In this episode, Liam and Tom dive into what it feels like to live in a country where you speak the language, know the people, even raise a family — but still never quite feel like you belong.
They reflect on:
- That moment you realise “I’ll never be French/Spanish/etc.” even if you stay forever.
- Language fluency not being enough cultural references from childhood matter more.
- Living somewhere that’s not your home country doesn’t automatically mean it becomes home.
- Liam accepts he'll never truly be Spanish and finds peace in that.
- Tom shares how his friend (who is fluent in French and married to a French woman) still doesn’t feel French.
- The concept of gratitude toward your adopted country especially compared to entitled expat attitudes.
- The bureaucracy in France and Spain: it can feel unwelcoming, but is often designed to protect locals, not exclude foreigners.
- How British culture isolates people through hyper-independence, while Mediterranean cultures foster community, family, and support networks.
- Their parents’ and grandparents’ immigrant stories, and how that shapes their own views on belonging.
- Navigating identity when you're neither here nor there just living in-between.
There are also fun, offbeat tangents on:
- Productivity pressure (The Rock, 4am workouts, motivational guilt)
- Nicolas Cage’s wild appearance on Terry Wogan
- Ray-Ban smart glasses (aka “sin bins”)
- Late-night snack regret and underwhelming snacks abroad