Breana Johnson

fter throwing myself from this comfortable middle-class life into the world of expat living, I realized that as hard as it can be, I would never want to change it. Here’s what it’s like to be a third culture wife.

Ask any average Westerner, and they likely won’t be able to point out Burundi on the map. Although this tiny country is virtually ignored when it comes to East African tourism, that’s no reason why it shouldn’t be on your travel bucket list.

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    It’s evening in the small African nation of Burundi, and the waning sun throws shadows over the city of Bujumbura. In the old Land Rover, we bump and jostle our way through the crowded dirt roads of the capital. Before we left the mission station where my husband’s family lives, we picked up a few Burundian friends who were going the same direction. I struggle to make casual conversation in Swahili, the unfamiliar syllables falling heavily from my tongue. The boy next to me is patient, and he smiles broadly at each clumsy attempt to communicate. Something I have learned during my short time in Burundi is that the people are rarely judgmental. They appreciate your interest in their culture, although they don’t mind laughing good-naturedly at your fumbles. Children of Burundi We pull up to our destination: a modest two-room home built of mudbricks. Small children stare [...]

In fact, we can do what armchair travelers have been doing for centuries: find a good book and let it transport us to the sights, sounds and smells of somewhere far away.