Juan Around Stories

In Bulgarian towns, death notices called necrologs appear on doors, walls and public spaces. Researcher Emiliya Karaboeva explains how this tradition keeps the dead present in everyday life and turns the street into a landscape of collective memory.

A conversation about grief, ritual, history and what public remembrance reveals about a community. More at https://juanaround.online

Writer and tour guide Jordan Kocevski shares how storytelling shaped his life in Ohrid, North Macedonia. We discuss writing, local heritage, fatherhood and the search for work that feels meaningful.

A conversation about building a creative life while remaining connected to place and family. More at https://juanaround.online

Grappling champion Konstantinos Belegratis takes us inside wrestling and mixed martial arts: training, functional strength, competition and the difference between performance and real combat.

We also discuss pay, medical risk, experience and the place of women in the sport. More at https://juanaround.online

Rozana Gjergji grew up under Albania's communist dictatorship and became a teenage chess champion representing the state. She later built a life as a lawyer and hostel owner.

Her story connects chess, privilege, travel, religion and the experience of challenging government power. More at https://juanaround.online

German traffic engineer Finn Begemann reflects on how World War II and the Holocaust continue to shape German identity, patriotism and public memory.

Recorded in Albania, the conversation also travels through the Balkans, Berlin, maps, mobility, traffic and the freedom of moving through cities. More at https://juanaround.online

Drummer Emory Aram Mugalian of Chatrooms talks about Armenian heritage, learning instruments, the intensity of drumming and the realities of building a music career.

We discuss record labels, streaming revenue, Los Angeles, emo culture, skateboarding and what it takes to keep creating. More at https://juanaround.online

Swiss special-needs teacher Philipp Konrad questions what grades, success and learning really mean. We discuss fear, money, time and the challenge of choosing a purposeful life.

The conversation also reflects on travel through the Balkans and what education should help people become. More at https://juanaround.online

Juliette Fradin, a scholar of antiquity, explores mythology, religion, empires and the stories societies use to explain themselves.

Along the way, the conversation moves through travel, the collective unconscious and the unexpectedly universal subject of snoring. More at https://juanaround.online

Recorded in Lido, Italy, this conversation with Yi Soci Chen explores personality, destiny, love, death and reincarnation.

From personal rituals to philosophical questions, we examine how people create meaning and decide who they want to become. More at https://juanaround.online

Climate activist Els shares her experience with flood recovery in Belgium and community work in Indonesia. We discuss practical responses to climate change and the possibilities of living off the grid.

A grounded conversation about resilience, responsibility and turning environmental concern into action. More at https://juanaround.online