Bike Chats with an Expat

After having a little time back from our trip to the states, I sat down to think of 2 things I want to ensure we do again next go-round and 2 things I want to change! I just hope I remember to listen to this before our next trip :) 

If you've ever taken a furlough trip, I'd love to hear your do-agains and avoid-at-all-costs! 

Please be sure to share this show with any expats and friends and family members of expats.

Connect with me over on Instagram: @lifewithlaceywhite

Bike Chats is a part of Nozomi Today Ministries, a ministry devoted to proclaiming the gospel in Japan. Your support (through prayer and financial means) for Bike Chats also supports other Nozomi Today endeavors! Thank you, Viewers Like You, who make this stuff possible!

Culture shock happens when a person leaves their home culture to live somewhere else recognizes the differences (often difficult) between the new culture and their home culture. Reverse culture shock happens upon returning to one's home culture and one realizes there are things about the culture that, well, shock them.

We visited America this summer and I had a host of culture shocks! Let's talk about 3 of them today. 

Please be sure to share this show with any expats and friends and family members of expats.

Connect with me over on Instagram: @lifewithlaceywhite

Bike Chats is a part of Nozomi Today Ministries, a ministry devoted to proclaiming the gospel in Japan. Your support (through prayer and financial means) for Bike Chats also supports other Nozomi Today endeavors! Thank you, Viewers Like You, who make this stuff possible!

Home - oh, what an interesting concept for anyone that's ever moved. Let's talk about home and feeling multiple emotions at the same time! 

And thanks for all of you who waited patiently over the last few months as I was out and about in non-podcast-world. I'm really excited to be back :) 

Please be sure to share this show with any expats and friends and family members of expats.

Connect with me over on Instagram: @lifewithlaceywhite

Bike Chats is a part of Nozomi Today Ministries, a ministry devoted to proclaiming the gospel in Japan. Your support (through prayer and financial means) for Bike Chats also supports other Nozomi Today endeavors! Thank you, Viewers Like You, who make this stuff possible!

How often do you sing? Is music constantly rolling around in your head? It definitely is in mine! I've even found that the types of songs in my head can be little clues for me to see what's going on in my emotions. 

Luckily for you, I don't do almost ANY singing in this episode. 

Please be sure to share this show with any expats and friends and family members of expats.

Connect with me over on Instagram: @lifewithlaceywhite

Bike Chats is a part of Nozomi Today Ministries, a ministry devoted to proclaiming the gospel in Japan. Your support (through prayer and financial means) for Bike Chats also supports other Nozomi Today endeavors! Thank you, Viewers Like You, who make this stuff possible!

Last week we celebrated the fact that we've been in Japan for 3 years. To say it was hard would be an understatement and to say it's been amazing just wouldn't suffice. 

Let's talk about mask recommendations in an honor shame culture and hearing the voice of God calling you where you should go. 

Please be sure to share this show with any expats and friends and family members of expats.

Connect with me over on Instagram: @lifewithlaceywhite

Bike Chats is a part of Nozomi Today Ministries, a ministry devoted to proclaiming the gospel in Japan. Your support (through prayer and financial means) for Bike Chats also supports other Nozomi Today endeavors! Thank you, Viewers Like You, who make this stuff possible!

My daughter is starting elementary school soon! Come along with me and let's chat about some of the goofy, different, and wonderful things we've experienced and have heard about in the local school system. 

Please be sure to share this show with any expats and friends and family members of expats.

Connect with me over on Instagram: @lifewithlaceywhite

Bike Chats is a part of Nozomi Today Ministries, a ministry devoted to proclaiming the gospel in Japan. Your support (through prayer and financial means) for Bike Chats also supports other Nozomi Today endeavors! Thank you, Viewers Like You, who make this stuff possible!

I made the mistake of recording this podcast before lunch and man my stomach was grumblin’ by the time I hit stop. So grab a snack and let’s chat about 3 of my favorite things about Japan! (psst: one is Japanese food, so I’m not kidding about listening with a full belly!) 

Please be sure to share this show with any expats and friends and family members of expats.

Connect with me over on Instagram: @lifewithlaceywhite

Bike Chats is a part of Nozomi Today Ministries, a ministry devoted to proclaiming the gospel in Japan. Your support (through prayer and financial means) for Bike Chats also supports other Nozomi Today endeavors! Thank you, Viewers Like You, who make this stuff possible!

Life is crazy sometimes. There are seasons where the habits I worked hard to form just simply cannot be part of my daily life anymore. There are seasons where I can be very disciplined. Am I a bad Christian when I don't read my Bible every day? Have I replaced love for God with love for family when I spend hours a day changing diapers and (trying but failing to) keep up with the laundry? Let's chat about busy-ness, messiness, and holiness.

Bible App for Kids:
https://www.youversion.com/the-bible-app-for-kids/

Please be sure to share this show with any expats and friends and family members of expats.

Connect with me over on Instagram: @lifewithlaceywhite

Bike Chats is a part of Nozomi Today Ministries, a ministry devoted to proclaiming the gospel in Japan. Your support (through prayer and financial means) for Bike Chats also supports other Nozomi Today endeavors! Thank you, Viewers Like You, who make this stuff possible!

Language learning is SUCH an endeavor! It's taxing emotionally, relationally, and even physically. I'd love to chat with you for a bit about my experience as my family and I began learning Japanese a few years ago. 

Please be sure to share this show with any expats and friends and family members of expats.

Connect with me over on Instagram: @lifewithlaceywhite

Bike Chats is a part of Nozomi Today Ministries, a ministry devoted to proclaiming the gospel in Japan. Your support (through prayer and financial means) for Bike Chats also supports other Nozomi Today endeavors! Thank you, Viewers Like You, who make this stuff possible!

We all know consistency and habits matter - but what about creating habits among a whole group of people? Every single day? Our family has been *trying* for a few years to create daily routines and it has been a wonderful pillar for us to rely on. 

Please be sure to share this show with any expats and friends and family members of expats.

Connect with me over on Instagram: @lifewithlaceywhite

Bike Chats is a part of Nozomi Today Ministries, a ministry devoted to proclaiming the gospel in Japan. Your support (through prayer and financial means) for Bike Chats also supports other Nozomi Today endeavors! Thank you, Viewers Like You, who make this stuff possible!

New Year New Season! Welcome to Season 2 of Bike Chats with an Expat! 

It's been a slow couple of weeks around here, and I've had time to gather a few precious thoughts about *all* the things. Can't wait to share just 10 minutes of those thoughts with you now! 

Please be sure to share this show with any expats and friends and family members of expats.

Connect with me over on Instagram: @lifewithlaceywhite

Bike Chats is a part of Nozomi Today Ministries, a ministry devoted to proclaiming the gospel in Japan. Your support (through prayer and financial means) for Bike Chats also supports other Nozomi Today endeavors! Thank you, Viewers Like You, who make this stuff possible!

What. A. Year. Anyone else feel that way about 2022? We sure had a wild one. 

Please be sure to share this show with any expats and friends and family members of expats.

Connect with me over on Instagram: @lifewithlaceywhite

Bike Chats is a part of Nozomi Today Ministries, a ministry devoted to proclaiming the gospel in Japan. Your support (through prayer and financial means) for Bike Chats also supports other Nozomi Today endeavors! Thank you, Viewers Like You, who make this stuff possible!

Greetings are so important in Japanese culture! As is kindness. Not gonna lie, though, sometimes my American-ness can get in the way of interpreting kindness as such... It's really a bummer!

Given the many many stories I've heard from other expats I know I'm not the only one that has misinterpreted someone's kindness as condescension or conversation topic as a little odd. 

Let me know in the comments what cultural confusions you've experienced! 

Please be sure to share this show with any expats and friends and family members of expats.

Connect with me over on Instagram: @lifewithlaceywhite

Bike Chats is a part of Nozomi Today Ministries, a ministry devoted to proclaiming the gospel in Japan. Your support (through prayer and financial means) for Bike Chats also supports other Nozomi Today endeavors! Thank you, Viewers Like You, who make this stuff possible!

Have you ever made a big, embarrassing language mistake? I have. Have you ever made dozens and dozens of language mistakes over the course of weeks and months? I have. Let's talk :) 

Please be sure to share this show with any expats and friends and family members of expats.

Connect with me over on Instagram: @lifewithlaceywhite

Bike Chats is a part of Nozomi Today Ministries, a ministry devoted to proclaiming the gospel in Japan. Your support (through prayer and financial means) for Bike Chats also supports other Nozomi Today endeavors! Thank you, Viewers Like You, who make this stuff possible!

Happy Thanksgiving! This year our family will celebrate our third Thanksgiving in Japan. The first two were ... different ... to say the least.  But maybe this year there's hope for a more "traditional" celebration. 

Please be sure to share this show with any expats and friends and family members of expats.

Connect with me over on Instagram: @lifewithlaceywhite

Bike Chats is a part of Nozomi Today Ministries, a ministry devoted to proclaiming the gospel in Japan. Your support (through prayer and financial means) for Bike Chats also supports other Nozomi Today endeavors! Thank you, Viewers Like You, who make this stuff possible!

Let's talk about the logistics of moving to Japan in March of 2020. It probably went about like you're imagining: hectically. 

Please be sure to share this show with any expats and friends and family members of expats.

Connect with me over on Instagram: @lifewithlaceywhite

Bike Chats is a part of Nozomi Today Ministries, a ministry devoted to proclaiming the gospel in Japan. Your support (through prayer and financial means) for Bike Chats also supports other Nozomi Today endeavors! Thank you, Viewers Like You, who make this stuff possible!

Hello, hello! My name is Lacey and I'm an American living in Japan. Let's talk expat life, bike life, all things life. 

Please be sure to share this show with any expats and friends and family members of expats.

Connect with me over on Instagram: @lifewithlaceywhite

Bike Chats is a part of Nozomi Today Ministries, a ministry devoted to proclaiming the gospel in Japan. Your support (through prayer and financial means) for Bike Chats also supports other Nozomi Today endeavors! Thank you, Viewers Like You, who make this stuff possible!