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As always, Rooted and Routed isn’t here to deliver headlines. We’re here to hold space for the stories that shape people, quietly and powerfully.
In this part 1 episode, Sabiya sits down with Carlos Ruano — a diplomat, academic, and cultural observer who has lived in 10 countries, worked in international diplomacy, global education, and policy design, and held roles from UN specialist to radio host, academic mentor to diplomatic spouse. He offers layered insights into identity, service, and belonging. His journey isn’t just professional; it’s personal — shaped by systems, family, movement, and meaning.
📌 What We Explore Together:
- How a childhood marked by catastrophe — a major earthquake in Guatemala — became a foundational anchor for resilience and purpose
- What it means to stay grounded when your roles, locations, and responsibilities are in constant motion
- The idea of Liminality — living between identities, between geographies, and between assignments — and learning to adapt through it all
- Why answering “What do you do?” isn’t always simple when your work spans disciplines, borders, and belief systems
- What it means to live both as a diplomat and a diplomatic spouse — and how those shifting roles impact identity, agency, and emotional well-being
- Raising children in diplomatic circles — and the emotional tension between craving stability and growing up in constant movement
- The often overlooked realities of life as diplomatic spouses — and how marriage, mobility, and identity intersect in systems that haven’t caught up with modern family dynamics
- The quiet trade-offs behind a life of global service
🎧 Whether you're part of the global mobility world or simply curious about the lived realities of those who carry purpose across cultures, this episode offers a rare glimpse into what it truly means to serve — not just as an individual, but as a family.
🔔 If you’re here for depth, for human truth, for cultural storytelling beyond the mainstream—this is for you.

🎧 Available now on:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SIZRiApXjy4UzKVP1Yrzv
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1755695962
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9fdd33e4-4e7a-4be7-b7c6-9f2ce76c5580/rooted-and-routed-podcast
Podcast Index: https://podcastindex.org/podcast/6956558
Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/rooted-and-routed-podcast/5204852
Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/rooted-and-routed-podcast-5782163
Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/vbrcdo35
Player FM: https://player.fm/series/rooted-and-routed-podcast

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