In today’s episode, I’m joined by Susan, a deeply ethical, no-bypassing kind of soul whose spirituality is lived, embodied, and rooted in reality. Susan is a former human rights lawyer with years of work connected to refugees and forced displaced people, and she brings that same clarity into the most intimate terrain of all: the body, belonging, and the question of home.
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After a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment journey that changed her body and mind in profound ways, Susan found herself asking a question many of us quietly carry, especially after illness, loss, or a major life transition: what happens when the place you’ve lived the longest no longer feels like home? From that question, she named something powerful: rehoming yourself.
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Together we explore what rehoming means on multiple levels, returning to the body as our first home after breast cancer, rebuilding trust through chemo brain fog and hormonal shifts, and navigating identity when you’ve lived across countries, languages, and systems that don’t always welcome you.
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We also speak about Switzerland and Geneva as a “transit city,” the mythology of the word expat, passport privilege, and why grounded spirituality must include truth, justice, and a refusal to spiritually bypass reality.
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This is a conversation about migration and inner belonging, about mending what feels broken, and about learning to fall back in love with your life one deliberate gold thread at a time.
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00:00 Meet Susan: Ex Human Rights Lawyer & Cancer Survivor
02:04 Life in Geneva: A City of Transit, Friends, and Staying After the UN
03:44 Migration: Who Gets to Be an ‘Expat’ vs an Immigrant?
04:48 Forced Displacement, Passports, and the ‘Illegal Alien’ Rhetoric
08:24 Cancer Diagnosis: A New Kind of Journey Begins
09:43 Mindset vs ‘Mind-Fluid’: Staying Flexible Through Treatment
11:12 The Body as First Home: Curiosity, Chemo, and Relearning Presence
15:06 After Treatment: Cellular Change, Listening Deeper, and Emotional Surrender
20:36 Home as Sanctuary (and Needing Space): Getting Out, Support, and Returning
23:04 Rehoming Yourself: Nationality, Lost French, and Rebuilding Belonging in Geneva
27:28 Leaving Corporate & Restarting Your Career After a Big Change
27:43 Rehoming as a Nomad: Belonging Beyond Passports and Borders
29:59 Building Local Community: Democracy, Power, and Showing Up Nearby
30:49 Falling Back in Love With a City (Without Romanticizing ‘Home’)
31:49 Geneva’s Literary Magic: Writers, Revolutionaries, and a New Lens on Place
33:06 Learning the Language Through Joy: Food, Music, Movies—and Curiosity
33:29 Turning Rehoming Into a Project: A Switzerland-Themed Podcast Season
34:20 Mending What’s Broken: Kintsugi, Decluttering, and What to Keep
36:40 Mexico After Chemo: The Monarch Butterfly Pilgrimage
40:49 Metamorphosis as Medicine: Migration, Cocoon Time, and Becoming New
42:16 Animal Guides & Nature as Home (and the Climate Grief Beneath It)
45:41 Oaxaca Healing Rituals: Temazcal, Womb Symbolism, and Rebirth
48:13 Radical Love Isn’t Escapism: Justice, Borders, and Staying Rooted
50:59 Closing Reflections: Journaling, Writing the Monarch Essay, and What’s Next
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Susan's website and podcast are found here: https://darknlight.com
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IG: @darknlightzine
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The book Susan mentions: Encountering Dragonfly by Brooke Williams
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To find out more about how space clearing can help you make your home feel like a safe sanctuary during cancer recovery or to book a free space clearing assessment:
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https://spaceclearingacademy.com
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Connect with Lais:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/Laisstephan1
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IG: https://www.instagram.com/lais_thehousewhisperer/
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#spaceclearing #fengshui #cancersurvivor #sanctuary