About Us
Hi, we’re Matt and Tania, creators of Around the World Stories (AWS). We created AWS to help parents bring multicultural education into their homes in a fun and memorable way. We believe that children can greatly benefit from learning about the world and that audio stories are one of the best ways to teach them. Keep reading to learn why.
After getting married, we left Chicago and moved to Europe, expecting to work odd jobs for a year then come home to settle down and continue our careers as a journalist and high school teacher. That didn’t quite happen. We ended up spending the next 17 years moving back and forth from Europe to America. Over the years our jobs have ranged quite a bit – whether dressed up as a bunny at a fair in Germany or teaching English to adults in Spain or writing freelance for various magazines around Europe, we enjoyed our experiences immensely. We still talk about settling down, but we’re just not sure when… or where.
Most recently, with Matt serving as a U.S. diplomat in Europe, we had the unique experience of introducing our three daughters to the wonders of living in different cultures. We found the simple exposure to daily life in foreign countries extremely rewarding for the kids. It has broadened their world view and made them global citizens, instead of just American tourists.
However, once we moved back to the U.S., we searched for something that would help us further expose our young children to other cultures in a fun and memorable way, but we found few resources. That is why we developed Around the World Stories. Storytelling has always been an important part of our family life — whether before bedtime, around the dinner table, or as a tool for schooling on the road. Even our children have learned to tell the most wonderfully imaginative stories. Lessons may come and go, but a good story sticks.
In June 2016, we went back to Europe, but this time to travel and write stories. Our goal is to provide authentic stories about other countries that both educate and entertain. We hope our passion for other cultures comes through in the stories we’ve created for your children. We welcome you to keep up with our travels by following us on the Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
