The Expat Cast

Season 6, Episode 2. You know her from her TikToks about being a Canadian in Germany, but how did Hannah Teslin become this confident expat?

When Hannah moved abroad in college, it was to study abroad in Cologne - but really, she was studying there to be near a guy she'd met while traveling who lived in Hamburg. It was all too easy to slip into his world, his friendships, his activities, to depend on him to organize the logistics of their life together. Somehow, she became less of herself.

Now, years later, the relationship is over, but Hannah is absolutely thriving. She shares the story of how she rediscovered not only Hamburg and Germany but herself, becoming the happy, independent lady she is today.

This episode is sponsored by Lingoda. Read more about their upcoming sprint on the sprint with the code EXPATCAST2 for 20€ off!

FIND HANNAH

On her website

On Instagram @hannahteslin

Her TikTok about Culture Shocks

The season 5 interview with her, "TikTok, Glühwein, & Finding Independence in Hamburg"

THE DATING ABROADCAST

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Season 6, Episode 1. Welcome back for Season 6! We're kicking it off with a deeper look into how Vanessa of Wander Onwards got to become the financial guru, world traveler, and awesome expat she is.

From a brief stint as an undocumented person in China to meeting her husband at a beer pong tournament, Vanessa's got some crazy stories to share. She also explains how and why she got serious about paying off her over $100,000 in debt - including personal finance tips you can implement right away - while still living abroad and traveling the globe.

This episode is sponsored by Lingoda. Read more about their upcoming sprint on the blog and sign up for the sprint with the code EXPATCAST2 for 20€ off!

FIND VANESSA

Her Website wanderonwards.co

On Instagram @WanderOnwards

On TikTok @WanderOnwards

Her upcoming event, "How to Pivot into Tech from Any Industry"

THE DATING ABROADCAST

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Season 5, Episode 25. Cheers to 3 years of The Expat Cast, 125 episodes, 5 seasons!

This season finale, we're marking the occasion by diving into a touchy topic: I collected your stories of times German people of authority have made you cry.

It happened at the foreigner's office, in banks, in doctor's offices, at the customs office, on the train. It happened, surprisingly, far more in bigger cities and towns than smaller towns and villages. It happened even to people who speak fluent German.

We hear your stories, try to identify some patterns, and above all, provide tips and coping mechanisms. This episode is a conversation starter, a window into our experience, and a set of ideas and tools for fellow foreigners preparing to experience upsetting moments like this themselves.

This episode is a continuation of the theme presented in the earlier episode Times German Authority Figures Have Made Us Cry.

This episode is sponsored by Horbach Expats. Join Horbach Expats and The Expat Cast for an event on Thursday, July 1 at 19 CET all about financial planning for US Americans living in Germany! Register here.

This episode is sponsored by Lingoda. Read more about them on the blog or sign up for the sprint with the code EXPATCAST1 for 20€ off!

CONTRIBUTORS

Andrea of @Living.Deliberately.Today

Claudio of @zerowastestoriesofficial

Patrick of Learnezee

Madalina of Relosophy

Lawin of @PopYourCulturalCherry

Shaun of The Germany Experience

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Season 5, Episode 24. Steph is a fellow expat podcaster, host of the great show Transcontinental Overload. She was born and raised in Germany, but her love for and comfort with the English language made her certain she'd one day move to London.

She did, and the classic thing happened: one year abroad turned into a lifetime. After years in England, Steph moved to Silicon Valley in California, USA. She was ready to return to her heart's home of England, but life had other plans, and it was off to Austin, Texas. Steph struggled to accept that move, and after a couple years of trying, she relocated her family to England - only to discover that it wasn't the place she'd left, and she wasn't the person she was when she last lived there.

So it was back to Austin, for now. As she looks forward to the empty nest stage of life, Steph finds herself at peace with it all - with her multinational family, with her multicultural self-identity, with the uncertainty of where she'll end up next. Because one thing she learned from a cheesy embroidered pillow has proven to be true. The grass is greenest where you water it.

Submit your stories of times German authority figures have made you cry by this Saturday, June 19! Send a voice note via theexpatcast.com including your name, location, your story, and any tips or coping strategies you have for moments like this. You'll be included in next week's season finale.

This episode is sponsored by Horbach Expats. Join Horbach Expats and The Expat Cast for an event on Thursday, July 1 at 19 CET all about financial planning for US Americans living in Germany! Register here.

This episode is sponsored by Lingoda. Read more about them on the blog or sign up for the sprint with the code EXPATCAST1 for 20€ off!

FIND STEPH

Her Blog TranscontinentalOverload

Her Podcast Transcontinental Overload

The episode of Transcontinental Overload where I was a guest

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Season 5, Episode 23. Steffi actually went by Stephanie until she moved from the UK to a small town in Bavarian almost two years ago. Her name isn't the only thing that has changed - Germany has made her ditch her high heels, embrace jeans for every occasion, and improve her ability to stay on top of paperwork.

Steffi is a hilarious breath of fresh air, who some might know from her blog Adventures of Steffi. We talk about why she loves her small town in Bavaria so much, despite career challenges, homesickness, and of course the Corona pandemic getting in the way of spending her well-earned Euros!

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

This episode is sponsored by Lingoda. Read more about them on the blog or sign up for the sprint with the code EXPATCAST1 for 20€ off!

FIND STEFFI

Her Blog AdventuresofSteffi.com

On Instagram @TheAdventuresofSteffi

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Season 5, Episode 22. Psychologist Gabriela Encina is here to talk to us about the unique effects life in Coronavirus Pandemic era has had on expats all over the world. We've all experienced Covid fatigue, languishing, and zoom burnout. Expats have also faced family separation, social isolation, and a harsh interruption to their integration process.

Now, as numbers start to go down and many countries start to open up, it may feel like it's all sparkles and rainbows from here - and maybe it will be full of joy, but this next phase will also be hard, as we reenter society, reunite with family, and discover who our post-lockdown selves are. Gabriela walks us through all of it from a counselor's perspective, plus she gives tips on how to cope.

Read "There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing"

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

FIND GABRIELA

Her other appearance on The Expat Cast called Expat Loneliness

Her blog article about toxic positivity

Online

On Instagram @gabriela.encina.psychologist

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Season 5, Episode 21. Just about every expat in Germany can tell you a story of a time an interaction with a person of authority made them cry.

While many if not most interactions go good or even well, there are unfortunately times when relating across cultures and languages goes awry and leaves you feeling disempowered, helpless, and demeaned. At worst, this might mean you don't get the medical help or the visa you need. At best, it's a negative experience that leaves you afraid of future interactions.

Martina, an expat in Munich from Uruguay, has her own experiences with this, which actually inspired her to relocate her power in the situation and change her career path to make a better future for other expats. We talk about these moments that we've experienced, and we give ideas and tips on how to make situations like that go better.

This episode is sponsored by Horbach Expats. Join Horbach Expats and The Expat Cast for an event on July 1 all about financial planning for US Americans living in Germany! To suggest topics for the event, send a message via theexpatcast.com/contact.

FIND MARTINA

On LinkedIn @MartinaChalarHorbachExpats

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Season 5, Episode 20. In the Travel Germany series, different places across Germany are featured in interviews with expats who relocated there. 

Today, we learn about Bamberg, a small city in upper Franconia in Bavaria. Within 2-3 hours from Munich, Berlin, and Prague, Bamberg is an ideal stop along the way. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site full of beautiful buildings, charming riverside nooks, and the famous smoke beer.

Ana's love of beer brought her to Germany, and she tells us why Bamberg is such a hidden gem for German beers. Between that and the scenic walks, Bamberg is a must-see small German town.

To read all of her suggestions and see some great pictures, visit the blog.

To listen to all the episodes in the Travel Germany series, click here.

FIND ANNA

On Instagram @hellasofaplace

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Season 5, Episode 19. Applying for jobs in a new country is difficult, not just because it follows completely different processes than your home country but also because of all the ways the job-hunt process is ripe with opportunity for cultural clashes.

Jana is here to talk us through some of the most culture-clashy aspects of it: resume writing, interviewing, and contract negotiations. She gives concrete tips on how to navigate the process and how to prepare for unexpectedly challenging moments.

For more information about the relocation process, listen to the episode The Relocation Industry.

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

FIND JANA

Note: Hallo Germany was previously called Meetra.

Online

Hallo Germany's blog

The interview Jana/Hallo Germany did with Nicole for Career Talks

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Season 5, Episode 18. When she was in her early 20s, Gabi, from Hannover, Germany answered a newspaper ad to become an au pair in Georgia, USA. There, she met and married and had three kids. She made a conscious choice to raise her kids as American children. While they kept up some German traditions, the language and culture were always secondary to English and American culture.

Her daughter, Elana, always had a curiosity about her German roots. When she was in her 20s, she moved to Germany to study, get fluent in German, and really get to know this part of her.

In honor of Mother's Day, the mother-daughter duo is here to share how their reverse expat experiences have bonded them, and what intergenerational immigration means for their family.

This episode is sponsored by SafetyWing. For 5% off your first year of remote health insurance with SafetyWing, click here.

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