The PPWR 2018 Residency deadline is looming! Here, FIGT Member Tone Indrelid writes about the impact last year's participation had to her.

If you are keen to apply, visit the PPWR page for more information and be sure to submit your application before October 1st, 2017.

Read Tone's story:

Follow me, walk through that open door.

Five years ago, I lived on Borneo, with three kids under 6. I was The Parent of my household. I can’t really say how it happened – I certainly never intended to be The Parent. If you were to ask The Wage-earning Partner in my marriage, I suspect you may hear a distant cough sounding like ‘control freak’, but I object to that.

I wasn’t always happy being The Parent. Don’t get me wrong – I love being a mother and I am super thankful for the time I am able to spend with my kids. That said, I have also struggled to adjust to role expectations, my own and those of others, within my marriage and in relation to the world.

I wanted a way to combine The Parent with The Ridiculously Slow Internet, The Frequent Moves and The Writing Anthropologist.

Moving to Muscat, The Ridiculously Slow Internet was finally replaced with Broadband Internet, and family role patterns and responsibilities were adjusted to allow for The Parent to work from home.

One fine Tuesday morning, I saw it. Jo Parfitt’s Facebook link to the Parfitt Pascoe Writing Residency at Families in Global Transition. I read it. I loved it. I was convinced it was made especially for me. Did I want to train with a successful author and publisher, learn the tricks of the trade and contribute to a book? Yes!

I knew I was nowhere near ready to apply for the scholarship – but I did anyway. I never looked back. Sometimes, doors open, in the most unexpected ways.

Jo’s input as a mentor, my position as a Parfitt Pascoe writer and the connections I made through Families in Global Transition has led to some incredibly positive developments for me. First of all, I connected with all of you through this blog. I love writing here, and I hope to spend much more time here in the coming months. This is my other trail, and I am delighted to walk in your company. In addition, I have been offered a blogging post with The Turban Times, focusing on the MENA region, as well as with the refugee relief organisation Carry The Future.

Are you a budding writer? Would you like to train with Jo, make invaluable connections with other writers and kick-start your own path? Do consider applying for the Parfitt Pascoe Writing Residency at Families in Global Transition. It may be one of the best choices you ever make for yourself.

Go ahead, look it up!

About the author:

Tone is an introverted anthropologist walking the expat trail. You can find her on her blog, The Other Trail.