The Expat Cast

Season 7, Episode 6. Where do you call home? For many expats, the question isn't an easy one to answer. Many places? No place at all?

Keltie Maguire is a Clarity Coach who moved from Canada to Germany several years ago. She uses her professional expertise and personal experience to shed light on the sticky subject of home: how to define it, how to create it, and how to make a place feel more like it.

Plus, a discussion - and a confession - about homesickness.

FIND KELTIE

Her episode on the Dear Shandy podcast, "Parenthood Clarity"

Online

On Instagram

On Facebook

On LinkedIn

REVIEW

On Apple Podcasts

On Podchaser

On my website

CONNECT

theexpatcast.com

Instagram @theexpatcast 

Twitter @theexpatcast 

Season 7, Episode 5. "You asked, I answer!" Listeners submitted questions on Instagram for Nicole to answer, which she does with the help of her best friend and previous guest, Zoe. 

Questions include: What's one thing you knew now that you wished you knew back when you moved? When did you start calling Germany home? Do you still feel like an expat, after 5 years in Freiburg? Plus, Nicole shares a little update from the road, as this episode was finished in a hotel room in Prague.

EPISODES REFERENCED

Travel Germany: Nuremberg

American Pride

Solo Female Travel

REVIEW

On Apple Podcasts

On Podchaser

On my website

CONNECT

theexpatcast.com

Instagram @theexpatcast 

Twitter @theexpatcast 

Season 7, Episode 4. Laurel fell in love with Berlin on a solo trip and decided to make the big move. But it wasn't her first big move. Laurel is from Indiana but moved to LA for several years. She shares how the culture shock moving from the midwest to southern California compares to the culture shock of moving from the USA to Germany.

Then, we get into her career. Laurel pivoted to tech during her 5 years in Berlin. Germany is not exactly known for being the most up-to-date with technology, so we discuss what it's like working in the field in a place where cash is still the standard and the fear of sharing your data gets in the way of modernization. Is it possible to find the golden middle between digitalization and privacy?

FIND LAUREL

On Instagram @lwrocks

REVIEW

On Apple Podcasts

On Podchaser

On my website

CONNECT

theexpatcast.com

Instagram @theexpatcast 

Twitter @theexpatcast 

Season 7, Episode 3. Esther was finishing up law school in North Carolina when she told a colleague about her dream to live in Italy. That friend knew someone in Germany with an open position, and while Germany wasn't Italy, it was a heck of a lot closer to Italy than the USA is, so Esther applied. Within days, she had a job offer in Tübingen, Germany.

She and her then-teenaged daughter moved mere months later and settled into a life abroad in Germany. Esther moved to Freiburg next, where she was a cornerstone of the international community.

Now, Esther is back in her hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana. She speaks about her time teaching criminal law in Tübingen, the Freiburg era, and her decision to move back to the US - and how voicing her desires and staying flexible has led to a series of moments where everything aligns.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. If your insurance doesn't cover therapy or you'd prefer to have more options when choosing your therapist, BetterHelp is a fantastic alternative to going through the German healthcare system. Save 10% on your first month of professional therapy at BetterHelp.com/ExpatCast.

Listen to the interview with Esther's daughter, Nyla, here: "Moving Abroad at Age 15"

REVIEW

On Apple Podcasts

On Podchaser

On my website

CONNECT

theexpatcast.com

Instagram @theexpatcast 

Twitter @theexpatcast 

Season 7, Episode 2. Chase never wanted to work in an office, although he works in the corporate world. From the outset, he sought jobs where he could work remotely. Back when he started about 15 years ago, that was rare, to say the least. Now, it's quickly becoming the norm.

Chase has lived and traveled for years now, all while working - because he works fully remote, or "remote first." In fact, he's SUCH a remote work nerd that he has a podcast about it (About Abroad), and works for a company that specializes in it (Doist).

He's on The Expat Cast to talk to Nicole - a digital nomad skeptic - about his experiences and to explore the pros and cons of this increasing trend.

FIND CHASE

On Instagram @about.abroad

On LinkedIn

The Doist Blog

His podcast About Abroad

Nicole's appearance on his podcast, "Life in the Sunny South of Germany's Pleasantville, Freiburg"

REVIEW

On Apple Podcasts

On Podchaser

On my website

CONNECT

theexpatcast.com

Instagram @theexpatcast 

Twitter @theexpatcast 

Season 7, Episode 1. We are back for Season 7! Woo!

We're kicking it off with a conversation about identity burps, a term coined by today's guest, Ditte. Ditte is an artist from Denmark living in Berlin after many years in Amsterdam. Though drawing is like breathing to her, a main passion of hers was dancing tango. Then she moved to Berlin, a hub for tango, and... no longer felt like dancing tango. Instead, she felt like going to clubs and dancing to electro music. What's going on?? Easy answer: It's an identity burp!

FIND DITTE

On Instagram @ditteoe

Drawing Walks Berlin

REVIEW

On Apple Podcasts

On Podchaser

On my website

CONNECT

theexpatcast.com

Instagram @theexpatcast 

Twitter @theexpatcast 

LINKS

Register: July 4th Event with Horbach Expats, 7 pm, online Financial Planning for US Americans in Germany

Podfest Berlin

REVIEW

On Apple Podcasts

On Podchaser

On my website

CONNECT

theexpatcast.com

Instagram @theexpatcast 

Twitter @theexpatcast 

Season 6, Episode 25. Do you want to have kids or not? How has your geography impacted this?

We asked these questions to the listener community, and fellow expats, immigrants, people living abroad shared their pros and cons, their talking points, their feelings, their beliefs, their dreams. Their answers range from YES to NO to MAYBE, and they're gathered here for you.

This marks the end of season six! What a gift it's been - 150 episodes and nearly 4 years of podcasting. Thank you to everyone who has formed the community of listeners, which creates a safe space for us to take on these difficult topics.

This episode is sponsored by MyExpatTaxes. Use the code EXPATCAST to save 10%!

RESOURCES

Cheryl Strayed's essay, The Ghost Ship that Didn't Carry Us

BeMyTravelMuse's video, How I Decided to Have Kids (Not an Easy Choice!)

Edna Bonhomme's essay, Infertility Stung Me: Black Motherhood and Me

SharetheLove Blog's post, Pregnancy Troubles as the Expat

WantedAdventures's video, STOP ASKING ME IF I'M HAVING KIDS

Balancing Stories episode, What if I Don't Want Kids?

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

GUESTS

Julian, former guest for Finding Therapy in Germany

Casey, former guest for Becoming Bilingual and Visiting Home

Shaun from The Germany Experience, former guest for Raising a Son with Special Needs in Germany

Ashley, former guest for Pregnancy in Germany and Expat Mama

Meghan from Balancing Stories, former guest for Expat Resilience

Stefanie, former guest for Austria v Germany and Travel Germany: Stuttgart

Jorge from The Canadian Wants to Know

Steffi

Keltie

Chase from About Abroad

REVIEW

On Apple Podcasts

On Podchaser

On my website

CONNECT

theexpatcast.com

Instagram @theexpatcast 

Twitter @theexpatcast 

Season 6, Episode 24. What's it like dating a German? How do I make friends as an expat? Can I get a job in Germany without knowing German? Is the rental market reallllyyyy that bad?

Nicole is joined by Idan from Unmatch Me Now to get into all of these questions and more! From personal experiences and opinions to concrete resources about Kindergeld and donating blood, nothing is off the table.

Thanks to all the listeners who submitted questions for this episode.

This episode is sponsored by MyExpatTaxes. Use the code EXPATCAST to save 10%!

RESOURCES

The Expat Cast episodes: the initial Ask the Expat episode, the Travel Germany series, To Stay or To Go? with Katherine from Bad Days Abroad, Being Queer in Germany

Unmatch Me Now episodes about dating in the queer community: Bi-Sex and the City, Slide into My DMs Like a Sexy Snail, and Everyone Have Extra Large Dicks and Other Grinder Myths

Information about Kindergeld

Help for refugees from Ukraine

Abandoned Berlin

FIND IDAN

REVIEW

On Apple Podcasts

On Podchaser

On my website

CONNECT

theexpatcast.com

Instagram @theexpatcast 

Twitter @theexpatcast 

Season 6, Episode 23. What's it like to be a foreigner working as a librarian in Germany? We've got two international librarians here to tell you!

Katherine and Nicole both fell in love with the career of librarianship before moving to Germany from Venezuela and USA, respectively. Now, they both live and work in German libraries, Katherine in a university library and Nicole in a public library. Both of them first worked at the libraries of cultural centers as a transition when making the move.

They explain how they got the paperwork in order so they could take their careers with them when they moved, what it's like working as a librarian in Germany, difference between libraries in different countries, and how to find an international library job.

This episode is sponsored by MyExpatTaxes. Use the code EXPATCAST to save 10%!

RESOURCES FOR INTERNATIONAL LIBRARIANS

INALJ

Open Biblio Jobs

Anabin, for librarians moving to Germany

The season one episode, "Prepping for a Job Hunt in Germany"

FIND KATHERINE

On Twitter @Kat_Lui

She recommends "Wir können mehr sein" by Aminata Touré

REVIEW

On Apple Podcasts

On Podchaser

On my website

CONNECT

theexpatcast.com

Instagram @theexpatcast 

Twitter @theexpatcast