My Expat Journey

Since she arrived in New Zealand more than 20 years ago, Nadine Plet dedicated her energy to creating a community around her far-away country - France. In this podcast, she talked about how she started the FRENZ association with a group of French-speaking parents that implemented the first French English Bilingual Education within the Primary Public School system in New Zealand. The first unit opened in February 1996 at Richmond Road School. Since then, it became so successful that three other units opened around the country.

She humbly acknowledges that she couldn’t have imagined how much impact it has on so many family’s lives.

Tune in now! Find out more about me and my goal at melisacohen.com.

Meet Helen Ellis, the author of the book Being A Distance Grandparent, A Book For All Generations. She gives a voice to all the grandparents that have daughters/sons or granddaughters/sons that have decided to live far away from them. She shares true stories that help us understand how the distance grandparents feel and how they experience this decision that is not theirs.

In today’s episode of My Expat Journey, we learn how intention is the key to staying in touch with our relatives. Accepting again is the answer to the Viral War we are in, and that being a Distance Grandparent can be beneficial. Tune in to find out more! Follow my goals, too, at melisacohen.com.

To celebrate Bastille Day, the French National Day the 14th of July, I invited Thibault Beaujot, President of the French New Zealand Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He will discuss how he developed new leadership skills by stepping into the role of president and why he is aligned to the Chamber’s purpose: to promote its members and help French, New Zealand, and French Pacific companies succeed through information, networking and business services.

In today’s episode of My Expat Journey, we learn how contributing and giving back can be a powerful way of integrating a new community. So here is a question for you: how can you take part and develop your sense of belonging in a new country? 

Tune in to find out more! Follow my goals, too, at melisacohen.com.

Bastille week will be welcoming everyone interested in celebrating the best France has to offer from Monday 12th July until Sunday 18th July. https://www.fnzcci.org.nz/events/bastille-week-2021.html

The thrill and intrigue brought about by expatriation initially compelled Taino and his family to leave Sweden and test the waters of life somewhere — like New Zealand. Some years later, armed with decision-making skills, pursuing a passion in an unfamiliar environment, breaking self-imposed barriers, and other personal achievements, he decided to return home again, temporarily.

For today’s episode of My Expat Journey, Phone Smart's founder and workshop facilitator joined us. He animatedly recounts his journey as an expat in New Zealand and the big reason behind the nonpermanent repatriation. Tune in to find out more! Follow my goals, too, at melisacohen.com.

The unforgettable internship in Egypt was Frederik’s first taste of foreign culture exposure. Since then, he wanted to discover different people, languages, cultures, and ways of life  — a journey outside his homeland. After finishing his bachelor’s and master’s studies in the UK, work and career opportunities brought him to Japan, Iran, China, back to France and New Zealand. He sure did live the life he wanted, personally and professionally.

Gracing with us for today's episode of My Expat Journey is my fellow French Expat and current Programme Business Manager at KiwiRail. Having left his home country in 1995, what lessons, realisations, and adventures can he impart and share? Tune in to find out! Follow my goals, too, at melisacohen.com.

As soon as she finished her last exam for university, Ruby left her home country and flew to New Zealand to start anew and reunite with her entire family. Being competitive and an achiever, she's got no major problems settling in. Well, except for one — communication barriers. She was a direct, task-oriented, rough-around-the-edges kind of person, and Kiwis aren't. Fortunately, she’s able to adapt and learn.

For today's episode of My Expat Journey, a fellow expat, and co-CEO of Joyous shares her experience of what it's really like to live in NZ, on editing her communication language, dealing with cultural differences, learning the values of people and relationships, and the different spectrums of expat life. Does she have any regrets? Tune in to find out! Follow my goals, too, at melisacohen.com.

Alexandra is no stranger to the challenges of living abroad. Having been an exchanged student herself in the U.S in high school, she knows how the cycle works. But when she got married to a diplomat and moved to Germany, she was confronted with significant differences.

For today's episode of My Expat Journey, I'm excited to share the space with the author of "Just a Diplomatic Spouse: A True Story of Life." We had a great time talking about her life as an expat and a wife of a state official, dealing with its prejudices, constant adjustment and self-reinvention, and being more present. Tune in to find out more about her story! Follow my goals, too, at melisacohen.com.

Bridget is a confessed change junkie, which is evident in her expat lifestyle. Her transition from singlehood to becoming a wife and a mother of three all took place during her India-to-New Zealand-to-Singapore-to-New Zealand again journey. She has learned that moving abroad comes with a slew of positive, challenging, and less-than-ideal experiences.

For today’s episode of My Expat Journey, this lively mom, principal, and founder of Mobile Relocation tells us her candid experiences on expatriation and relocation, learnings about the broad context of cross-cultural differences, establishing personal relationships with people, and compromising expectations. And she has essential advice for her fellow expats too. Tune in to find out! Follow my goals, too, at melisacohen.com.

Storytelling is part of my DNA. I find joy in telling stories and creating awareness through short films, series, and documentaries that I produce and edit. But after 18 years of working behind the scene, it's no longer enough. My passion has diminished. I wanted to be a part of the story and make a difference in other people's lives.

I long to share my experiences and valuable lessons as an expat and developmental coach to empower, forge personal ties, and command influence within the global community. I wanted to create a space where my fellow expats could share their experiences too. My Expat Journey was born as a result.

For today's episode, I'll talk more about it, along with other motivations for taking the big leap. Tune in to find out! Follow my goals, too, at melisacohen.com.

For a project manager who’s used to first-world comforts like Stephen, working in a developing country like Papua New Guinea proves to be difficult for many reasons. For one, he has to deal with the frustrations of living in a place with limited resources.

But, this beautiful gem in Oceania has its unique way of getting into your skin that he can’t escape from.

For today’s episode of My Expat Journey, let’s all find out what made Stephen stay, the lessons he learned, and dealing with the challenges of a third-world inconvenience. Tune in to find out! Follow my goals, too, at melisacohen.com.