"Just because you find that life's not fair, it / Doesn't mean that you just have to grin and bear it / If you always take it on the chin and wear it / Nothing will change" ("Naughty" from Matilda the Musical)
June 19th, 2018 - June 19th, 2023. FIVE years, one of which was spent on hiatus. Yeah, about that...
Happy Juneteenth, y'all! Today's also Young, Gifted and Abroad's 5th anniversary! Since the podcast has been on hiatus for a year (which is longer than I'd planned), I figured I had some checking in to do.
Hear all about what's been up with me, what's up with the podcast, and what song from a musical helped me get by in this special update/announcement episode.
(Spoiler: Young, Gifted and Abroad is coming back! On a monthly release schedule! Starting July 19th!)
Timestamps:
Intro (0:00-1:21)
The Good (1:21-7:58)
The Not So Good (7:58-10:33)
Going Monthly (10:33-15:47)
INTRO
So. While I was away...
THE GOOD
I got to witness some milestones in my loved ones' lives. Reilly's younger brother is playing Division I basketball! Kayla graduated with her Doctor of Social work degree! Marlee moved to New York for grad school!
I read a lot, got new tattoos for my birthday, and one of the new tattoos was inspired by a book series that changed my life in 2022. (Thanks to Sho for putting N.K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy in my hands!)
I curated a master list of all my International Podcast Day recommendations from 2018-2022.
My opinions were requested and my email response was included in Black Girl Film Club's "2022 Year in Review" episode. I curated book recommendations for a literary collaboration called "Beloved Bookishness", which I did for my friend Rachel's blog. And I've continued reviewing scholarship applications for Diverse International Women of Color. (In fact, two of the 12 summer 2023 recipients were girls whose applications I reviewed!)
I cooked and baked a ton (ask me about my butter pecan cake and my shrimp creole).
I knitted a beautiful navy blue and neon green scarf as a form of stress relief. What was the stress, you ask?
THE NOT SO GOOD
My mom had some health issues come up, so from October 2022 to March 2023 I was pretty singularly focused on making sure she was okay. (She's still recovering but relatively fine now.) I adore my mom so I didn't mind looking after her, but it did take a toll on me. The song "Naughty" from the Matilda movie musical on Netflix helped me get through those times, and also helped me affirm that I'm still not finished having my say with this podcast. There's still a lot of good work I could do, and so many fascinating people out there I could interview. However, I still don't feel "on" enough to keep up the pace at which I was working before. So...
GOING MONTHLY
I've decided to try going monthly. Young, Gifted and Abroad will come out once a month, on the 19th of every month, for the time being. I might bump up my output and return to a biweekly release schedule if I'm feeling it and there's enough interest from potential new guests.
Look forward to a brand new episode (episode 101) of Young, Gifted and Abroad coming out on July 19th! In the meantime, you can still follow the show on the usual social media places (@younggiftedandabroad on Instagram, @younggiftedandabroad on Facebook, and @ygabroad on Twitter). My email inbox is always open (younggiftedandabroad@gmail.com). And keep listening to Young, Gifted and Abroad wherever podcasts are!
Danielle G. is the creator, host, and producer of Young, Gifted and Abroad. You can find her other writings at DeelaSees.com. The music in this episode is by ProleteR.