What happens when you leave everything familiar behind and start over in a place where you can't read the signs, speak the language, or even confidently order lunch?

For many people, immigration is not an abstract political topic—it's a daily reality filled with uncertainty, adaptation, frustration, discovery, and growth.

In this episode, I'm joined by award-winning author and educator Janet Flaugher to discuss her acclaimed memoir Two Bottles of Water.

The book chronicles the three years Janet and her husband spent living in Beijing after she accepted a position as superintendent of an international school in 2002. Through humor, honesty, and sharp observation, she explores culture shock, language barriers, identity, belonging, unconscious bias, and the surprising lessons Americans can learn from Chinese culture.

This is a fascinating conversation about what it truly means to become a stranger in a foreign land—and how that experience can fundamentally change the way you see the world.