Stories Of Our City

As a self-proclaimed small town kid who grew up on her grandfather’s farm, Aubrey learned the value and joy of hands-on labor from observing and working alongside her family. During a successful run in the corporate world, various factors—including impending burnout—led Aubrey to begin seeking a creative outlet to combat and manage stress. A chance encounter with a scrapped piece of furniture at the apartment dumpster during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic led her into the world of furniture resale and restoration—and ultimately to her own restoration as a person and creative.

Javier was only five years old when he was separated from his mother and older sister as they tried to cross into the United States from Mexico. His family made it. But he was sent back. After two further failed immigration attempts with a protective stranger, little Javier made a solo attempt in hopes of finally being reunited with his family. Could he find the way? Listen as Javier shares the details of his harrowing journey.

Welcome to a new season of Stories of Our City—real stories from real people around the globe.  This week's story comes from Lima, Peru. The daughter of Mexican immigrants to the United States who was born during the Great Depression, Gloria Aguilera Nichtawitz (Nēsh-ta-vitz) has a can-do spirit that perseveres. Coming from a line of honest, hardworking people, she found a way through various obstacles and challenges to realize her dream of helping others around the world through nursing.

Hip-hop is more than a genre of popular music; it’s a global culture and lifestyle. Having left its mark across the globe in the last several decades, no place has been untouched—not even the farthest islands. Ireland is no exception. Irish native Stevie G, both a music and radio DJ and one of the many worldwide influenced by this global phenomenon, has taken up the mantle of passing the history and culture of hip-hop on to the next generation. Listen as he shares his passion for sharing the knowledge and values of hip-hop culture with today’s youth in Ireland and beyond.

Although her collegiate studies initially brought Begum, a native of Turkey, to the United States, love is what ultimately brought her back. As one of only a handful of Turks in a small Texas city, this holistic nutritionist and expectant mother found that breaking out of her comfort zone was eventually the way to home sweet home.

Lucy Waja is a self-described multicultural cocktail who is a big fan of elephants. As a half Indian, half Sudanese native of the cosmopolitan capital of Jordan, a predominantly Arab country, Lucy naturally developed a love for other cultures and a knack for effectively navigating between several of them on a daily basis, being the daughter of a triple citizen of India, Sri Lanka, and Jordan. Listen as she shares her colorful journey of cultural and self-discovery.

One of two things likely comes to mind when you hear the word heroin: the infamous narcotic or a woman admired for her courage and bravery. This week's story is one that encompasses both.   Gretchen Courting first started using cocaine when she was only 15 years old. Later, followed a nearly decade-long battle with heroin addiction. Refusing to sugarcoat the many difficulties she faced along the way, Gretchen describes those years in her 20's as being filled with homelessness and self-destruction. But her story is not void of redemption. Listen as Gretchen shares the story of her transformation from heroin addict to a heroine of sorts who seeks to share her story in hopes of helping anyone caught in the dreadful throes of addiction. Please note: the following story contains detailed descriptions of substance addiction. Listener discretion is advised.

As the world’s second-largest religion, and fastest-growing major religion to boot, Islam and the people who adhere to its tenets are still largely misunderstood worldwide. Sara AlZyoud, a Jordanian university student, relates some of her experiences traveling as a Muslim and some commonly-held stereotypes against her people and region that she encountered along the way. May you be enlightened as Sara sheds light on the broader picture of Islam and the varied nature of the Arab world.

For many worldwide, the Islamic month of Ramadan is associated only with fasting. But for Sara AlZyoud and other Muslims, this holy month is about intentionally connecting with God and their communities in various ways. Listen as Sara relates how Ramadan is “the epitome of family values” and serves for her as a vehicle for gratitude and sacrifice, as well as a way to keep her grounded in the faith she shares with her family and culture.

Hannah Walker was only five years old when she was first introduced to horseback riding at summer camp. And she immediately fell head over heels for horses. But when a tragic horseback accident occurred, Hannah hit rock bottom, not knowing if she’d ever get back in the saddle again.

British native Christine Brisley is a self-proclaimed painting addict who can't imagine a life without painting. She considers herself very blessed by a God-given talent which became her livelihood and took her around London, throughout England, and across the world. When tragedy struck, Christine came to America on a month-long walkabout, or visit, with only 400 dollars. Never intending to stay, she returned to the U.S. for good just months later, settling in Texas where she continues to create a colorful life she loves.

The global coronavirus pandemic that began in 2019 has taken a lot away from many worldwide. And it continues to ravage and shake the world. But for Katie Norregaard, COVID-19 also provided a once-in-a-lifetime chance to break free from routine, affording her the opportunity to combine her passions for children, music, and social change into one online music education platform for kids: Miss Katie Sings.

In episode 198 from last season, Jocette (jō-set), an American expat living in Turkey, talked about her life there and her cross-cultural marriage to Salih (sä-lee). She is back again and this time dives into her lifelong love affair with food—a  passion so deep that she even studied the subject at the graduate level. For Jocette, food is more than just the taste. It’s the people and the culture behind it, and most importantly the folks whom it brings around the table. Through her blog Hasat Günü, which means the day of harvest,  Jocette seeks to help people “see the beauty of Turkey and then have a slice of it for themselves.” Listen as she shares about her passion for food and people and then check out Hasat Günü for yourself at hasatco.com.

Lance G. Newman II, aka Mr. SpreadLove, of Louisville, Ky., is a self-described renaissance man—and he has the quality, diversified artistic product to back up that assessment. But as his moniker indicates, Mr. SpreadLove is committed to more than simply dispersing his art among the masses; he is devoted to passing on a living legacy of spreading positivity and love through poetry (as well as other art forms), education, and the nurture of the next generation—all in the hope of affecting lasting change.

Mili and her husband, Deep, are passionate about traveling, new cuisine, and culture. Their shared love of travel is in fact one of the things that brought them together and helps keep their love alive. In this episode, as Mili recounts their latest adventure of an international move, it’s obvious she never forgets to pack her sense of humor. Mili’s contagious laughter reminds us that if we will let it, traveling can provide new perspectives, time to connect with loved ones, and a repertoire of stories to share.

Stories of our City was started in August 2009 in Beirut and has grown to include real stories from real people in 38 cities and towns on four continents from around the world. We do this in an effort to cultivate community and understanding cross-culturally. This current episode is extra special as it marks our 200th episode. But instead of simply sharing the story of how Stories of Our City was founded, we wanted to highlight the substance of this organization—the stories themselves. So, as is our custom, for this special episode we wanted to let the subjects themselves do the talking by sharing excerpts of four of our most popular stories through the years.

Welcome to Stories of Our City! This week's story comes from Izmir, Turkey.    Jocette's (jō-set) story is a story that crosses continents and cultures and reminds us of the beautiful work and gift that marriage can be. Listen as Jocette, an American expat in Turkey, shares the challenges of a cross-cultural marriage with her husband, Salih (sä-lee), as well as the joy of creating a new culture together as a couple—a home and family life that suit them and display their personalities and values. No matter your relational status, we trust you will learn something from Jocette about life and love and especially Turkish culture.  

Have you ever had an identity crisis? Or a crisis of faith? For Harriet Dodea, her journey to find answers started with a move to a foreign country and a subsequent chance encounter with a stranger on the way to the bus station one day. This life-changing experience challenged her to wrestle through some deep heart questions and discover herself and her true identity. Now a few years later, having created a sisterhood community through social media, Harriet launched a Warrior Princess Challenge to help other women grow in their faith, identity, creativity, and health. Through all this, she hopes to inspire people to live out their God-given gifts and “be faithful in the small things that they have [been given] and just trust that God is well able to multiply it into the things that he sees them to be.”

From growing up in a small town where entering the world of fashion wasn’t even on her radar screen to becoming a fashion designer in one of the largest cities in the world, Canadian-born Megan Mummery is living proof that dreams can come true—even dreams you didn’t even know you had! With her OhSevenDays women’s wear brand based in Istanbul, Megan seeks to make unique everyday staple wear that is as fashionable as fast fashion, while being ethically sourced and made. Listen as Megan shares her cosmopolitan journey of professional and self-discovery.

It’s hard to deny the power of music. Many refer to it as the universal language that builds bridges between diverse peoples and cultures. Music has the power to connect us, move us, take us back, and propel us forward. In this week’s episode, Texas singer/songwriter Melissa Briseno shares how the magic of music has impacted her life and how she hopes her music will have the same powerful impact on others as she seeks to sing songs that feed the soul. May Melissa’s passion for her craft inspire you and leave you asking, “What is it that I cannot live without?”