The Expat Cast

Season 4, Episode 18. Meg is a love expat - she moved to Freiburg, Germany from South Carolina, USA to be with her German then-girlfriend, now-wife. From the southern US to southern Germany, she shares what it's been like for her being queer. 

What kinds of encounters has she had because of her queer identity? Can she and wife hold hands and kiss in public? What is the queer community like in Germany in comparison to the US? What's the deal with Christopher Street Day?

We get into all that, plus queer history, minority solidarity, and media portrayals of LGBTQ+ people.

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE

City Starlings' list of "10 podcasts you should be listening to if you are an expat in Germany"

Leslie Jordan on Instagram @thelesliejordan

The documentary Disclosure

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Season 4, Episode 17. Germany was supposed to be a temporary stop on a longer journey of living abroad for Natalie, from the UK, and her husband Conrad, from Germany. Then, months before their wedding, weeks before her birthday, and days before Christmas, Natalie got diagnosed with cancer.

The cancer diagnosis changed her life dramatically, immediately, and, in some ways, permanently. Natalie went through various operations, treatments, and therapies - and she did it all in German, a language she was still in the process of learning.

The good news: she recovered from the first round of cancer, even despite a month-long detour in quarantine where she almost died. The bad news: the cancer came back, just months later.

Natalie shares with us what it was like to go through intense and intensely traumatic medical experiences as a foreigner in Germany, and why it lead to her embrace a long-term future in Germany.

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Season 4, Episode 16. In the Travel Germany series, different places across Germany are featured in interviews with expats who relocated there. 

In this episode, Stefanie from the episode Austria v Germany is back to tell us all about her new home city.

Not only is Stuttgart the capital of Baden-Württemberg; it also is the center of Schwabian culture, responsible for such beloved things like Käsespätzle and Maultaschen.

For all of her great travel ideas, read on here.

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Season 4, Episode 15. Nicole recently discovered solo travel, and she chats about it with Zoe, a seasoned solo traveler who has done longer trips across Europe, South America, and southeast Asia all by herself. They discuss the benefits of traveling alone, but they also acknowledge the challenges, and they share their tips for things like loneliness and safety, especially as young female travelers.

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BONUS CONTENT. After the George Floyd protests, the Carl Schurz Haus in Freiburg hosted an online panel discussion with five Americans living in Germany about the state of America and their experiences with racism. It was moderated by Nicole, the host of The Expat Cast.

The audio version of the panel is being re-broadcast here on The Expat Cast on the 4th of July intentionally. As panelist Jorrell put it, "This stuff happened. And it's okay - you can still think America is great now, but you have to come to terms with the fact that these horrible things happened." So let's acknowledge them.

For more about the event and to find the resources mentioned in the panel, click here.

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Season 4, Episode 14. Getting divorced abroad is complicated and challenging in just about every imaginable way, and Katia Vlachos is here to talk to us about it all.

Katia, a longtime expat, got divorced from her Austrian husband in Switzerland. She shares what she learned through the challenging process.

For more about Katia's experience and the resources she mentioned, head over to the blog.

FIND KATIA

Visit her website

Read her book, A Great Move

Check out her coaching services

On Facebook @KatiaVlachosCoach

On Twitter @vlachosk

On Instagram @vlachosk

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Season 4, Episode 13. In the Travel Germany series, different places across Germany are featured in interviews with expats who relocated there. 

Tessa and Lauren are two Americans who both moved to Görlitz, a small city where you can stroll on over a bridge and find yourself in Poland. Görlitz is small but mighty, because it's actually the largest city in Germany to not be bombed in World War 2. It's full of charm, history, architecture, and local culture, and it's captured the hearts of many a Hollywood director - so many movies have been filmed in Görlitz, it's gotten the nickname Görliwood.

For all the amazing ideas shared in this episode, click here.

FIND TESSA

Visit her webite, tessa-approves.com

On Twitter @TessaApproves

FIND LAUREN

Check out her project, DiscoverGoerlitz.com

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Season 4, Episode 12. Nicole and Shaun are two white expat podcasters who live in Germany. Nicole is from the US, and Shaun is from South Africa.

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, the two come together to share their reactions and actions about racism, as white people, as podcasters, as expats in Germany, and as people from countries with significant racially unjust histories.

For a list of resources mentioned in this episode, head over here.

FIND SHAUN

On his website

On Instagram @the.germany.experience

Listen to his podcast, The Germany Experience

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Season 4, Episode 11. For DIY expats like your host, Nicole, the world of the relocatoin industry is truly magical. For expats who move for jobs, this topic might be more familiar.

Sheanne works in the relocation industry, and she gives insider information on how to maximize your relocation package.

FIND SHEANNE

On her website

On Instagram @MigrantMamaAU

Listen to her podcast, Migrant Mama in Australia

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There is no new episode of The Expat Cast this week. As an American living abroad, I cannot stand beside my fellow Americans in protest of police violence and racism in the United States. But that's no excuse to do nothing.

I'm donating my Coronavirus stimulus money to various organizations that work to end racial discrimination and support black communities.

I'm committing time to continuing to educate myself on racism and to listen to people of color.

I'm engaging in conversations about white privilege and unconscious bias and systemic racism and more.

I'm asking you to take the time you would have used to listen to The Expat Cast and instead do something proactive against racism. Here's a nice round-up of resources for you to start or continue your own anti-racist work.

Thank you to the podcast Cult 45 for starting Podcast Blackout.