The Cajun Expat

You know those people who seem to have everything under control? The ones who stay calm in a crisis, figure things out, and somehow manage to keep everyone else afloat?

Yeah. Hi. It’s me.

At least, that’s what it looks like from the outside.

In this episode of The Cajun Expat, we’re talking about being the capable one, the fiercely independent one, and the person who would rather figure it out herself than admit she might need a little help.

We’re getting into the chaos of everyday life, the expectations we put on ourselves, and the rather uncomfortable realisation that being good at handling everything doesn’t mean you have to handle everything alone.

There will be questionable decisions, a healthy amount of self-deprecating humour, and a reminder that sometimes being an adult is really just improvising with confidence while internally screaming.

Because apparently, having your shit together is one thing. Convincing everyone not to inspect it is quite another.

I’m the Cajun Expat. Come for the chaos, stay for the honesty.

I moved from Louisiana to England. I expected a few culture shocks. I did not expect to become a sarcastic little menace who calls everyone “mate,” says “ta, love,” and has developed strong opinions about British bacon.

In this episode of The Cajun Expat, we're roasting both sides of the Atlantic as I explore the very questionable ways living in England has changed me. From my increasingly British vocabulary and my newfound appreciation for dry humour to my complicated relationship with the weather, apparently this country has been quietly reprogramming my personality.

Some changes have been questionable. Others have actually been pretty bloody good.

So, am I becoming British? Or am I just a Cajun woman with a confusing collection of vowels, a sharper sense of sarcasm, and absolutely no intention of giving up my Louisiana roots?

Let's find out.

New episodes every Wednesday. Come for the chaos, stay for the cultural identity crisis.💜

*Trying something new and adding a video of me recording this week! Drop a comment if you like the video format or if we should stick to audio only!*

*Trigger/Content Warning*

This episode talks briefly about Sexual Assault. If this is triggering to you or someone you love, please feel free to skip this episode.

Have you ever looked at your life and thought, Well, this is absolutely not what I had planned?

Because same. And apparently, turning 40 comes with a lot of questions you didn’t remember signing up to answer.

In this episode of The Cajun Expat, I’m getting personal about identity, the people we used to be, and what happens when the future you imagined doesn’t quite match the life you’re living.

We’re talking about career changes, unexpected detours, the pressure to have everything figured out, and the strange experience of missing an old version of yourself while knowing you can’t necessarily go back to being that person.

I’ll share a little about the path that brought me here, the parts of my old life that still mean a lot to me, and why starting over doesn’t always mean starting from scratch.

Because somewhere between who you thought you’d be, who life turned you into, and who you’re still becoming, there’s a whole lot of room to figure things out.

And honestly? I’m nearly 40. If I haven’t got it all figured out by now, I might as well stop pretending that’s the goal.

What happens after you take the leap and move halfway around the world? Turns out, the adventure doesn’t end when you get off the plane. That’s when the real work begins.

In this episode of The Cajun Expat, I’m talking about the reality of starting over in England. From rebuilding your financial life and navigating British culture to missing family, dealing with homesickness, and figuring out how to make a new country feel like home, we’re getting into the bits of immigration that don’t always make it into the highlight reel.

We’re talking culture shock, confusing vocabulary, questionable British sausages, and the emotional rollercoaster of building a new life while still missing the one you left behind.

Because you can be happy with the life you’ve chosen and still miss home. You can be grateful for new beginnings and still have hard days. And you can fall in love with a new country without leaving the old one behind completely.

Moving abroad isn’t one big brave decision. It’s hundreds of little adjustments, unexpected challenges, ridiculous misunderstandings, and moments when you realise that somewhere along the way, the unfamiliar has started to feel familiar.

I’m an American from Louisiana building a life in England, and I’m sharing the honest, funny, occasionally sweary reality of figuring it all out as I go.

Because the big leap might be the part everyone sees, but the after is where you actually build your life.

What do you take with you when you move 4,500 miles away?

Turns out, it’s not as simple as packing your clothes and hoping your dog behaves on the plane.

In this episode, I’m talking about the things I chose to bring with me when I left Louisiana for England. The sentimental stuff. The memories. The things that absolutely did not make the cut. And the very important question of how much Cajun seasoning one woman can reasonably bring through an international airport.

Spoiler: a lot.

We’re talking family traditions, theatre, food, music, Cajun phrases, Easter egg battles, homesickness, British sausage that I have opinions about, and the strange ways your old home follows you into your new one.

Because you can change your country.

You can change your accent.

You can even learn to say “bin” instead of “trash can.”

But you can’t take the Louisiana out of the Cajun Expat.

And honestly?

Why would I want to?

Getting to England was the easy part.

Okay… maybe not easy. There was a visa, a mountain of paperwork, a lot of money, and approximately seventeen moments where I wondered if I’d made a terrible decision.

But getting the visa was only the beginning.

In this episode, I’m talking about what it actually means to immigrate to another country—from why I chose a work visa instead of marrying my British boyfriend, to the rules that have changed since I made the move, and the surprisingly complicated reality of trying to build a life when your financial history basically says, “Who the hell are you?”

There were houses to rent, cars to insure, credit cards I couldn’t get, and a whole lot of help from the man I crossed an ocean for.

Because moving countries isn’t just packing your life into boxes and getting on a plane.

Sometimes it’s starting over from scratch and figuring out how to make a new country feel like home.

I’m the Cajun Expat. Come find out what happened after I got through the door.

Sometimes the biggest changes in your life start in the most ridiculous places.

For me, it started in a Facebook group with a truly questionable name, a northern English accent, and a voice note.

I wasn’t looking for a relationship. I certainly wasn’t looking for someone who lived thousands of miles away. And I had absolutely no idea that one random conversation would eventually change the entire direction of my life.

In this episode, I’m telling the story of how Darren and I met, how an online friendship became something much bigger, and what happens when you fall in love with someone you’ve never even touched.

There were plenty of reasons it shouldn’t have worked.

Distance. Timing. Real life. Reality itself, frankly.

There were moments when we weren’t sure it could work.

And yet…

here we are.

So grab a coffee, settle in, and come hear the story of the British man I still occasionally blame for all of this.

Because apparently, one northern accent was all it took. 

I’m an American from Louisiana who now lives in England.

Still weird to say.

I used to be a paramedic in Louisiana. Now I live on the other side of the Atlantic.

Somewhere in between those two sentences, a lot happened.

So… who am I? Where did I come from? And how the hell did I get here?

In the very first episode of The Cajun Expat, I’m taking you back to the beginning and telling you the story behind the woman, the accent, and the rather questionable decision to cross an entire ocean.

Welcome to the story.