Host: Kiara Kolaczyk, host of Put the Guidebook Down and founder of Kultura Travel

Guest: Santi Losada, Fulbright alumnus, multilingual professional, and global citizen currently based in Zagreb, Croatia

Topics Covered:

(00:00) Intro: From Moldova to Luxembourg to Croatia—meet Sandy

(01:22) The complexity of “Where are you from?”

(02:24) Home as memory, emotion, and community—not just location

(04:07) Living between cultures and embracing dual identities

(05:43) The dream of “home” in Spain—and what home feels like emotionally

(08:28) Speaking multiple languages and how they reveal different sides of ourselves

(10:57) Why Sandy loves culturally blended countries like Moldova and Croatia

(13:39) Lessons Moldova taught about seeing the gray areas in life and travel

(16:07) The difference between living in a country vs. living within its culture

(17:47) Tourists vs. travelers: why depth matters

(20:24) The biggest misconceptions about expat life (hint: it’s not all luxury)

(22:28) Integrating respectfully into local communities

(23:17) Learning to be fearless and self-reliant abroad

Mentioned Places:🇲🇩 Moldova — especially Comrat and Gagauzia🇪🇸 Vigo, Spain — Sandy’s “happy place” by the beach🇭🇷 Zagreb, Croatia — where Sandy calls home today🇱🇺 Luxembourg — where expat life first took root

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