56. Embracing the mess: Life in a global family - with Mariam Navaid Ottimofiore

Today's guest is, without a doubt, the most global person I've had the pleasure of talking to! She is none other than two-times author, writer, speaker, economist, language enthusiast and passionate expat, Mariam Navaid Ottimofiore.

To say that today's episode is a love letter to learning languages is an understatement, and you will find so much wisdom in Mariam's observations. I kept wanting to stop and take notes.

Mariam was born in Pakistan, grew up in Bahrain, the United States and Pakistan, went to college in the US and Britain, and has lived in Germany, Denmark, Singapore, Dubai, Ghana and Portugal. She met her German-Italian husband at university in Brighton, England, and they're raising their three children with even more than "just" their four home languages.
They're currently based in Cascais, Portugal.

I still don't know how we managed to fit it all into one episode, but we cover a huge variety of topics. We talk about how she has managed all those moves,  maintained and developed her identity, why learning the language of each country has been so important, and how she keeps all those memories alive for her family.

Mariam recently published her second book, "The Guilty Can't Say Goodbye", a mystery novel about three global women, and of course we're talking at length about this book and the writing process. I devoured it on a recent trip and wholeheartedly recommend it for your summer reading list!

For more information about Mariam, her life and her books, visit her website, and make sure you follow her on Instagram. 

Find reviews of her books on Goodreads: The Guilty Can't Say Goodbye, and This Messy Mobile Life.