflections, honestly, unplanned and straight from the heart.

We would love for you to complete your own end-of-year check-in. This is your moment to acknowledge how far you’ve come and to step into a new year with a big smile!

We’d love to hear your reflections. Truly—we’re your biggest cheerleaders. Share them with us using the contact information below.

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

Some people seem to glow in this lifestyle, no matter the posting, the upheaval, or the uncertainty. Giulia is one of those people. With multiple relocations, drawdowns, representational roles, motherhood across continents, and an evolving career, she has not only navigated diplomatic life… she has thrived in it.

In this episode, we explore the “magic formula” behind how she does it:

- How Giulia maintained her sense of identity while supporting a partner’s career

- How she navigates raising children across borders.

- The boundaries and daily practices, rituals, and choices that keep her grounded, confident, and connected

-AND most importantly what her one magic ingredient is to thrive in this lifestyle

This episode is a warm, honest look into what it really takes to flourish as a diplomatic spouse.

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