Welcome back everyone!

I thought it was about time I reboot the show, and what better topic to use than the one I've been living for the past two years: Germany 🇩🇪

In this episode, I'll talk to you guys all about what I've been up to since moving to schönes lebendiges Deutschland in September of 2022.

In segment one, (XX:XX) I'll talk about my reasons for moving here in the first place. Then I'll chat about the beautiful city of Erfurt, Thuringia, which I had the privilege of calling home for awhile, and what being a full-time master's student at university here in Germany is like (both on and off campus!)

In segment two (XX:XX) I'll shift the focus to Stuttgart and the greater Stuttgart area, where I now live for work. Here I'll talk a little bit about the city of Stuggi and the region, what it's like working full-time in Germany and how– in my experience– German corporate culture differs from my experiences in the U.S. I'll also talk a bit about where I am now in my career and what's next.

In segment three (XX:XX) I'm gonna open it up and talk big-picture stuff: what are some of the biggest differences between living Germany and the U.S.? What is it like working and living virtually entirely in a foreign language? What are Germans "like" in social and day-to-day life? What's the vibe in Germany right now from a man on the street perspective? What should you know (and where should you go) as a visitor?

In segment four (XX:XX) the closing segment, I'll throw out a few teasers for future content and also do a little housekeeping before closing it out!

I'm joined by my friend and colleague Lucas Rodriguez for one of the most profound discussions yet on the Small World Show! Me and Lucas discover - on air! - a shared passion for literature (and a few titles in particular) and get a bit carried away talking books. We then turn to his work as a literature critic in Chile, journalism in general, and ultimately to a wider discussion about geopolitics, globalization, and the complex and crazy (but oh-so-fascinating) world we live in today. Me and Lucas are both colleagues in a master's study program focused on these topics, so suffice it to say, we're geeks about this stuff. He then shares some tidbits from his life of travels and offers up both a sad and happy tale from his wanderings to close things out.

We covered a lot of ground in this one, but the most important links and things to know:

Some of the books we talked about:

My best and friend and longtime listener of the Small World Show, James Gibbs, joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about his life in L.A. and what it takes to make a great teacher. Thanks for listening everyone!

Photo: Getty Gardens

Welcome back everyone! Andrew takes some time to talk about his solo backpacking adventures through Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. 

Andrew is joined by our good friend Joe Vasconcelos, as the two talk about how they met in Costa Rica, Joe's adventures in Nicaragua, his summer job in Argentina, his home of Fortaleza Brazil, and of course – his very own Portuguese school, @itsbraziliantime!

Both Mel and Andrew have taken Portuguese classes with Joe – listen in to hear how that went!