Stories From Somewhere

Can you love the life you chose…and still feel lonely in it?

In Story 8 of Stories From Somewhere, I’m telling you about one very ordinary afternoon in Lisbon when, despite being happy with the life I had built, I suddenly felt incredibly far away from the people I loved.

Nothing terrible happened. There was no dramatic turning point. Just one of those quiet moments when distance feels a little heavier than usual.

This is a story about loneliness, independence, missing the people who already know you, and learning that two things can be true at once: you can be grateful for where you are and still miss what and who you left behind.

Maybe loneliness isn't always a sign that something is wrong. Sometimes it's simply a reminder that connection matters.

If someone came to mind while listening, send the message. Make the call. Tell them you've been thinking about them.

What helps you feel connected when you're far away from the people you love? Tell me your somewhere.

Until then...

I’ll meet you somewhere. ✨

There’s a walk in Lisbon I’ve taken so many times that my feet seem to know the way on their own. But once, every one of these streets was unfamiliar.

In Story 7 of Stories From Somewhere, I’m taking you along my favorite walk and reflecting on the quiet ways a new place slowly becomes yours.

Maybe belonging doesn’t arrive in one big moment. Maybe it happens one familiar street, one ordinary day, and one walk at a time. 

Do you have a walk or little place that feels like yours? Tell me your somewhere.

Until then...

I'll meet you somewhere. ✨

When was the last time you wanted to do something but wished you had someone there to do it with you?

For me, one of those things was dinner.

A table for one. An empty chair across from me. And that slightly uncomfortable feeling that maybe I wasn’t supposed to be there alone.

But somewhere along the way, living abroad began to change my relationship with solitude.

In Story 6 of Stories From Somewhere, I’m talking about learning the difference between being alone and being lonely and what happened when I stopped waiting for someone else before allowing myself to experience my own life.

It started with dinner.

Learning to enjoy my own company didn't mean I stopped wanting friendship, love, community, or people to share my life with.

It simply meant I stopped needing someone beside me before giving myself permission to live.

Maybe independence isn't about never needing anyone.

Maybe it's knowing that when the chair across from you is empty, nothing is necessarily missing.

And maybe “table for one” can sound a little less like loneliness…

and a little more like freedom.

If there's something you've been waiting for someone else to do with you, this story is your invitation to try going anyway.

You might discover you're pretty good company.

Until next time…

I'll meet you somewhere.✨

Have you ever wanted something badly…and still almost talked yourself out of it?

Before there was Portugal, before there was Lisbon, before any of this became my life there was a suitcase. And I almost didn’t pack it.

I had made the decision to move abroad. I knew what I wanted. But as leaving became real, so did the fear. The questions started getting louder.

What if I’m making a mistake?
What if this doesn’t work out?
What if I’m not ready?

And for a moment, staying with the life I already knew felt a lot easier than stepping into one I couldn’t predict.

Story 5: The Suitcase I Almost Didn’t Pack is about that moment.

About fear, second-guessing yourself, leaving your comfort zone, and discovering that courage doesn’t always feel courageous when you’re in the middle of it.

Sometimes courage looks surprisingly ordinary. Sometimes it’s buying the ticket. Sometimes it’s closing the door behind you. And sometimes…it’s simply packing the suitcase anyway.

If you’re standing at the edge of something you want but fear is giving you a hundred reasons not to do it, maybe this story will remind you that you don’t have to know exactly how everything will turn out before you take the first step.

Every Monday, I’ll share another story about the places, people, and moments that shape who we become.

Until then…

I’ll meet you somewhere.✨

What happens when the life you have is no longer the life you want?

Leaving the U.S. wasn't one sudden decision.

It was a question that kept getting louder.

What if there was another way to live?

I wasn't running away from a life I hated. I was moving toward something I wanted to experience a different pace, a different perspective, and the chance to discover who I might become somewhere else.

In Story 4 of Stories From Somewhere, I'm sharing why I ultimately chose to leave the United States and build a life abroad.

Not because I believed another country would magically solve everything.

Not because starting over would be easy.

But because eventually I realized that wondering “what if?” scared me more than actually going.

This is a story about listening to the quiet voice that tells you something needs to change, giving yourself permission to want a different kind of life, and realizing that sometimes we have to leave what we know to discover what else might be possible.

You don't have to hate the life you're leaving to know you're ready for something different.

Every Monday, I'll share another story about the places, people, and moments that shape who we become.

Until then...

I'll meet you somewhere.✨

What do we leave behind when we choose a life somewhere else?

I wanted to move abroad. I was excited about the life ahead of me, and I knew I wanted to go.

But none of that made leaving easy.

Because moving abroad isn't only about discovering somewhere new. It's also about saying goodbye to the people you love, the places you know, the routines that feel familiar, and the comfort of a life where you already know where you belong.

In this story, I'm talking about the part of moving abroad we don't always talk about the grief that can exist right alongside the excitement.

And what I've learned is that missing what you left behind doesn't mean you made the wrong decision.

You can be ready for the next chapter and still grieve the one you're closing.

This is a story about friendship, family, familiarity, letting go, and finding the courage to choose the life you want—even when choosing it means saying goodbye.

Every Monday, I'll share another story about the places, people, and moments that shape who we become.

Until then...

I'll meet you somewhere.

When does somewhere stop feeling foreign and start feeling like home?

For me, there wasn't one big moment when Lisbon suddenly became home.

It happened quietly.

In familiar streets. Favorite cafés. Ordinary routines. And somewhere along the way, I stopped counting how long I'd been here and simply started living.

This is a story about moving abroad, finding belonging in an unexpected place, and realizing that maybe home isn't just where we're from.

Maybe home is also the place where we begin to recognize ourselves.

If you've ever found home somewhere you didn't expect to, this story is for you.

Every Monday, I'll share another story about the places, people, and moments that shape who we become.

Until then...

I'll meet you somewhere.✨

What would you tell the version of yourself who was about to change their life forever? If I could move abroad again, here's what I'd tell myself before taking that first step. This is a story about moving abroad, building a life in Portugal, and discovering that finding home is often less about a place and more about who we become along the way.

Every Monday I'll share another story about the places, people, and moments that shape who we become.

Until then...

I'll meet you somewhere.

This podcast explores stories about finding home, wherever life takes you. Some places stay with us long after we've left them. Some conversations quietly change the direction of our lives. Some ordinary moments become the ones we remember forever. Welcome to Stories From Somewhere.This is a place for thoughtful stories about moving abroad, finding home, embracing change, and discovering beauty in everyday moments. Whether you're dreaming of a new adventure, missing a place you've loved, or simply looking for a quiet moment in your day, I hope you'll find something here that feels familiar. Every Monday, we'll explore another story from somewhere.Until then...I'll meet you somewhere.