Your Bestie Abroad

Hostels are a great way to save money and make awesome friends while traveling, it's also not for everybody. In this episode, I share 

Thank you so much for giving me a home between your ears. I strive to create contents that encourage you to practice courage and authenticity to belong truthfully wherever you are. If you enjoy this episode, I’d so appreciate it if you could leave me a five-star review and feedback. Take it to social media @yourbestieabroad on Instagram and Tiktok so I can thank you personally, and join my free Telegram community pinned on my Tiktok so we can support each other on our journey home. Remember border is only where our expansion begins and bonds never end. Celebrate yourself until we meet in the next one!

Have been eyeing a solo travel trip for a while but don't know where to start? Don't feel like "you know enough" to take the trip? Don't know what to do with yourself in a foreign country? 

As a solo female traveler for more than 10 years, I hope sharing can help you feel less nervous and more confident about traveling with and by yourself. I broke it down into hard and personal criteria that I always consider when I plan for my trip. I always begin by thinking about the safety and budget (hard criteria,) then move on to comfort level and the purpose of the trip, such as languages, information accessibility, and transportation. 

These would be my advice to my past self who's about to embark on her first solo trip, and I hope they offer some value and courage to your journey. Leave a feedback or drop a comment @yourbestieabroad on Tiktok and Instagram and let me know what you think. I hope you travel! <3

Olá de Lisboa! 

In this episode, I share my 3 biggest takeaways from my 3-week trip through 7 cities and 4 countries in Europe this Fall so far that made my solo travel experience so so much pleasurable and enjoyable.

1. Pack ULTRA light to avoid decision-making fatigue and logistical burden;

2. Don't plan to pack your day to preserve energy to immerse in the experience and leave room for surprises; and 

3. Balance between splurging vs saving MONEY to treat yourself without breaking the bank. 

What's your biggest questions about traveling abroad and solo traveling? Leave a comment and take it to social media @yourbestieabroad. I'd so love to hear from you and have a conversation. Remember border is only where expansion begins and bonds never end. Celebrate yourself until I see you in the next one!

What if today was your last day on earth? 

Ask yourself again, what if TODAY was your last day on earth? 

In this short and juicy episode, I reflect on this question that kept me struggling, in pain, and going during my recovery in September. The fear of being misunderstood, the need for someone else's validation, and the illusion of control are the topics that stem from my reflection. It shouldn't and doesn't take a fatal accident to realize the weight and lightness of life, and let's not make it another regret for spending our precious day and energy mourning someone else's flaws. 

Wherever you are in life, I'm with you and I'm rooting for you! If you are still here, if you are still breathing, you are not done, not yet! <3

The quality and meaning of friendship has been the biggest question I’ve been reflecting upon during my recovery after my recent car accident. How do we hold different cultural expectations of friendship? How to foster meaningful friendships that are beyond words and surface-level celebrations but show up with actions and aligned love? What are some important markers we should be more mindful of to find and focus on true friendships?

I discussed these questions with my special guest Sydney R, a first-generation American from an immigrant household, where she experienced and navigated through delicate and different cultural experiences and values. We found four foundational markers of true friendships

1. True friends normalize asking for help and don’t make you feel inadequate when you need support.

2. True friends follow through with their words with actions.

3. True friends help us process jealousy and support us through it instead of policing our emotions.

4. True friends celebrate our wins and never see us as a threat.

What are your true friendship markers? Are you struggling with calling in more aligned friendships? I’d love to hear from you—DM or connect with me on Tiktok and Instagram @yourbestieabroad. If you enjoy this episode, I’d so appreciate it if you could leave me a five-star review and feedback. You can connect with Sydney @brujitasydnoire and @earth_is_ghetto_ podcast.

Dear listeners,

I know I've been gone for two weeks and have been quiet. Long story short, I was in a car accident and have been injured. I'm alive, I'm in one piece, and I'm recovering. I just wanted to record a quick message to let you know that I'm still doing this podcast and also to remind myself that there are more and bigger things in life other than pain. I hope you are staying safe and healthy wherever you are. I so look forward to talking to you soon! 

Best,

Dieyun

"Can I trust what Chinese say about China?" "Is there freedom of speech in China?" "Is China as bad as what the media says?" Are these some of the questions in your head when you hear the word "China?" Do you want to know more about what China is like beyond the media coverage? Welcome to this episode with Vicky Zhou, one of my favorite creators on Tiktok and the author of Through Her Eyes: Exploring the World While Being Asian. As we both are Chinese woman living, studying, and working abroad, we shared our biggest challenges and joys about living abroad, as well as areas we hope our motherland can improve and the human experiences of growing up Chinese that we want the world to know. Follow Vicky @vicky_zzzzzzz on Tiktok and Instagram, and get a copy of her book Through Her Eyes: Exploring the World While Being Asian on Amazon. 

I strive to create content that encourages you to practice courage and authenticity to belong truthfully wherever you are. If you enjoy this episode, I’d so appreciate it if you could leave me a five-star review and feedback. Take it to social media @yourbestieabroad on Instagram and Tiktok so I can thank you personally, and join my free Telegram community pinned on my Tiktok so we can support each other on our journey home. Remember border is only where our expansion begins and bond never ends. Celebrate yourself until we meet in the next one!

Do you ever feel a strong "NO" about certain things you want to do-- doing a dance in public, changing a career, dating online, living in a van? For me, my NO was Tiktok and sharing my poems with the internet. Overcoming the fear of being seen and turning my biggest "NOs" into aligned actions were my doors to call in the community I've always dreamed of. In this episode I talk about my three-week transformative trip in Bogotá, Colombia, as well as my love story with Colombia since 2016 both personally and as a historian in training who researches Colombia. I hope my story can inspire you to take your dreams more seriously and courageously. The greater the fear, the greater the desire, the greater the dream! 

I strive to create contents that encourage you to practice courage and authenticity to belong truthfully wherever you are. If you enjoy this episode, I’d so appreciate it if you could leave me a five-star review and feedback. Take it to social media @yourbestieabroad on Instagram and Tiktok so I can thank you personally, and join my free Telegram community pinned on my Tiktok so we can support each other on our journey home. Remember border is only where our expansion begins and bond never ends. Celebrate yourself until we meet in the next one!

With more people working from home after Covid-19, in addition to inflation, the rising cost of living, and other social concerns, there is an influx of expats, digital nomads, and individuals who relocate internationally. This migration from developed to developing nations has intensified gentrifications in several popular destinations, such as Mexico City, Bali, Lisbon, Medellín, and Tulum. Luxury condos, higher cost of living based on U.S dollars, and replacing local infrastructures and norms with North American and Western European customs have made life more difficult for the locals. 

In this episode, I have a special guest, Melissa, an American woman who's lived in Medellín, Colombia since 2019, to share her observations, experiences, and tips about how to be a more responsible and mindful expat to cherish the local community and contribute to the economy. We discuss choosing community over comfort, how to navigate the rental process in a foreign country, the balance between recognizing one's expat privilege and making a life abroad meaningful, as well as ways to immerse into the local community. 

You can connect with Melissa @migrantmeli on Tiktok.

If you enjoy this episode, I’d so appreciate it if you could leave me a five-star review and feedback. Take it to social media @yourbestieabroad on Instagram and Tiktok so I can thank you personally, and join my free Telegram community pinned on my Tiktok so we can support each other on our journey home.

Why is a Mexican moving to the U.S. called an immigrant but a Canadian moving to Germany called an expat? Have you considered the undertones, prejudice, and assumptions of these terms? In this episode, I share my view of how aporophobia divides everyone who lives abroad into sub-groups by education, race, socioeconomic background, and country of origin, as well as how such biases condition the news and media coverage we consume daily. 

Join my Telegram community for a safe space to discuss cultural differences, life abroad, and how we can practice authenticity and courage together. https://t.me/yourbestieabroad

If you enjoy this episode, please kindly leave me a 5-star review and share your feedback on future topics you wish to hear about. Take it to social media @yourbestieabroad on Tiktok and Instagram so I can give you a personal thank you!