Gail Aguiar is one of the more seasoned travellers I’ve ever spoken to on the show. So where in other shows, we tend to talk a lot about place and people, It was very interesting to speak with Gail about what it means to be a Canadian, and what choices led her to a life of travel.

One thing’s for sure: Gail still feels very strongly connected to Canada. I hope you enjoy listening to our chat. And be sure to check out GailAtLarge.Com to follow Gail’s adventures.

Image by José on Flickr. Used under Creative Commons License.

A Canadian citizen casts his ballot. Photo by Adam Wilson.

In many of my conversations with expats since the summer, the question of voting rights has come up frequently. So I decided to enlist the help of my colleague and journalist Samantha Power to explore the issue.

In this episode, we take a quick look at the issues facing expats trying to vote in Canada, and seek to uncover if this is a deeply political issue.

Erica and Brian Shuchuk gave it all up to move to Haarlem in North Holland. They put their stuff in storage, filled out the endless paperwork to bring their cat Nougat with them, and landed there about six months ago. Bicycles, Indonesian food, and shopping everyday is what their lives are about now.

Find out what led to their decision to move, and what they miss most about Canada.

Image by Giovani Racca on Flickr. Used under Creative Commons License.

Graeme Smith’s schooling took him to South America. His family and the opportunities that were available to him in Ecuador have kept him there. Now, with a wife and three children, and a successful business, Graeme shares his thoughts on how to be a “successful expat” and he considers what the future holds for his family and their plans for world travel.

Image by Darlyn Meyer. Used under Creative Commons License.

Two months or so ago, when his work world shifted dramatically, Graeme Kishiuchi and his family found themselves with some decisions to make: continue on in Canada, or make a go of it down Mexico Way. Since this show’s all about expatriates, you can imagine the choice they made.

When the Kishiuchis were given the opportunity through work to go down and live in Mexico City for at least a few years, they hit the Google machine, did some research and decided it would be an interesting experience. Only a few months into their time there, and Graeme has already discovered the great things Mexico has to offer.

I hope you enjoy this episode. If you do, please do me a favour and leave us a rating and review on iTunes. And help spread these stories around the world!

Image by Eneas De Troya on Flickr. Used under Creative Commons License.

There is no passion to be found playing small — in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living. — Nelson Mandela

In this episode, I speak with Anna Grimsrud, a Canadian expat living in South Africa. She describes her experiences in Cape Town as being one of two Africas.

She, her husband and their two children have lived there together for awhile now. And although she misses Canada in some ways (bacon not chiefly among those ways), she’s had some incredible experiences there.

I hope you enjoy this episode. If you do, please do me a favour and leave us a rating and review on iTunes. And help spread these stories across the globe!

Photo of Cape Town supplied by Anna Grimsrud.

Rob Taillefer has seen quite a bit of Europe. And Canada for that matter. He spent time living in both Edmonton and Ottawa before jumping across the pond to go to school in the Netherlands.

While in Europe, Rob met his wife (who’s from Estonia), and the pair now live in Luxembourg — not only the last remaining Grand Duchy on earth, but a major centre of global commerce.

Hope you enjoy Rob’s expat story. And remember to rate the show on iTunes!

Image by nate2b on Flickr. Used under Creative Commons License

Colm Heaney spent much of his childhood bouncing between Canada and Northern Ireland — where his father is from. When it came to making the leap to living in Belfast some 14 years ago, a plethora of cousins and family made for a relatively soft landing.

Colm’s been there since 2001, raising two children with his wife, and working at the Irish Bureau for the Daily Mirror.

I caught up with Colm on a cool Belfast evening — and a hot Edmonton day — to learn more about life on the Emerald Isle.

Image of the River Lagan in Belfast by Jonathan Mckee. Used under Creative Commons License. Image of Colm and his son by Colm Heaney. Used with permission.

Australia — a Commonwealth like Canada… in that it’s a Commonwealth Nation. This episode, I spoke with Phil Paschke and Wade Kelly about their experience since moving to Wagga Wagga NSW in Fall 2014 (Canada’s Fall — Australia’s Spring).

Image of the view from Wade’s Office by Wade Kelly.

After a one-year exchange in Japan during university, Ana Alcantara knew she’d be moving back there to live permanently. She now lives in a place just a few hours’ train ride from Tokyo.

Find out more about Ana’s life in Japan and how her journey has allowed her to learn about herself, and to build a family of great friends in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Image of the Hakone Shrine by Ana Alcantara.