Blog, Book Reviews, Articles & More
Authenticity is NOT Speaking from the Heart
Or at Least Authenticity is not JUST Speaking from the Heart…If you paid any attention at all to the 2016 US election, chances are you heard the work “authenticity” come up regarding the two final candidates. Trump was anointed as authentic, while Clinton was scorned...
Playing Mind Games with Yourself
Your Subconscious LOVES to Play… (mind games with you)I was talking to a client the other day about the “old stuff” that keeps coming up and getting in the way of her happiness. As we were talking about that, she said that an image of a rotting flower bulb came to...
Meditation as Extreme Sport?
Competitive Meditation?A favorite spiritual writer of mine (okay, it’s Eknath Easwaran if you must know) said that to cultivate more spirituality in life we should have meditation competitions rather than sports competitions. The idea struck me interesting in the...
What Inspiration are You Following?
Inspiration: Emotional, Mental or Soul?Like most things in life, the word “inspiration” has different flavors for different people. When I looked “inspiration” up in the dictionary for clarification, it is listed as meaning, “the act or power of moving the intellect...
Why Positive Self Talk Isn’t As Effective As You Think
Why Affirmations Don’t WorkChances are you’ve heard about affirmations and how they help you perform better, but did you know that positive self-talk statements like “I can do this!” are not as effective as we’ve all been told? Sure, they are way better than negative...
What’s with the Buzz Cut? NEW
It's Your Statement, Not Mine I get the giggles each time someone gives me “the look,” which I define as the brief, deer-in-the-headlights stare when they meet me, look at my hair and pause for a moment before they stammer out something, sometimes something...
About Kristine
Kristine Madera is an Amazon #1 bestselling author who writes fiction and nonfiction shaped by travel, culture, and lived cross-cultural experience.
Inspired while volunteering at Mother Teresa’s Home for the Dying in Calcutta, her novel God in Drag examines what happens when spiritual faith fractures in the sacred city of Varanasi. Read the first chapter of God in Drag HERE
She birthed her upcoming novel, The Snakeman’s Wife, as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Papua New Guinea.
Be on the lookout for her Etiquette Express Guides, a series of short, practical travel guides that help readers understand the customs, social expectations, and everyday dos and don’ts that make travel smoother and more connected.
Her travels have taken her across India, Asia, Europe, Australia, and Papua New Guinea as both a backpacker and Peace Corps Volunteer. A portion of her book proceeds supports cross-cultural education scholarships.
You don’t need to “master” a culture to move through it well.
You just need a few steady skills:
- How to stay curious,
- How to adjust without performing
- How to recover gracefully when you miss a cue—because we all do.
This free PDF guide gives you 12 simple, human skills you can use anywhere: whether traveling abroad, navigating a new city, joining a host family, starting a new job, or even re-entering your own life after a trip.