Every boarding pass and visa stamp represents a new chapter in the life of a traveling BYUH student
Growing up in a nomadic lifestyle, Madison Nader, a senior majoring in communications, said much of her life was spent overseas because of her parents’ international business and work for the United States government. She said there were challenges moving from country to country, but because of her close relationship with her family, she was able to overcome them.
The Nader family
Madison Nader, who is half Arabian and half American, said she grew up in a typical Latter-day Saint family with four siblings. She said her dad, John, was originally from Dubai and her mom, Heather, was from Utah. They met at BYU in Provo and after that, their adventurous lives began, she said.
She said her nomadic life started when she was very young. “My two older siblings, John and McKenzie, were born in California, while Jack and I were born in Utah.” She said by the time she reached the age of 2, she had already moved to a different country. Her parents’ international business was the reason they had to constantly relocate, she said. “We moved to Dubai when I was 2 or 3 and spent almost eight years there, but we moved back and forth to Utah.
”After a few years, she said her parents transitioned to their second careers with the State Department, working for the U.S. Embassy overseas with the Foreign Service. “Since then, we have lived in various places: Kathmandu, Nepal, where I finished high school, followed by Nairobi, Kenya; Mumbai, India; and two different locations in Florida and Washington, D.C. Now, I am completing my degree here at BYUH,” she said.
Cultural exposure
Madison Nader said by visiting many places, she discovered a love for traveling. “On top of that, I learned to love the ocean. I have been surfing and diving. Other activities I learned to love growing up abroad are to take pictures and do ceramics,” she said.
Mckay Cram, her cousin and a senior majoring in automotive technology at Utah Valley University from Tennessee, said he gets very excited whenever he hears his cousins are moving from one place to another. He said their incredible experiences, stories and the people they meet make him feel like he has many friends worldwide.
“ I remember looking over on social media and seeing them post and update they were in the streets of Kathmandu, Nepal, with a rhinoceros randomly passing by,” said Cram.
Madison Nader said living in different places forced her to adapt to and practice some of the cultural norms. “I still use the languages in all the places I lived, especially catch phrases to talk to people in those places. While in Hawai’i, I make an effort to cook famous dishes from each place I’ve lived in before,” said Madison Nader.
Her brother said, “We went to high school in Kathmandu, Nepal, together. Surprisingly, there were about 60 kids in that school.” Jack Nader is a freshman majoring in hospitality and tourism management and Madison’s youngest brother. He said they also became close friends with a student who was a descendant of Nepal’s ruler. “We would find ourselves at his palace swimming in his guitar-shaped Olympic ndoor pool, walking around their enormous property and sometimes riding motorcycles in the outskirts of the Himalayas, which was a cool experience,” explained Jack Nader.
Cram said another cultural celebration his cousin got to experience was the Dahi Handi in India, which celebrates the birth of the Hindu deity Krishna, where people celebrate through fasting, praying, making a human pyramid and breaking pots filled with milk, curd, butter, fruits and water at a certain height.
“This cultural holiday was shared with us recently and it always surprises me every time they share [about] cultural celebrations like the Dahi Handi,” he said.
The challenges of a nomadic life
Cram said being far away from family members can be challenging at times. He said they maintain their relationship as cousins through their frequent family reunions. “Aside from the normal family reunion, our relationship as cousins is stronger, and I am proud to say that we were close growing up. We can go for years without seeing each other, but whenever we meet up, it feels like we saw each other the other day,” he said.
Madison Nader explained, “Moving frequently means settling in somewhere and then having to leave shortly afterward. I attempted to learn the languages, but I struggled knowing we might move again in a few years. Apart from adapting to a new location, saying goodbye to new friends can be tough because you’re unsure when you’ll meet them again.”
She added she attended five high schools in four years. “I started as a freshman in Utah, and by the time I reached sophomore [year], we moved to Florida, then got transferred to another school in the middle of the term. In my junior year, we moved to Washington, D.C., and then I finished high school in Kathmandu, Nepal,” she explained, saying her experiences in high school made her appreciate her nomadic lifestyle, which she has continued while serving as an intern for the U.S. Embassy since her junior year.
Future aspirations and perspectives
Cram said seeing his cousin’s experiences around the world for the majority of her upbringing puts him in a position to appreciate living abroad. “Though at times it is challenging because of cultural differences and other factors, seeing her do that for the majority of her life, makes me comfortable and eager to see places in the world and maybe to live there as well,” Cram said.
Madison Nader said studying at BYUH allowed her to connect with others facing similar situations, with families far away while attending college. She expressed understanding and appreciating oneself, getting acquainted with people and their culture, engaging in service and reaching out to others, as well as participating in school and other enjoyable activities, are effective ways to cope with the challenges of frequent relocations. “Make yourself busy and know that you are not alone.You have your family and new friends,” she said.
Given the choice of continuing her nomadic life or settling in one place, Madison Nader said she is still dealing with both options. She said growing up and traveling a lot from her childhood to adulthood gave her an experience of a lifetime. She said heading into her final semester, she is still considering whether she should stay in a certain place or continue in the lifestyle she grew up with.
“My plans after graduation were to move back to India, get a job as a consulate or along the lines of diplomacy where I spent my intern life doing it and maybe decide to settle or continue my adventurous life. It is still yet to be determined,” she said.