Choosing a primary school is one of the first and most emotionally charged decisions families face when relocating to the Netherlands. In this most‑played moment from Episode 026, Mickelle revisits a standout conversation with Annebet van Mameren of New2NL, whose decade of experience supporting international families brings calm, clarity, and perspective to the process.

Together, they explore why children’s happiness is foundational to a successful move, how the Dutch school system is designed around choice rather than rankings, and what really matters when selecting a school, especially for internationally minded families navigating language, culture, and community for the first time.

This clip is an essential listen for parents at the beginning of their journey and a grounding reminder for those already immersed in the Dutch education system. Links to the full episode, the Amsterdam School Lottery guide, and the supporting app can be found in the show notes.

In this episode:

• Why children’s happiness directly impacts family and professional wellbeing

• How the Dutch school system prioritizes choice over “best school” rankings

• What international families should look for when choosing a primary school

• The role of community, language, and parental involvement in school fit

Annebet van Mameren is the founder of New2NL, a relocation consultancy that supported international families for over 10 years. While the company has since closed, the insights shared here remain highly relevant.

🎧 Full episode: https://www.houseofperegrine.com/podcast/ep-026📘 School Lottery Guide: https://www.houseofperegrine.com/journal/ams-school-lottery-nav

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Mickelle is joined by Shellee Howard of CollegeReadyPlan (collegereadyplan.com) for a calm, practical masterclass on getting teens “university ready” without signing up for years of debt. With four kids through college debt‑free (and deep experience across the US + Europe), Shellee makes the process feel both elevated and doable.

Her North Star is identity: when a student knows who they are, what matters, and can prove it, they waste less time, choose majors with intention, and become far more scholarship‑ready. She shares a simple “million‑dollar in 24 hours” game that surfaces core values without the eye‑roll.

Together they map the international reality: US admissions are holistic, leadership and initiative matter, while many European pathways are more GPA‑driven and can track students earlier. Shellee also demystifies SAT vs ACT focus, IB vs AP tradeoffs, and why starting early is the quiet advantage.

In this episode

• A core‑values game that unlocks better decisions

• How self‑knowledge reduces debt (and stress)

• What universities value: leadership > “sign up and show up”

• SAT vs ACT: diagnose, pick one, then train

• US vs Europe admissions: holistic vs GPA‑driven

• Scholarships (even in middle school) + the role of FAFSA

For more and for all Shellee’s links visit https://www.houseofperegrine.com/podcast/ep-083

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Moving across borders changes who we are and how our kids learn. In this very current, eye opening  conversation, Mickelle sits down with award‑winning teacher and author Jessica Lander to unpack what real belonging looks like in schools: not a vibe, a design. From reframing “English first” to seeing multilingual students as the cultural navigators they already are, Jessica brings clarity, hope, and practical wisdom.

We explore her research for Making Americans, the eight pillars of belonging, and why family–school partnerships should be a school’s responsibility, not a parent’s side‑hustle. We also touch the shifting U.S. policy climate and how to help kids become upstanders, age‑appropriate action that restores agency.

In this episode:

• Strengths over deficits for multilingual learners

• The 8 pillars of belonging (safety, advocates, voice, and more)

• Family engagement that actually works

• Policy context: Plyler v. Doe and school safety

• Practical frames for hard conversations with kids

• Upstander habits for every age

Connect with guest Jessica Lander at https://www.jessicalander.com and on Instagram @JessicaLander9. Explore House of Peregrine memberships and resources at https://www.houseofperegrine.com. 

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Moving abroad isn’t just for the young and untethered. In this elegant, grounded conversation, Mickelle and Move to Europe visa expert Travis Drews explore how clarity beats fear and how language programs, scholarships, and student visas create legal, affordable pathways to Europe at any age and stage.

Travis shares his Peregrine story from Texas to Berlin - DJ, remote tech, founder - and why the frame isn’t “hard vs. easy,” but “which path fits you, and how do we walk it.” Together, they unpack integration with grace: start the language before you land, honor local norms, and let the place change you.

They also champion community as the quiet superpower where tiny, make‑or‑break questions meet real‑time answers, and small smart steps compound into a life that feels both rooted and free.

In this episode:

• Student visas, scholarships, and language study as real entry paths

• The arc: study → job seeker → job → residency → citizenship

• Why “move toward” beats fleeing fear

• Learn the language early; be a guest who plays by local rules

• Community for forms, timing, and the unknowns

• Europe’s openness to education and what that reveals

If “someday” is calling, start with one elegant step.  For more on Travis Drews, visit The Global Citizen Hub.

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This Most Replayed Episode returns to a conversation that feels especially timely. Mickelle and Dr. Kaisu Koskela explore the gap between the rise of remote work and the Visas and Countries still catching up.

Kaisu breaks down why many digital nomad visas are modeled like migration permits: slow, rigid, and out of sync with people who are already moving. The shift, though, is underway. As governments recognize remote workers as long-term contributors, not just tourists, better policy becomes not only possible, but inevitable. Kaisu outlines what that can look like: a “funnel” from short stays to deeper contribution, clearer permission to work remotely while visiting, and residency pathways that reflect modern, globally distributed work.

For the full conversation, head to the episode page, where you’ll also find more about Dr. Kaisu and the work she’s doing: https://www.houseofperegrine.com/podcast/ep-071

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In this episode, Mickelle sits down with Andrea Jansen, Amsterdam-based designer and founder of Kama by Andrea, to explore what it looks like when creativity, spirituality, and devotion become something you can actually wrap around a life transition. Andrea shares the origin of the name Kama, rooted in Kamadeva, India’s “Cupid” and why her work is ultimately about love made tangible, not trend cycles.

Together they unpack Andrea’s path from fashion design and years in art direction/product design (often in the baby + children space) into a deeper calling: creating “modern sacred garments” that honour birth as both practical and profoundly mythic. The conversation moves through symbolism, Andrea’s holy bird as a bridge between heaven and earth, wings spread in protection around a baby’s name and why these rituals matter, with or without religion.

They also widen the lens on “sustainability,” arguing it isn’t only materials and labels, it’s meaning, longevity, small-batch integrity, and choices that reduce waste because objects become keepsakes. Andrea speaks candidly about producing ethically at small scale, the pricing pressures of the current system, and her desire to keep sacred design accessible.

in this episode

• Why Kama (Kamadeva) + Andrea’s deep connection to India

• Birth blankets/capes as ceremony: naming, protection, transition

• The “holy bird” symbol + how Andrea designs through deep knowing

• Reframing sustainability: sacred = kept, not discarded

• Small-batch ethics, pricing realities, and questioning the system

• The heroine’s journey, slowness, and trusting creative purpose

Find Andrea at https://kamabyandrea.com and in Amsterdam at Atelier Hop. 

For a special listener offer, visit https://www.houseofperegrine.com/podcast/ep-080. Follow House of Peregrine at https://www.houseofperegrine.com.

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This week we’re talking about somatic healing again.  It resonated with us so much that we’ve brought this one back.  This is a clip from our conversation with Amanda MacRae and is part of our “Most Played” series.Landing in a new country (or moving through any big life transition) can leave you feeling ungrounded - even when everything looks “fine” on paper. In this clip, Mickelle and Amanda explore why change creates change, and how somatic work can help you find safety and clarity from the inside out.

Amanda shares a simple, stabilizing approach: rebuild structure in the first 3–6 months (new rhythms, new routines), and practice “embodying your bones” as an internal anchor—quiet, strong, and grounding. From there, the body becomes a resource for navigating hard decisions, including relationship questions, without confusing fear-based resistance for truth.

They also unpack why “newness” is both what many expats seek and what can feel most threatening—and how trust in your own body helps you keep walking toward what’s unfolding, even when the answers aren’t comfortable.

In this episode:

Finding structure after a move: rebuilding daily rhythm in the first monthsEmbodying your bones: grounding from the inside outWhy muscles overwork when we don’t trust internal structureTransitions that shake the system: moving, babies, divorce, identity shiftsFear vs truth: using the body to untangle “should I stay or should I go?”Starting at home: movement, breath, awareness, curiosity, and touchMeeting pain with kindness: listening for what it needs instead of overriding it

Listen to the full episode with Amanda MacRae: https://www.houseofperegrine.com/podcast/ep-068

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Have you ever had a life that looked perfect on paper but felt quietly wrong? Mickelle sits down with Jordan Tarver (bestselling author and change thinker) to explore the moment you realize your “right life” is calling, and what it takes to answer.

Jordan shares the intuitive origin story behind You Deserve This Sh!t—a title that arrived with full-body chills and how solo travel became an initiation into deeper self-awareness. Together, they unpack purpose as a compass (not a job title), and why becoming often requires unbecoming first.

The conversation then turns practical and honest: moving abroad accelerates transformation, but it also brings grief, especially letting go of the American pace and learning a new rhythm of life. Jordan reflects on building a shared vision with his wife, choosing growth together, and co-creating with change rather than fighting it.

In this episode

• The “perfect life / wrong life” wake-up call

• How Jordan named You Deserve This Sh!t (and why it works)

• Travel as initiation + self-awareness in motion

• Purpose as the why, not the work

• Change signals: intuition, desire, emotion, surprises

• The grief (and gift) of slowing down abroad

For more details, visit the episode page https://www.houseofperegrine.com/podcast/ep-079

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“Community” has become the internet’s most overused word—flattened into a marketing perk or something you are part of after you but a product you “join”. Here's the disconnect: access isn’t community, and belonging isn’t something a brand can sell. Real community is relational, embodied and an ancient human technology—reciprocity, contribution & knowing you are part of something bigger than yourself—it's relationships in motion, and a basic human need.

This is one of the realities of moving abroad: When you change countries, you don’t just relocate—you lose invisible support systems: cultural defaults, language ease, institutional fluency, business networks, and your personal web of people. You can nail the logistics and still be quietly unraveling; the inner journey (nervous system, identity, relationships, possibility) is not optional.

House of Peregrine exists as infrastructure for that fuller experience—protecting the magic of international life while helping people move from isolation to creation. Through media, software, and physical products, HoP becomes a network where Peregrines don’t build in silos, but amplify one another’s gifts and build what’s next—together.

In this episode:

• Why “community” as a marketing funnel dilutes and co-ops the power of human connection

• The hidden layers of moving abroad—and why logistics alone won’t make you thrive

• The inner journey: identity, nervous system, relationships, and integration(both in the place and in the shifts you will experience)

• What HoP is building: a Co-creative network for global players

Want in? Explore House of Peregrine at https://houseofperegrine.com and join the conversation.

House of Peregrine is the network for International life, made by and for people living abroad.  

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Join a global circle of thinkers, creators, and doers. We host events, build products, publish guides, run a podcast, offer rewards and curated products — all within a vibrant ecosystem of experts and businesses to support your life abroad.

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As we close out 2025, Mickelle sits down for an intimate reflection on everything House of Peregrine has built this year not as a highlight reel, but as a love letter to the beautiful, complicated life we're all navigating abroad.

This year didn't emerge from strategy. It came from late-night messages asking "does everyone feel this way?" It came from vibe coding sessions where we built software side by side, and from boat rides to lighthouse islands where strangers became friends and sometimes collaborators. Because living abroad is an entire life stage, and we're creating the infrastructure and the rituals to make it lighter.

In this episode:

• Season highlights including conversations on finding purpose after a breakup, somatic wisdom for landing in new places, and managing money across borders

• Navigating divorce abroad with international lawyer Magali, essential wisdom whether you're struggling or happily partnered

• Introducing Nina Aziz Justin's new monthly column on reimagining holidays and belonging across cultures

• Launching Meridian, our astrocartography app born from community co-creation

• The House of Peregrine Marketplace, curated pieces for this life stage, from Herkimer necklaces that keep loved ones in orbit to keepsakes for the journey

• What's next in 2026: becoming a community of communities where we collaborate instead of compete

Explore the HOP Marketplace, read Nina's piece on holidays abroad, and join us at houseofperegrine.com

Episodes mentioned:

Pleasure, Power, and Becoming, Abroad with Jessica Stahl of Vanillacooldance

Somatic Healing: Learn What Your Body is Trying to Tell You with Amanda MaCRae

Divorce Abroad: Real Talk from an International Divorce Lawyer with Magali

Personal Finance Strategy for Life Abroad with Sophie

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