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

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After years of living abroad, returning home might seem like the easy part—but for many, it’s the hardest transition of all. In this episode, we dive deep into the often overlooked phenomenon of reverse culture shock—what it is, why it hits harder than expected, and how to navigate it with more awareness and compassion.

We’re thrilled to welcome Annegret Bertsch, a solution-focused coach certified through Erickson International, with a background in Mathematics and English. Annegret has lived in across Europe, America, and Asia, and recently repatriated to Germany after years abroad.

Together, we explore powerful questions, including:

• What exactly is reverse culture shock, and what commonly triggers it?
• How long does it take to truly feel “at home” again?
• Why are the expectations of those around us so different once we’re back?
• How do identity, language, and even pronouns shape our re-entry experience?
• What are some practical tools we can implement to ease the adjustment of going back home?

Whether you’re preparing to return home or supporting someone who is, this conversation is packed with valuable insights to help you better understand and navigate the emotional complexities of coming home.

You can find Annegret on Instagram, on LinkedIn and  at Coaching Because 

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

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In this heartfelt and candid episode, Hazel and Gaia tackle a tough but important topic: what happens when life takes a scary turn and you're thousands of miles away from your loved ones? Whether it's a personal emergency or a crisis back home, being far from family adds a layer of fear and helplessness that’s hard to shake. While we can't always prevent difficult moments, we can prepare ourselves emotionally and practically.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The emotional impact of dealing with emergencies while living far from home and loved ones
• Real-life scenarios that highlight the challenges of distance during crises
• The importance of building a support network wherever you are
• Practical steps for preparing for the unexpected
• How to communicate effectively with family during tough times
• Finding strength, resilience, and connection—even when you feel far away

Tune in for this honest discussion,  filled with reflection and helpful advice on how to be best prepared for when you need to be the strongest. You won't want to miss this one.

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

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Today, we sit down with Giulia, Gaia’s daughter, the talented graphic artist behind Quiero un Panino con Cheese, and a quintessential Third-Culture Kid. Born in France to Italian parents and having lived in France, Italy, and Spain, Giulia shares her unique perspective on what it means to grow up between cultures and across borders.

In this episode, we explore:

• What it really means to be a Third Culture Kid (TCK)
• The complexities of navigating cultural identity
• The constant challenge of adapting to new environments
• How families maintain cultural traditions while moving around the world
• What made transitions to new countries easier
• The emotional toll of friends coming and going

Giulia opens up about the highs and lows of her multicultural upbringing, sharing honest, heartfelt stories and reflections. From feeling like an outsider to finding strength in her diverse background, she gives us an authentic look at the TCK experience. Don’t miss this insightful and inspiring conversation—raw, real, and full of warmth.

Follow Giulia on Instagram at redbeaniebondi

Mentioned in this episode:

Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds by David C. Pollock and Ruth E. Van Reken (3rd Edition, 2017) – a classic resource on the TCK experience.

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

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In this episode, we dive into the emotionally complex and often delicate topic of telling our families, "We're moving." Joining us is Angela Vitiello, founder of The Expat Parenting Collective. Angela brings a wealth of experience as an expat parent, having lived in four countries across three continents, traveled to nearly 40, and worked with globally mobile families since founding The Expat Parenting Collective based out of Brussels, Belgium. She is an INSEAD Business School alumna, is an affiliate with the Institute of Coaching: McLean-Harvard School of Medicine, and is a member of the European Mentoring & Coaching Council.

Angela shares valuable insights on:

• The inspiration behind The Expat Parenting Collective
• Common missteps when breaking the news to a partner or children
• Strategies for navigating a move when one partner is hesitant
• The best timing for involving children and extended family in the conversation
• Practical tools and techniques to ease the transition for the whole family
  
  

Whether you're preparing for a relocation or still adjusting after a recent move, this episode offers compassionate advice and actionable steps to support your family through change. Don’t miss it! 

Angela can be reached through the following links:

On Instagram Expatparentingcollective

The Expat Parenting Collective Website

On LinkedIn

The Conversation Cards can be purchased through the link to Wings & Wonder's webshop via Etsy. 

You can follow Wings & Wonder 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

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In today's episode of Quiero un Panino con Cheese, we're excited to welcome our very first guest, Julia Marcos, a close friend of Hazel’s who has navigated the challenges of raising children in a foreign country, far from her family and support system.

Julia shares her remarkable journey, detailing how a planned three-month stay in the U.S. unexpectedly evolved into a 22-year adventure. She opens up about the difficulties she and her partner faced in those early days and how finding their "tribe" transformed their experience.

In this episode, we delve into a variety of thought-provoking topics, including:

• The gap between our intentions to fully integrate into a new culture and the reality of those efforts.
• The motivations behind seeking out a tribe: Is it the desire for familiarity, language, or shared experiences?
• The perceptions local residents might have towards newcomers in their community.
• The challenges of reconnecting with your home country after years abroad.
• The impact of parenthood on building a social network.
• Striking a balance between embracing a new culture and connecting with your roots.
• Scientific insights into the benefits of finding your community.
• Potential downsides of cultural integration.
• Effective strategies for making meaningful connections.

Join us as we explore the heartfelt story of how Hazel and Julia met, and engage in an open, insightful discussion about the universal quest for belonging and support in a new land. This episode serves as a poignant reminder of the shared experiences that unite us all.

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

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🎙️ Today on “Quiero un Panino con Cheese” — we dive deep into the future of education through the inspiring journey of Hazel and her husband Iñaki. After growing disillusioned with traditional schooling, they made a bold decision: to leave everything behind and embark on a three-year nomadic adventure in search of the most effective and meaningful ways to educate their children.

In this heartfelt and thought-provoking conversation, Gaia sits down with Hazel to explore:

• What sparked Hazel and Iñaki’s radical decision to rethink their children’s education
• How they prepared—emotionally, logistically, and practically—for life on the road
• The reactions (and resistance) they faced from friends and family
• What “homeschooling around the world” really looked like in practice
• The transformative evolution of their children throughout this unique experience
• And ultimately, what they discovered education is truly about

✨ This is more than a story of travel and homeschooling—it’s a powerful reflection on learning, parenting, and the courage to question the status quo.

Join us for this special episode full of insights, surprises, and inspiration—you won’t want to miss it.

Documentary Learning Gypsies: https://vimeo.com/360241372?share=copy

World Schoolers: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1AK8y5b7PQ/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Escuela Del Siglo XXI ( referred to as La Escuela del Futuro by Hazel during the interview):

https://www.escuela21.org 

https://www.fundaciontelefonica.com/noticias/record-descargas-viaje-escuela-siglo-21-alfredo-hernando/

The Parenting Camp:

https://www.instagram.com/the_parenting_camp?igsh=MXJtMjR1cXVkajh3ag==

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

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Navigating the journey of raising bilingual children comes with its own unique set of challenges — and joys!

In this episode of "Quiero un Panino con Cheese," we dive into our personal experiences of living across borders and growing up in multilingual households. We share the triumphs, the frustrations, and the surprising moments that come with communicating with our kids in more than one language.

Join us as we explore a range of lively topics, including:

• Balancing language goals with real-life communication.
  
  
• Strategies for nurturing bilingualism at home.
  
  
• The surprising cognitive advantages of multilingualism: Are bilinguals better at certain tasks?
  
  
• How the brain processes and stores new languages.
  
  
• Why motivation matters in language acquisition.
  
  
• The impact of environment and circumstances on our kids’ communication skills.
  
  
• Practical tips and tricks to make language learning a natural part of everyday life.

As parents navigating multilingual worlds, it's easy to worry about making mistakes or "doing it wrong." But in this conversation, we reflect on how a relaxed, flexible approach might be the secret to helping our children fall in love with languages and with learning itself.

Tune in for a heartfelt and inspiring discussion filled with real talk, relatable stories, and actionable advice!

Madres en Cuarantena https://www.instagram.com/p/DGbI-mbPyFR/

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

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In this episode, Hazel and I explore the dynamics of being in relationships with partners from diverse cultural backgrounds and the unique challenges that arise. While my husband and I share Italian roots, we were raised in different countries, each with its own customs and traditions. Similarly, Hazel and her husband communicate in Spanish but hail from entirely distinct cultures.

Join us as we delve into a variety of intriguing topics:

• Does sharing a language equate to having a shared cultural connection?
• What challenges arise when marrying someone from a different cultural background?
• What are the common clashes and complexities in multicultural marriages?
• How does raising children influence relationships between couples from vastly different backgrounds?
• What lessons can we learn from these experiences, and how do we foster growth and empathy?
• Is the root of conflict always cultural, or do familial customs play a significant role?
• Do bilingual couples switch languages based on the topic of conversation?
• How does living far from family impact a relationship?

We enjoyed a lively conversation filled with humor and anecdotes about the ups and downs of intercultural relationships. We discovered that every family, regardless of origin, has its own cultural norms. Many challenges faced by intercultural couples mirror those experienced by partners from the same hometown. Ultimately, the foundation of a successful relationship lies in communication, empathy, and a willingness to learn and grow together, no matter the language spoken. Tune in for an engaging discussion that celebrates love across cultures!

Jen Brister and her Spanish mum https://www.instagram.com/p/DAQPHc9sOFF/ 

“How to Avoid Getting 'Hit by Air' in Italy” by Dany  Mitzman - BBC  https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-15987082

“Building a Successful Intercultural Marriage and Family” - Grant Hilary Brenner MD, DFAPA  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/experimentations/202401/building-a-successful-intercultural-marriage-and-family

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

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In this episode, we tell the story of how our podcast got its very particular name and how our multicultural backgrounds have brought us to interrogate ourselves regarding issues like nationality, identity, and sense of belonging.

After sharing our own crazy mixed-up stories of how we grew up and got to where we are today, Hazel and I discuss the various doubts and concerns that naturally arise when discussing our backgrounds. It all begins with that harrowing question… “So, where are you from?”.

Some of the topics we touch on  are:

• Nationality versus identity
• What do you feel versus how you are perceived?
• What are the pros and cons of living across borders?
• Where is home? A place? A feeling?
• How has mobility changed over the years?
• What are the superpowers of people who grow up multiculturally?

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