In this episode, hosts Brian, Clara and Alina sat down with their special guest, Reyna, from Indonesia. Reyna talk about growing up in Jakarta, getting her dream job as a flight attendant and the culture shocks she experienced as she moved from Singapore, Japan and New Zealand. Reyna, is a long time yoga practitioner who eventually fulfilled her hidden dream of becoming a yoga teacher and is now leading classes at REVA yoga here in New Plymouth. Her message to those making themselves at home in new places is to 'be kind' and 'be yourself' to attract positivity.

In the first episode of Making Yourself at Home, the hosts come together without a guest for an intimate and relaxed conversation. Alina (Romania), Brian (USA), and Clara (Spain) reflect on how they spent Christmas, sharing old and new traditions from their home countries, stories of family visiting from overseas, and gathering with friends. They also look ahead to 2026, discussing intentions, goals, and what they are hoping for in the year to come, with space for spontaneous conversation and connection along the way.

In this 1 hour show you'll meet some of the beautiful people who make up Taranaki's vibrant international community.

Laura is an actor, writer and creator who moved to New Plymouth from Los Angeles with her husband in 2024. They were looking for a major change, and New Zealand seemed to be the perfect place for it! Since arriving, Laura has thrown herself into exploring the country, hiking, meeting people and building community. She joined the local Improv Taranaki group, where she has been performing in shows, including a recent musical, and has started teaching some classes there as well.

She also enjoys hiking, traveling, mountain biking, swimming, playing music, and baking. She desperately misses her little dwarf bunny Houdini, who was not allowed to come with them on their journey.

In this 1 hour show you'll meet some of the beautiful people who make up Taranaki's vibrant international community.

In this 1 hour show you'll meet some of the beautiful people who make up Taranaki's vibrant international community. The Best of Clara, 2025.

In this 1 hour show you'll meet some of the beautiful people who make up Taranaki's vibrant international community. The Best of Brian, 2025.

Nhi is originally from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. She has been living in New Zealand for almost six years now—four years in Wellington studying and working, followed by two years in Taranaki.

Studying was the main reason she came to New Zealand. She was fortunate to travel here with a group of classmates she already knew in Vietnam, who have since become her closest and dearest friends in New Zealand.

At the end of 2023, she and her lovely partner, Martí, decided to move to New Plymouth for work and have ended up loving life there.

Anaïs is originally from France. She first came to New Zealand to dive deeper into the winemaking of a New World wine country. One month after she arrived, COVID hit... and six years later, she’s still here.

Her journey has evolved a lot since then. She still keeps one foot in the wine industry, but most of her energy now goes into wellness, yoga, massage, and nutrition. She loves being in nature, living van life, learning, taking courses (online or in person), and deepening her understanding of herself and the people around her.

Meet Alex — an environmental policy professional, adventurer at heart, and proud Taranaki local. Her journey began back in 2015 when she arrived in Aotearoa on a working holiday visa, backpacked across the country, and fell head-over-heels for New Plymouth... and for her future husband, too!

After a few years back in Peru, Alex returned to Taranaki in 2020 — just before Covid hit — drawn by the perfect mix of ocean and mountain, and the lifestyle that invites you outdoors every day.

These days, Alex is a mum of two who loves spending time outside with her family, exploring trails and connecting with nature. Through her work in environmental policy, she’s helping people and organisations make meaningful shifts toward more sustainable ways of living. She’s also deeply involved in her community, contributing to projects like Community Energy Taranaki, The Nature Connection Trust’s Trails and Tots programme, and the New Plymouth Montessori School.