In this raw and real intro episode, I (Courtney) set the tone for everything this podcast stands for: no overproduction, no sanitized soundscapes—just life, as it happens. If you're looking for a polished studio sound, this ain’t that. But if you’re craving truth, laughter, and layered perspectives?

What I cover in this episode:

• 🎫 Passport Power & Paperwork Woes Why it took so long to get a passport—and what that has to do with name changes, U.S. bureaucracy, and the real-life effects of being divorced in America.
• 🍻 Liquor Laws & Social Sips A surprising cultural shift: how communal alcohol consumption in Brazil contrasts. * The YT video I mention is https://youtu.be/tg0dByrO7vQ?feature=shared.
• 🛍️ Microbusiness Magic From street vendors to solo entrepreneurs—what small business really looks like in Bahia.
• 🔍 The Suppression of Search Engines as an SEO expert, finding real, grassroots info online is getting harder. Here’s why “just Google it” doesn’t cut it anymore.
• ✊🏽 Community & Quality of Life What does it really mean to build community and live well in a new country?
• 🍲 Food Packages, Energy, & Everyday Life A peek into the unexpected beauty (and challenges) of the ordinary—Bahia style.
• 🧠 Illusions, Identity & Urgency From falling illusions to living near the equator—how geography, culture, and mindset collide.
• 🍎 Apples to Oranges: Colorism Across Borders A nuanced conversation about how colorism shows up in the U.S. vs. Brazil.
• 💃🏾 Body Image & “Diversity” Body positivity and diversity get a reality check. What Brazil revealed that America missed.
• 🔮 Being Psychic in Brazil Yep. That’s on the list. Because the energy here? Whole different frequency.
• 💰 The Myth of the “Rich American” Why being perceived as wealthy doesn’t mean you are—and the mental math of surviving abroad.
• 🌍 Roots, Media & the Global South Beyond “Back to Africa”—we explore overlooked Black narratives from Brazil to Colombia.
• 🚪 Behind Closed Doors (Spoiler: It’s the podcast name for a reason.) Some things you only learn once you live it.
• 🌀 Growth, Gratitude, and Confusion The strange mix of emotions when healing meets hustling.
• 🏙️ Brooklyn Energy in Bahia Comparing borough vibes to beach town grit—and why it matters.
• 🧬 Assimilation, Tech & Black Futures From construction to coding, how Brazil feels like a timeline split between past and future.

Tune in to hear our honest, unfiltered reflections—and get ready for conversations with women at every stage of the relocation journey: new arrivals, long-timers, and those still on the fence.