The Expat Cast

Season 5, Episode 17. If you're in the expat community, you've probably seen the initials TCK pop up in Facebook groups, on Instagram, and more. It stands for Third Culture Kid, and Anna, today's guest, is one of them. 

She's married to a CCK, a Cross-Culture Kid, and their kids, who've lived in many countries before settling into their passport country, are TCKs.

Anna works as an expat coach specializing in TCKs and CCKs. She gives us a crash course on what they are, followed by a deep discussion of how to best prepare for a move abroad as a family, including how to support your kids through the changes, what families can proactively do pre- and post-move to help out the whole team, and why self-care is so important for expat partners.

Read up on philosopher Barbara Knuckles' theory on identity formation.

For more on expat partners or trailing spouses, listen to Expat Partners with Katharina.

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Global Mobility Trainer

Facebook @GlobalMobilityTrainer

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Season 5, Episode 16. The wonderful parts of life abroad are easy to share: photos from a great vacation, an Instagram post of your latest delicious meal. What's harder to talk about is the bad days abroad.

But fear not - there's a blog for that! Katherine started this blog while living in Denmark for 10 years. She grew up in Estonia and Switzerland, and after stints in Australia and New Zealand, Denmark was close to home geographically, but something wasn't right for her.

Last year, Katherine found herself questioning whether she should stay in Denmark longer or move away, and if so, where. She listened to her inner voice, and it led her back to her passport country of Estonia. Nicole had a similar moment, but her inner voice told her to stay abroad in Germany. The two get into how they made these differing decisions and what made it clear to them that it was the right call.

To view the career talk Nicole did with Meetra called Podcasting, Paperwork, and the Public Service, head over here.

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Her interview with Nicole for the Stay or Go series

Bad Days Abroad

On Instagram @bad_days_abroad

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Season 5, Episode 15. In the Travel Germany series, different places across Germany are featured in interviews with expats who relocated there. 

Today, we learn about two Berlin neighborhoods: Friedenau and Karlshorst! Marguerite spent most of her life country hopping, but Berlin has captured her attention for 5 years and counting.In fact, it inspired her to start her blog, Berlin and Around, where she shares insider tips about Berlin.

She tells us why this metropolis is so unendingly interesting, and she specifically gets into details about two of the neighborhoods that she's called home.

To read all of her suggestions, visit the blog.

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Berlin and Around

On Instagram @berlinandaround

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Season 5, Episode 14. It's not easy being a mom. It's not easy living abroad. When you combine both things, things can get really, really tricky.

Johanna is a doula in Heidelberg, Germany. She's lived outside her home country of the US plenty, but moving abroad as a mom of two changed things for her. She shares her own expat story and explains the German social support systems, from pregnancy to entering school. Plus, she talks to us about Afloat, a non-profit she is the director of that helps provide mental health support for international moms.

Webinar with Meetra: April 15, 2021 at 14:00 CET

This episode is sponsored by Lingoda. Read more about them on the blog or sign up for the sprint with the code EXPATCAST for 10€ off!

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Season 5, Episode 13. In December, The Expat Cast went head-to-head with rival podcast The Germany Experience to see who could raise more money for charity. As much as it pains to admit it, The Expat Cast lost. Today, The Germany Experience is here to claim their prize.

The Germany Experience is here to take over The Expat Cast for one episode. Shaun uses his prize to ask Nicole about how her experience as a podcast host has changed her, ahem, Germany experience, and he gets her to dish some ridiculous stories from her time as a Bufdi in the Bundesfreiwilligendienst.

To find out more about SEGEPADFO, head over here.

Webinar with Meetra: April 15, 2021 at 14:00 CET

This episode is sponsored by Lingoda. Read more about them on the blog or sign up for the sprint with the code EXPATCAST for 10€ off!

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The Germany Experience

Die Deutsche und der Ausländer

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Season 5, Episode 12. In the Travel Germany series, different places across Germany are featured in interviews with expats who relocated there. 

Today, we learn about Aachen! Lawin is from the Philippines. He's a fellow expat in Germany and a fellow podcaster, and he's been living in Aachen for two years now. He tells us all about living in walking distance to the Netherlands and Belgium - spoiler: great access to lots of kinds of beer.

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

I was a guest on the podcast Transcontinental Overload.

This episode is sponsored by Lingoda. Read more about them on the blog or sign up for the sprint with the code EXPATCAST for 10€ off!

FIND LAWIN

His podcast Pop Your Cultural Cherry

On Instagram @popyourculturalcherry

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Season 5, Episode 11. Martina was born in the US to German parents who had most recently been living in Switzerland. When she was a baby, they moved back to Switzerland, then they relocated to the US for Martina's high school and college years.

Now, Martina's living in Frankfurt, Germany in her 20s. Even though she's German, this is the first time in her life she's lived in Germany. We discuss what it was like living in the US for such critical life moments and how she's enjoying connecting with her German side.

This episode is sponsored by Lingoda. Read more about them on the blog or sign up for the sprint with the code EXPATCAST for 10€ off!

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Season 5, Episode 10. Stacey's had her California driver's license since she was a teenager, but it doesn't get her far in Germany. Once you move to Germany, you have 3 years to convert your license to a German license, or you have to start over from square one. 

For Nicole, from Pennsylvania, a state with license reciprocity with Germany, it was a one-time visit to city hall and a 35€ fee. For Stacey, from California, a state without reciprocity, it was months of studying, a first aid course, practical hours, and lots more money.

For more on this topic, head over to the blog.

This episode is sponsored by Comfort Eats. Read more about them on the blog.

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Season 5, Episode 9. She's lived in Kenya, Uganda, Botswana, the UK, South Africa, Thailand, Zanzibar, Austria, and now, Germany. Tania gets lost keeping track of everywhere she's lived! She craves stability, yet at the same time, she can't imagine not moving again soon.

Tania's expat history has made her very resourceful, creative, and flexible - all traits that make her a great entrepreneur. She consults on travel to Kenya, sews and sells African fabrics, has a blog, and more. Yet still, she struggles to confidently identify as an entrepreneur. We explore why that is, how her expat life has helped and hurt her business life, and whether Germany is a good place to start a company.

Participate in the Expat and Spouses Monitor survey for expats and expat spouses in Germany.

FIND TANIA

swahilisecrets.com

On Instagram @swahilisecrets.shop

On Instagram @swahilisecrets.travel

On Instagram @African.Abroad.Blog

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This episode is sponsored by Comfort Eats. Read more about them on the blog.

Season 5, Episode 8. Whether he's living in Belgium, the Netherlands, China, or Germany, Claudio manages to find Italy everywhere he goes. He's from a tiny village in northern Italy that's got more sheep and cows than people, and although he hasn't lived there in decades, it is his heritage. It is his home.

Claudio shares why and how he honors his Italian heritage, be it through food or people or something else entirely. Now based in Nuremberg, Germany for two years, it's important to him to bring his culture to his community there as well as learn about and experience the cultures of his friends.

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On Instagram @itsclaudiocorti

His new project @zerowastestoriesofficial

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This episode is sponsored by Comfort Eats. Read more about them on the blog.