Quiero un Panino con Cheese - a Podcast for TCKs and Multicultural Families

Send us Fan Mail

Traveling—especially during the holiday season—can be exciting, chaotic, and downright stressful all at once. In this episode of Quiero un Panino con Cheese, Hazel and Gaia dive headfirst into the highs and lows of travel, sharing their personal tips, quirks, and very real anxieties when it comes to getting from point A to point B.

In a lighthearted and funny conversation, they break down how each of them approaches travel, from the planning and preparation beforehand to the emotional rollercoaster that comes with taking off. Hazel and Gaia also explore how differently they feel about traveling, touching on what excites them, what overwhelms them, and how their personalities show up once a trip is on the calendar.

The episode doesn’t shy away from the stressors either—they open up about their biggest fears, travel mishaps, and the little things that can spiral into full-blown anxiety while on the move. Along the way, they share practical travel tips they’ve picked up through experience, as well as relatable moments that will have you laughing and nodding along.

So, if you’re gearing up for a holiday trip—or traveling anytime soon—and could use some laughs, reassurance, and honest travel talk, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in for helpful insights, shared experiences, and a good giggle before your next adventure.

If this conversation about Third Culture Kids, global parenting, identity, belonging, and raising multicultural children resonated with you, I'd love your support.

Please subscribe to the podcast, leave a rating or review, and share this episode with someone navigating international life, raising globally mobile children, or searching for where they truly belong.

Together, we can help more globally mobile families feel understood, connected, and at home—wherever they are in the world.

For more, please follow me also on Instagram at Quiero un Panino con Cheese

Send us Fan Mail

In this light-hearted episode, Hazel and Gaia dive into the joys and challenges of navigating the holiday season as part of a multicultural, globally-scattered family. With relatives spread across countries and time zones—and traditions coming from multiple cultures—the holidays can quickly become complicated. They explore: 

• Traditions vs. Flexibility: How much should you hold onto long-standing customs, and when is it okay to let them go?
• Creating Your Own Holidays: The moment when carving out new rituals becomes healthier than trying to meet family expectations.
• Evolving Customs: Which traditions they’ve embraced over the years, and which ones naturally faded as they moved from place to place.
• Handling Pressure and Surprises: Through humor and personal stories, they share how they’ve managed cultural misunderstandings, family demands, and the emotional load of the season.

The episode keeps things warm and fun, offering relatable insights for anyone juggling different backgrounds or trying to craft meaningful holidays in a globalized world. Grab a hot chocolate—or some mulled wine—and enjoy the laughs.

If this conversation about Third Culture Kids, global parenting, identity, belonging, and raising multicultural children resonated with you, I'd love your support.

Please subscribe to the podcast, leave a rating or review, and share this episode with someone navigating international life, raising globally mobile children, or searching for where they truly belong.

Together, we can help more globally mobile families feel understood, connected, and at home—wherever they are in the world.

For more, please follow me also on Instagram at Quiero un Panino con Cheese

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, we sit down with Elisabeth Hutman, a multilingual psychologist based in Madrid, to explore a topic many expats quietly struggle with: expat guilt.

Together, we unpack questions such as:

• Do people even realize when they’re experiencing expat guilt?
• What are the signs, and how can we recognize it in ourselves?
• How is expat guilt tied to our sense of identity?
• Are certain cultures more susceptible to it?
• What role does empathy play in shaping these feelings?
• Are there different forms of expat guilt?
• And most importantly: What tools or techniques can help us cope with being far from family and home?

Elisabeth offers deep insights and practical advice as we shed light on an emotional experience many expats and immigrants don’t even realize they’re carrying. If you're living abroad and struggling with hard-to-name feelings, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

You can find Elisabeth on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/homeforemotions/?hl=en

You can also reach out to her directly at [email protected]

If this conversation about Third Culture Kids, global parenting, identity, belonging, and raising multicultural children resonated with you, I'd love your support.

Please subscribe to the podcast, leave a rating or review, and share this episode with someone navigating international life, raising globally mobile children, or searching for where they truly belong.

Together, we can help more globally mobile families feel understood, connected, and at home—wherever they are in the world.

For more, please follow me also on Instagram at Quiero un Panino con Cheese

Send us Fan Mail

Today we sit down with J.K. Amerson López, author of Embassy Kid: An American Foreign Service Family Memoir — the first book to tell the story of Foreign Service life from the perspective of a child.

Kelly, as she likes to be called, shares vivid memories of growing up as the eldest daughter of a U.S. Foreign Service officer during a turbulent era beginning in the late 1950s. From moving between countries to adapting to new cultures, she reflects on what it meant for her and her family to be known as “Embassy People” and how those experiences shaped her identity.

In this heartfelt and eye-opening conversation, Kelly opens up about:

• What it was really like to be an “Embassy Kid”
• The challenges and adventures of living abroad
• The reverse culture shock of returning to the U.S.
• How growing up across cultures influenced her and shaped the person she is today

This episode offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the Foreign Service experience — through the eyes of someone who lived it from childhood.

You can follow Kelly on Instagram at realembassykid and you can read more about her life and adventures on her blog at www.embassykid.com 

Her book Embassy Kid: An American Foreign Service Memoir, is available on AMAZON

If this conversation about Third Culture Kids, global parenting, identity, belonging, and raising multicultural children resonated with you, I'd love your support.

Please subscribe to the podcast, leave a rating or review, and share this episode with someone navigating international life, raising globally mobile children, or searching for where they truly belong.

Together, we can help more globally mobile families feel understood, connected, and at home—wherever they are in the world.

For more, please follow me also on Instagram at Quiero un Panino con Cheese

Send us Fan Mail

In this inspiring episode, we chat with the wonderful Kat Simison from Brewster Madrid. Kat wears many hats — she’s Brewster’s Director of Enrollment and External Affairs, an educator, and a mom raising a daughter between two homes: Spain and the USA.

Our conversation dives deep into what it means to raise and educate children across cultures. Kat shares insightful stories that weave together her personal journey as a parent of a bi-cultural, bilingual child and her professional role supporting internationally minded students at Brewster — many of whom are Third Culture Kids (TCKs) navigating complex cultural identities.

Some highlights from our discussion include:

• 🌍 Kat’s strategies for raising a bilingual and bi-cultural child
• 💬 The importance of understanding the personal stories behind each student, especially TCKs
• 🤝 The challenges and culture clashes that can arise in a diverse school community — and how schools like Brewster help families navigate them
• ✈️ Kat’s own experiences with Reverse Culture Shock
• 💪 The “TCK superpowers” she sees in multicultural students and how they thrive in global environments

This episode is full of warmth, humor, and wisdom. Whether you’re a parent, educator, or simply curious about cross-cultural life, Kat’s reflections will resonate deeply.

Tune in to learn, laugh, and be inspired by the stories of raising and educating across borders!

More information on Brewster Madrid can be found on their website: https://www.brewstermadrid.com/

Kat Simison can be reached directly at [email protected]

Additional information can be requested at [email protected]

If this conversation about Third Culture Kids, global parenting, identity, belonging, and raising multicultural children resonated with you, I'd love your support.

Please subscribe to the podcast, leave a rating or review, and share this episode with someone navigating international life, raising globally mobile children, or searching for where they truly belong.

Together, we can help more globally mobile families feel understood, connected, and at home—wherever they are in the world.

For more, please follow me also on Instagram at Quiero un Panino con Cheese

Send us Fan Mail

Markian Benhamou on the TCK Experience and Building Global Community

In this episode, we sit down with Markian Benhamou — creator, content entrepreneur, and founder of the Smile Squad — to explore what it means to grow up as a Third Culture Kid (TCK) and how that experience has shaped his mission to build community across cultures.

Markian shares his journey of growing up between worlds, the challenges of identity and belonging, and how his multicultural background inspired him to create spaces — both online and offline — where global citizens can connect through shared experiences. From humorous takes on cross-cultural life to the deeper reflections behind his videos, Markian opens up about the power of storytelling, empathy, and finding “home” in sensations rather than places.

Key themes include:

• The unique identity and struggles of Third Culture Kids
• Turning cultural confusion into creative expression
• How Markian is building a global TCK community through social media
• Tips for TCKs seeking belonging and purpose
• The importance of normalizing the term TCK

Whether you’re a TCK yourself, a global nomad, or simply curious about life between cultures, this episode offers an honest, uplifting look into the beauty and complexity of growing up globally.

If this conversation about Third Culture Kids, global parenting, identity, belonging, and raising multicultural children resonated with you, I'd love your support.

Please subscribe to the podcast, leave a rating or review, and share this episode with someone navigating international life, raising globally mobile children, or searching for where they truly belong.

Together, we can help more globally mobile families feel understood, connected, and at home—wherever they are in the world.

For more, please follow me also on Instagram at Quiero un Panino con Cheese

Send us Fan Mail

Have you ever traveled somewhere and found yourself in a situation that felt completely foreign—even uncomfortable—because it was normal for the locals but so unusual for you? That’s culture shock. And that’s exactly what Hazel and Gaia dive into in today’s episode.

Having lived in various countries around the world, they’ve both had their fair share of moments where local customs clashed with their own expectations—sometimes leading to hilarious, sometimes eye-opening situations. Tune in as they each share their top three culture shocks from living abroad and reflect on how those experiences shaped them.

Exploring new cultures is always a chance to learn. Sometimes we adopt what resonates with us, and other times we recognize what we can’t accept and leave it behind. Either way, every encounter helps us grow, expand our horizons, and cultivate tolerance and acceptance.

If this conversation about Third Culture Kids, global parenting, identity, belonging, and raising multicultural children resonated with you, I'd love your support.

Please subscribe to the podcast, leave a rating or review, and share this episode with someone navigating international life, raising globally mobile children, or searching for where they truly belong.

Together, we can help more globally mobile families feel understood, connected, and at home—wherever they are in the world.

For more, please follow me also on Instagram at Quiero un Panino con Cheese

Send us Fan Mail

Naming a baby should be one of the most joyful parts of expecting. But when families cross borders, cultures, and languages, this “fun” task can quickly turn into a puzzle. In this episode of Quiero un Panino con Cheese, we explore the complexities of choosing a name that works across multiple worlds.

From avoiding awkward translations to navigating legal requirements in different countries, to finding names that kids won’t get teased for, we dive into the challenges (and comedy) of the naming process. Along the way, we share our own personal stories about names—how our experiences shaped the way we approached naming our children, and why we may have been a little “extra careful.”

This episode is funny, relatable, and packed with practical advice for anyone currently playing The Name Game.

If this conversation about Third Culture Kids, global parenting, identity, belonging, and raising multicultural children resonated with you, I'd love your support.

Please subscribe to the podcast, leave a rating or review, and share this episode with someone navigating international life, raising globally mobile children, or searching for where they truly belong.

Together, we can help more globally mobile families feel understood, connected, and at home—wherever they are in the world.

For more, please follow me also on Instagram at Quiero un Panino con Cheese

Send us Fan Mail

What would it be like to leave everything you’ve ever known — your family, your hometown, your traditions — at just 23 years old and start a life abroad? Now imagine doing it 65 years ago, without the internet, Google Maps, cell phones, Duolingo, or even reliable landlines.

That’s the incredible journey of our guest, Nicoletta Loewenherz, who “expated” long before the word was even common. Now 87 years old, Nicoletta shares wonderful stories and timeless wisdom from a life lived across countries, continents, and cultures.

In our conversation, we talk about:
 ✨ The mix of fear and excitement she felt when moving abroad for the very first time
 ✨ Her early experiences with culture shock in new countries
 ✨ The unexpected reverse culture shock she faced when returning home
✨ What it was like to raise three children while constantly moving around the world

Nicoletta’s closing advice to anyone considering this lifestyle is absolutely golden — inspiring, practical, and heartfelt.

🎙️ This is an episode you won’t want to miss!

If this conversation about Third Culture Kids, global parenting, identity, belonging, and raising multicultural children resonated with you, I'd love your support.

Please subscribe to the podcast, leave a rating or review, and share this episode with someone navigating international life, raising globally mobile children, or searching for where they truly belong.

Together, we can help more globally mobile families feel understood, connected, and at home—wherever they are in the world.

For more, please follow me also on Instagram at Quiero un Panino con Cheese

Send us Fan Mail

In today’s episode of our series, TCK STORIES , we sit down with Chiara — Gaia’s middle child and a true Third Culture Kid. Born in Paris to Italian parents, Chiara's journey spans multiple countries: from Rome to Madrid, then across the ocean to the U.S. for college and work, and now back to Spain.

Chiara opens up in a raw and heartfelt conversation about what it’s like to grow up feeling like an outsider, navigating identity, and the challenges of reverse culture shock after returning to Europe.

We talk about:
 ✨ Growing up with a sense of not fully belonging
 ✨ How being a TCK has shaped her identity and worldview
 ✨ The complicated question: "Where are you from?"
 ✨ Navigating friendships and explaining her multicultural background
 ✨ Long-distance guilt and adjusting to life back home
 ✨ Her best advice for parents raising TCKs

Whether you're a TCK yourself or know someone who is, this episode is a must-listen. Chiara’s story is honest, reflective, and deeply relatable for anyone navigating cultural complexity and change.

Mentioned in the episode: Find and follow TCK Global on Instagram

If this conversation about Third Culture Kids, global parenting, identity, belonging, and raising multicultural children resonated with you, I'd love your support.

Please subscribe to the podcast, leave a rating or review, and share this episode with someone navigating international life, raising globally mobile children, or searching for where they truly belong.

Together, we can help more globally mobile families feel understood, connected, and at home—wherever they are in the world.

For more, please follow me also on Instagram at Quiero un Panino con Cheese