Audio: The Emotion of Living Abroad

About Author

Paulette Bethel, PhD

A native of culturally rich New Orleans, Dr. Paulette Bethel brings the essence of that heritage into everything she creates. She is a storycatcher, speaker and identity reinvention guide whose work lives at the intersection of culture, transition, and personal truth.

A retired U.S. Air Force officer, former therapist, and lifelong cross-cultural navigator, she is also a proud Air Force spouse and the mother of adult Third Culture Kids — experiences that deeply shape her understanding of identity, belonging and change.

Through her "Bella’s Front Porch" column and her platform, Step Beyond Coaching & Consulting, Bethel invites culturally fluid individuals — of all backgrounds, ages and identities — to reflect on who they are becoming. Her work affirms that identity is not a destination, but a dynamic, unfolding story — and we all deserve the space to live ours, out loud and in full.