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Heute gibt's mal wieder eine Folge auf Deutsch!

Mein Gast ist Andrea aus Hamburg, die sich nach mehreren Jahren in den USA wieder in Deutschland eine Karriere und ein neues Leben aufgebaut hat.
Andrea arbeitet im internationalen Schulwesen und als Coach und Mentor für Rückkehrer nach Deutschland, insbesondere mit Kindern, und natürlich bekommen wir jeden Menge Tipps und Perspektiven, was den Neustart im alten Land angeht.

Wir sprechen über bestimmte Strategien, die bei der Rückkehr helfen und auch darüber, was nicht hilft, wie wichtig es ist, zu trauern und was so mit der eigenen Identität passiert, wenn man nach einem Auslandsaufenthalt in die alte Heimat zurückkehrt. Und noch vieles mehr!

Wer sich mit Andrea in Verbindung setzen will, macht das am besten über LinkedIn, Instagram oder direkt auf ihrer Website.

Wenn du Lust hast, selbst bei mir Gast zu sein (oder jemanden kennst, der Lust darauf hätte), bitte melde dich! Am besten über Instagram oder meine Website.

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Just a quick note to say THANK YOU!!! 
It's been a great year, and here's to a happy and productive 2025!

In case you want the definition of RSD (Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria):
Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) is when you experience severe emotional pain because of a failure or feeling rejected. This condition is linked to ADHD and experts suspect it happens due to differences in brain structure. Those differences mean your brain can’t regulate rejection-related emotions and behaviors, making them much more intense.

In 2025, I will bombard you with a host of other human conditions, both neurodivergent and neurotypical. You're welcome.

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Today's episode takes us to a city close to my heart: Austin, the capital of Texas.

My guest Viktoria, originally from Germany, tells us how she ended up in the Lone Star State, and you'll find out why we are expat twins!
 
Viktoria tells us about her early days in the US, her food truck business, and her move to Texas just before the pandemic. Since we recorded this in September, which is technically still summer in Austin, we also talk a lot about Texas weather.

In true German fashion, we don't mince our words and discuss everything from politics to religion, and if you're an American listener, you might be surprised by our viewpoints from time to time. This is a very European episode. Enjoy at your peril.

You can find Viktoria on Instagram, and follow her Worlds Collide podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts! Don't hesitate to contact her if you feel like being a guest on her show, she's a great host.

Here's a link to that time I was a guest on the Worlds Collide Pod. 





 

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We're off to South America again! Today, we're travelling to Huaraz, the hiking capital of Peru.
Ami, a student from the UK, takes us to her favourite spots and talks us through some interesting food and drinks she encountered during her stay.

Some points of interest mentioned:

Café Andino

Wool shop “Los Gemelos” (Ami and I are both avid knitters)

Shopping tips:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article-every-adventurer-should-visit-this-peruvian-mountain-town/

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/peru/huaraz-and-the-cordilleras/shopping

Ancash mountain region 

Pastoruri Glacier ​​

Village of Carhuaz (ice cream) on the way

Laguna Parón

Lagunas Llanganuco

City of Yungay (earthquake)

City of Trujillo 

& seaside surf resort Huanchaco 

Food/drink:

Ponche (eggy milk drink)

Pisco Sour (cocktail using grape-based Peruvian or Chilean brandy) 

Chicha Morada (purple corn drink)

Huancaina Sauce

Cuy chactado = Guinea pig

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I have something very different for you today.
This episode is just a little outburst that needed to find an audience - I'm working on new projects, but while I don't have a finite home for them yet, this podcast is my temporary host.

For comments, please find me on Instagram! I absolutely welcome feedback, especially at this work-in-progress stage. 

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Today we're travelling to the Silver City!
Catriona Turner, author of "Nest - a Memoir of Home on the Move", former guest on this podcast and recent repatriate to Scotland, takes us around her beautiful hometown of Aberdeen.
If you haven't read it yet, Catriona's book Nest - A Memoir of Home on the Move is widely available everywhere and a really good read.
You can also listen to our previous podcast conversation to find out more about Catriona's story.
Please also check out her website, and Instagram with links to the wonderful writing initiative #May on the Move!

Here are a few mentions in case you're planning a trip:
Bars:
Number 10
the Dutch Mill
Under the Hammer

Cafes:
Corner Tree Cafe
Books & Beans Cafe,
Inversnecky Cafe

Restaurants:
Travancore restaurant (South Indian)
The Silver Darling (fish restaurant)

In and around Aberdeen:
Albert Terrace
Union Terrace Gardens
Aberdeen Art Gallery (artist Louise Bourgeois)
Belmont Street 
Nuart: Street art festival
Old Aberdeen/University Campus
St Machar's Cathedral & Seaton Park
Brig o' Balgownie
Codona's fun fair
The fishing village of Footdee (Fittie)
Torry
Greyhope Bay

Further afield:
Royal Deeside
Balmoral
Falls of Feugh near Banchory
Braemar
Caerngorms mountains
Fife Arms Hotel
The market town of Stonehaven
The ruins of Dunnottar Castle
Slains Castle - inspiration for Dracula

Food/Recipes:
Yumyums
Haggis
Millionaire's Shortbread

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Have you ever felt lonely in your expat adventure?

My guest today is Sarah, a German in London, who used her own loneliness to establish a business as a "Loneliness Coach".

Friendships, and how to make friends and keep them, is our overall topic, but of course we also talk a lot about cultural differences, especially between the UK and Germany.

Sarah mentions Brooke Castillo's The Life Coach School Podcast, which is a great resource, not only if you're interested in coaching in general. There's a lot of wisdom there.

You can find out more about Sarah via Instagram or head straight to her Linktree and find all the links to her resources, including a quiz to find out how lonely you really are, and ways to turn it into your biggest strength.

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Heute geht's auf die Insel!
Mein Gast ist Vanessa, eine Engländerin, die lange in Österreich gelebt hat und seit 10 Jahren wieder in ihrer alten Heimat Hertfordshire lebt.

Vanessa arbeitet als interkulturelle Trainerin und Sprachlehrerin, und natürlich sprechen wir ausgiebig über das Sprachenlernen und die Unterschiede zwischen Englisch und Deutsch. Außerdem geht’s ums Umziehen mit Teenagern, die Zweisprachigkeit, verschiedene Schulsysteme, Tee, Schokolade und Chips, sowie den Unterschied zwischen "Handy" und "Handy".

Wenn ihr mehr über Vanessa wissen wollt, findet ihr sie am besten auf Instagram, oder natürlich direkt auf ihrer Website. 

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My guest today is a true ATCK - an adult third culture kid. Third Culture Kids are people who were raised in a culture other than their parents' or the culture of their country of nationality, and also live in a different environment during a significant part of their child development years.

Shakti is also the author of Colours of a Cultural Chameleon: "Where are you from?" Life. gets interesting when one has no simple answer.

Born in the Netherlands to a Belgian father and an Indian mother, Shakti has known cross-cultural living from an early age, moving to Delhi, India on several occasions, and also Boston, USA, for a year, before returning to the Netherlands, where she lives today with her husband and son.

We talk about writing in general, and writing and publishing your own work, but mainly we talk about what it's like to constantly bridge two or more cultures, what it means to belong, the power of celebrations, and the gift of multillingualism. 

You can find Shakti on Instagram, or go straight to her website for more information about her writing, travel and publishing tips.

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For my very first Destination Special, we're travelling to South America!

Nikki Palazzo, born in the US and a former expat in Germany, is showing off the city she's called home for the last 18 months: Asunción, the capital of Paraguay. 

Join us on our virtual weekend through this colourful and friendly city and find out where to eat, drink cocktails and watch the sunset.
We also venture out of town, and there are tips and anecdotes galore!
Make sure you eat something before listening, as you'll be ravenous once you've heard Nikki describe Paraguayan food.
 
From Tereré to San Juan Festivals and the joys of parallel parking, I promise you won't get bored hearing all about this secret little place that usually ranks pretty high on the list of happiest countries in the world.

For more information, get in touch with Nikki on Instagram, or listen to her on this podcast - she was my guest for Episode 27! If you want to find out about her previous experiences in Germany, she still has her Expat Cast links available.

Some other things Nikki mentions:
El Café de Acá
Mbeju food
El Parque de la Salud
Nu Guasú Park
Guaraní language
San Bernardino town and lake
O Gaucho restaurant
Ciudad del Este: gateway to the Iguazu Falls
Encarnación: Unesco World Heritage Site
The Chaco: the "green hell"