By Chance Avenue

Host Elizabeth Tiglao-Guss shares reflections from a 12-day Morocco yoga retreat with 10 other women from her kundalini “tribe,” noting that despite beautiful photos she got sick early on and lived on plain bread for days, yet returned home feeling “good different.” Traveling solo this time (after a Maldives retreat with Victor), she describes valuing the freedom of not having kids and using the trip as a symbol of a transformational year. The group spent three nights in Marrakech with guided touring, shopping, haggling, spa time, and morning yoga, then drove long days through the Atlas Mountains into the Sahara, stopping for photos of goats and camels. Connecting with diverse women, practicing mindfulness, and recognizing her resilience culminated in an emotional moment riding a donkey on the last day and a pivotal Sahara photo, which helped her feel gratitude and contentment after infertility and failed adoptions; she encourages others to travel, get out of their comfort zone, and sign up for her planned retreats.

• Morocco Trip Recap
• Yoga Tribe Retreat
• Solo Travel Freedom
• Why Morocco Now
• Marrakech To Sahara
• Sisterhood Connection
• Resilience And Presence
• Donkey Tears Moment
• Healing After Infertility
• Retreat Invitation
• Closing Thanks

Connect with Elizabeth:

IG: @bychanceavenue

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As the holidays approach, Elizabeth shares painful experiences of being excluded from family plans because she and her partner, Victor, don’t have kids, including a past getaway they weren’t invited to and a recent visit where plans were made without them so the kids could spend time together. Although she understands why events may be built around children, she emphasizes that understanding doesn’t erase the hurt and that feelings don’t need to seem “reasonable” to be real. She describes venting to Victor, recognizing a pattern of minimizing her own emotions, and learning to process feelings rather than let them simmer. The episode focuses on accepting relationship shifts, creating personal boundaries (distinct from walls), spending less time around people whose comments sting, and choosing supportive company, including making a holiday plan with another child-free couple.

• Holiday Season Trigger
• First Time Left Out
• Childfree Assumptions
• Exclusion Happens Again
• Validating Your Feelings
• Accepting the Reality
• Boundaries Not Walls
• Choosing Your People
• Seasonal Encouragement
• Closing Thanks

Connect with Elizabeth:

IG: @bychanceavenue

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Host Elizabeth Tiglao-Guss reflects on being frequently asked “Do you have kids?” and how painful it felt during the end of an IVF journey, including an encounter with a distant family member who pressured them to keep pursuing IVF abroad and reacted coldly when adoption was mentioned. They describe cultural norms in Filipino families where questions about marriage and children come with few boundaries and little tact, and share how their responses evolved from “we’re trying” to simply saying no or briefly stating they tried for a long time but it never happened. Over time, they realized explanations don’t prevent judgment and began asking who the explanation is really for. They encourage viewers to choose how much of their story to share based on their emotional capacity that day, without feeling obligated to defend themselves.

• The Kids Question
• IVF Pressure Story
• Culture And Boundaries
• Adoption Question Sting
• Answering No Today
• Letting Go Of Judgment
• How Much To Share
• Check In With Yourself
• Closing Thanks

Connect with Elizabeth:

IG: @bychanceavenue

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Host Elizabeth Tiglao-Guss recounts a therapy session they almost canceled because life felt good, only to uncover deeper emotions tied to weight and infertility. After losing weight this year as part of reclaiming their body post-IVF, they realized their fear of gaining weight back wasn’t about the scale but about returning to sadness, disappointment, loneliness, and years of discomfort that began around 2014. Their therapist helped validate the anxiety while reminding them they aren’t that past version of themselves, encouraging them to honor those feelings as part of their journey. The episode emphasizes that feeling better doesn’t mean grief is finished; it may simply mean there’s finally room to feel it, and ongoing self-work can coexist with a good life.

• A Light Session
• Fear of Regain
• Weight as Grief
• Healing Isn’t Linear
• Therapist Reality Check
• Coping With Worry
• For You Listening
• Closing Thoughts

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IG: @bychanceavenue

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Host Elizabeth Tiglao-Guss talks with friends Doreen, John, and Jada about her growth from feeling like a victim to advocating for women through her podcast, sharing support she once lacked while navigating infertility, pregnancy loss, adoption ending, divorce, depression, and mental health challenges. They describe how she and Victor have moved forward, embraced a child-free life, strengthened their relationship, and found joy through travel and interests like mahjong and BTS, while acknowledging grief still comes in waves and “what if” thoughts remain. The group discusses mutual envy between parents and non-parents, reframing “it must be nice,” and accepting different life paths. Friends praise Elizabeth’s voice and resilience, encourage prioritizing her own happiness, and John urges giving friends the chance to support rather than carrying burdens alone.

• Doreen Praises Growth
• Why This Podcast Exists
• Life After Childlessness
• Friends Reflect On Resilience
• John On Strength And Joy
• Grief Still Comes In Waves
• Envy Goes Both Ways
• That Must Be Nice
• Living With The What Ifs
• Choosing Joy In Midlife
• Proud Of Your Journey
• Parting Words And Support
• Closing Thanks And Love

Connect with Elizabeth:

IG: @bychanceavenue

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Host Elizabeth Tiglao-Guss talks with longtime friends John and Jada about how miscarriage, IVF, and years of infertility created an unspoken disconnect as her friends assumed she was “fine” and would reach out if needed, partly because their friendship wasn’t phone-call heavy and because she had Victor for support. Elizabeth explains she felt lonely, in a “season of waiting,” hesitant to burden others, and doubted people could truly understand, craving empathy and validation; John connects this to her past depression when others offered fixes instead of understanding. Jada shares regret for not checking in more and urges Elizabeth not to feel like a burden, emphasizing listening over advice. They reflect that both sides were worried about each other, affirm the friendship endured despite different life paths, and conclude with the insight to “give it a chance” by reaching out and letting friends be there.

• Miscarriage Silence
• Friendship Disconnect
• John Explains Distance
• Kids Talk Balance
• Misaligned Feelings
• Jada Heartfelt Apology
• Asking For Help
• Need For Empathy
• Victim Mindset Shift
• Give It A Chance
• Closing Gratitude

Connect with Elizabeth:

IG: @bychanceavenue

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Host Elizabeth Tiglao-Guss reunites with longtime friends John, his wife Jada, and childhood friend Doreen to discuss how friendships can shift when some friends have kids and others don’t, and to reflect on Elizabeth’s years of infertility, miscarriage, IUI/IVF treatments, and an adoption process that included a failed adoption. They recall a fallout after John and Jada’s 2013 marriage and reconnecting around 2018–2019, when Elizabeth was near the end of IVF. John and Jada admit they assumed she would eventually have a baby and feel emotional and guilty realizing she may have been “silently suffering” while they were busy raising kids. Elizabeth explains she felt loneliness and “years of waiting,” hesitated to vent because she didn’t want to burden friends, and often downplayed her pain.

• Why This Conversation Matters
• Meet the OG Squad
• Fallout and Reconnection Timeline
• Miscarriage IVF and Adoption Memories
• Feeling Alone Through Infertility
• Did We Really Disconnect
• The Waiting Season Explained
• Silent Suffering and Regrets
• How Friendship Can Show Up
• Closing Reflections on Giving

Connect with Elizabeth:

IG: @bychanceavenue

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Host Elizabeth Tiglao-Guss shares her new obsession with American mahjong, describing how she discovered its colorful, beautifully designed tiles online, took a private lesson to learn the game, and quickly began collecting sets. She contrasts it with the traditional mahjong she knew growing up in Filipino/Asian households, which she associated with gambling, and explains that mahjong is having a broader cultural moment beyond “older people.” Elizabeth loves the social, multi-generational community aspect—gathering with friends, meeting new people in a low-pressure way, and even playing at home with her husband Victor—more than competition or strict rules. She connects this hobby to her larger message on redefining life after infertility and grief by rediscovering what genuinely lights you up, and invites listeners to message her for beginner resources and future retreat ideas.

• From Fangirl to Mahjong
• Mahjong Has a Moment
• Discovering American Tiles
• Finding My Own Thing
• Social Game and Community
• Tiles Tablescapes Collecting
• How We Play and Adapt
• The Bigger Life Message
• Invite Resources and Retreats
• Closing and Next Week

Connect with Elizabeth:

IG: @bychanceavenue

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Host Elizabeth Tiglao-Guss shares how buying BTS concert tickets and becoming an “Army” fangirl unexpectedly brought her lightness after over a decade of heavy seasons, including infertility treatments, failed adoptions, and a hard year for her family. After initially scrolling past a BTS Netflix concert, she clicked a replay and docuseries, got hooked, and binge-watched years of content while bonding with her longtime best friend, who fell into the rabbit hole at the same time; her husband Victor has been supportive. Elizabeth describes asking her therapist if her growing obsession was healthy, and being told it reflected new space created by detaching from what no longer served her and allowing simple joy without deeper purpose. She encourages women, including those facing infertility, to give themselves permission to feel uncomplicated fun, and signs off referencing a BTS song “Swim” about continuing forward.

• Confession Time
• BTS Finds You
• Meet the Army
• Rabbit Hole Bonding
• Tickets and Obsession
• Therapist Green Light
• Healing Feels Light
• Permission to Enjoy
• Secret Out Sign Off
• One Last Song

Connect with Elizabeth:

IG: @bychanceavenue

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Checking In Three Years After Choosing a Childfree Life: Elizabeth and Victor Reflect

Host Elizabeth Tiglao-Guss welcomes Victor back after months away to check in three years after they decided to stop pursuing children following a nearly 10-year infertility and adoption journey. They reflect on a recent Joshua Tree anniversary staycation that felt “full circle,” since they originally went there to make their decision. Victor shares he has reached greater acceptance and peace, with occasional “road not taken” awareness rather than regret, and has learned to enjoy meaningful uncle moments with his nephews and friends’ kids while acknowledging fatherly instincts. Elizabeth discusses ongoing curiosity about Victor’s internal experience, notes her own surprise at becoming more social, and they express gratitude for their childfree life, relationships, travel, and continued growth together.

• Victor Returns
• Joshua Tree Full Circle
• Three Years Later
• Road Not Taken
• Uncle Moments
• Did We Try Enough
• Trust And Curiosity
• Gratitude Without Kids
• What Surprised Us
• Healing And Closing

Connect with Elizabeth:

IG: @bychanceavenue

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