SEGEPADFO. Happy second Advent Sunday! We're celebrating with SEGEPADFO: the Second Ever Germany Expat Podcasters Donation Face-Off. This year, Shaun and I are fundraising for Über den Tellerrand. In this episode, I interview the head of Über den Tellerrand Freiburg to learn more about the group. MORE INFORMATION thegermanyexperience.de/charity2020 Donate to the project here (Write in "The Expat Cast" in the "Dein öffentlicher Kommentar" field!) Learn about Über den Tellerrand CONNECT theexpatca...
Dec 06, 2020•18 min•Ep. 119
SEGEPADFO. Happy first Advent Sunday! We're celebrating with the launch of SEGEPADFO: the Second Ever Germany Expat Podcasters Donation Face-Off. This year, Shaun and I are fundraising for Über den Tellerrand. In this announcement episode, we explain what the organization does, what project we're raising donations for, and how you can contribute to the cause. MORE INFORMATION thegermanyexperience.de/charity2020 Donate to the project here (Write in "The Expat Cast" in the "Dein öffentlicher Komme...
Nov 29, 2020•11 min•Ep. 118
Season 4, Episode 25. It's episode 100! The end of season 4! So many reasons to celebrate! To wrap up a season that ended up being released starting at the onset of a pandemic and seeing us all the way through to September, we hear from a variety of former guests, listeners, and expat friends from around Freiburg about who their expat/immigrant/nomad role model is. Be it the people mentioned in this episode or the people who came on the show to mention them, there are examples you can aspire to ...
Sep 17, 2020•38 min•Ep. 117
Season 4, Episode 24. Nicole and Justin are two single Americans who have both been in Germany for about three years, and they're here to exchange their stories and perspectives on dating. Is it more effective to date in German or in English? Is it easier to date Germans or fellow internationals? What dating apps are common in Germany, and what is it like to use them? Are the gender roles different in Germany versus the US, and if so, how does that affect dating? Plus, both share the story of th...
Sep 10, 2020•40 min•Ep. 116
Season 4, Episode 23. If you are a US citizen, even if you live abroad, you ARE eligible to vote. And you SHOULD vote. Candice works with Democrats Abroad Germany and Vote from Abroad . She's here to tell us how to vote from abroad, why to vote from abroad, and what deadlines to keep in mind. The important information she shares in the episode can be found here . FIND DEMOCRATS ABROAD On their website On Instagram @demsabroadgermany On Twitter @DemsAbroadDE Facebook @DAGermany On Email info-germ...
Sep 03, 2020•39 min•Ep. 115
Season 4, Episode 22. Mahdia left her hometown of Dhaka, Bangladesh when she was 19. Within a year, she'd settled into adulthood and expat life simultaneously in her new home of Wollongong, Australia. She loved her life, her friends, and most importantly, the person she'd become. When she moved back to Dhaka three years later, Mahdia quickly realized her new identity didn't quite fit in. As she'd wanted to get her master's degree in Germany, anyway, she sent off applications and within a year wa...
Aug 27, 2020•40 min•Ep. 114
Minisode. My summer vacation ended up consisting of me visiting friends in Cologne, Berlin, and Amsterdam. Because I was outside of German borders, I qualified for a free Coronavirus test upon my return. I share what my experience was like. CONNECT theexpatcast.com Instagram @theexpatcast Twitter @theexpatcast...
Aug 24, 2020•10 min•Ep. 113
Season 4, Episode 21. In the Travel Germany series, different places across Germany are featured in interviews with expats who relocated there. Today, we learn about Nuremberg! Shannon and her family have lived in Nuremberg twice now, and they have fallen in love with the city's charm. Through the years, she's gathered a slew of great travel tips, which you can find here . CONNECT theexpatcast.com Instagram @theexpatcast Twitter @theexpatcast...
Aug 20, 2020•39 min•Ep. 112
Season 4, Episode 20. Moving abroad means starting completely over from scratch. Career, friendships, belongings, culture, language - all of these things are gone or nearly gone when you move abroad. Yet somehow, at some point, expats/immigrants climb their way to the top and establish a life for themselves in all of these sectors. Mari is from Indiana, USA and moved to Germany. Not only does she have her own story of how she started from the bottom; she also shares the story of her mother, who ...
Aug 13, 2020•40 min•Ep. 111
Season 4, Episode 19. Mari is here to talk all things related to the foreign female experience in Germany. Originally from Estonia, Mari has lived in three European countries. Along with Nicole's American perspective, the two discuss their experience of being a woman in Germany from an outsider's point of view. Can a woman feel safe to walk home alone at night? Is there a form of sisterhood among German women? How do expat friend groups manage group dynamics when cultural differences make confli...
Aug 06, 2020•44 min•Ep. 110
Season 4, Episode 18. Meg is a love expat - she moved to Freiburg, Germany from South Carolina, USA to be with her German then-girlfriend, now-wife. From the southern US to southern Germany, she shares what it's been like for her being queer. What kinds of encounters has she had because of her queer identity? Can she and wife hold hands and kiss in public? What is the queer community like in Germany in comparison to the US? What's the deal with Christopher Street Day? We get into all that, plus ...
Jul 30, 2020•47 min•Ep. 109
Season 4, Episode 17. Germany was supposed to be a temporary stop on a longer journey of living abroad for Natalie , from the UK, and her husband Conrad, from Germany. Then, months before their wedding, weeks before her birthday, and days before Christmas, Natalie got diagnosed with cancer. The cancer diagnosis changed her life dramatically, immediately, and, in some ways, permanently. Natalie went through various operations, treatments, and therapies - and she did it all in German, a language s...
Jul 23, 2020•43 min•Ep. 108
Season 4, Episode 16. In the Travel Germany series, different places across Germany are featured in interviews with expats who relocated there. In this episode, Stefanie from the episode Austria v Germany is back to tell us all about her new home city. Not only is Stuttgart the capital of Baden-Württemberg; it also is the center of Schwabian culture, responsible for such beloved things like Käsespätzle and Maultaschen. For all of her great travel ideas, read on here . CONNECT theexpatcast.com In...
Jul 16, 2020•39 min•Ep. 107
Season 4, Episode 15. Nicole recently discovered solo travel, and she chats about it with Zoe, a seasoned solo traveler who has done longer trips across Europe, South America, and southeast Asia all by herself. They discuss the benefits of traveling alone, but they also acknowledge the challenges, and they share their tips for things like loneliness and safety, especially as young female travelers. CONNECT theexpatcast.com Instagram @theexpatcast Twitter @theexpatcast...
Jul 09, 2020•44 min•Ep. 106
BONUS CONTENT. After the George Floyd protests, the Carl Schurz Haus in Freiburg hosted an online panel discussion with five Americans living in Germany about the state of America and their experiences with racism. It was moderated by Nicole, the host of The Expat Cast. The audio version of the panel is being re-broadcast here on The Expat Cast on the 4th of July intentionally. As panelist Jorrell put it, "This stuff happened. And it's okay - you can still think America is great now, but you hav...
Jul 04, 2020•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 105
Season 4, Episode 14. Getting divorced abroad is complicated and challenging in just about every imaginable way, and Katia Vlachos is here to talk to us about it all. Katia, a longtime expat, got divorced from her Austrian husband in Switzerland. She shares what she learned through the challenging process. For more about Katia's experience and the resources she mentioned, head over to the blog . FIND KATIA Visit her website Read her book, A Great Move Check out her coaching services On Facebook ...
Jul 02, 2020•36 min•Ep. 104
Season 4, Episode 13. In the Travel Germany series, different places across Germany are featured in interviews with expats who relocated there. Tessa and Lauren are two Americans who both moved to Görlitz, a small city where you can stroll on over a bridge and find yourself in Poland. Görlitz is small but mighty, because it's actually the largest city in Germany to not be bombed in World War 2. It's full of charm, history, architecture, and local culture, and it's captured the hearts of many a H...
Jun 25, 2020•34 min•Ep. 103
Season 4, Episode 12. Nicole and Shaun are two white expat podcasters who live in Germany. Nicole is from the US, and Shaun is from South Africa. In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, the two come together to share their reactions and actions about racism, as white people, as podcasters, as expats in Germany, and as people from countries with significant racially unjust histories. For a list of resources mentioned in this episode, head over here . FIND SHAUN On his website On Instagram @the...
Jun 18, 2020•57 min•Ep. 102
Season 4, Episode 11. For DIY expats like your host, Nicole, the world of the relocatoin industry is truly magical. For expats who move for jobs, this topic might be more familiar. Sheanne works in the relocation industry, and she gives insider information on how to maximize your relocation package. FIND SHEANNE On her website On Instagram @MigrantMamaAU Listen to her podcast, Migrant Mama in Australia CONNECT theexpatcast.com Instagram @theexpatcast Twitter @theexpatcast...
Jun 11, 2020•40 min•Ep. 101
There is no new episode of The Expat Cast this week. As an American living abroad, I cannot stand beside my fellow Americans in protest of police violence and racism in the United States. But that's no excuse to do nothing. I'm donating my Coronavirus stimulus money to various organizations that work to end racial discrimination and support black communities. I'm committing time to continuing to educate myself on racism and to listen to people of color. I'm engaging in conversations about white ...
Jun 04, 2020•12 min•Ep. 100
Season 4, Episode 10. When your extended family is split between two countries on two different continents, deciding where to root your own family is not easy. Throw in the complications brought to us by the Covid-19/Coronavirus pandemic, and the decision becomes nearly impossible to make. Our guest today, Emily , has a family split between the US and Germany. Emily, her husband, their young daughter, and their pets are based in the States now, but have considered a move to Germany several times...
May 28, 2020•39 min•Ep. 99
Season 4, Episode 9. In the Travel Germany series, different places across Germany are featured in interviews with expats who relocated there. To kick it off, we're featuring the home of The Expat Cast: Freiburg. Located in southwest Germany on the edge of the Black Forest, 30 minutes from the Alsace in France and from Switzerland, this corner of the world is full of culture, food, wine, and seemingly endless nature to enjoy. Get a full list of our recommendations here . FIND JIBRAN On YouTube @...
May 21, 2020•42 min•Ep. 98
Season 4, Episode 8. Brandi decided to move on from her life in California. She sold most of her things, packed up her cat, and moved to Germany in the heat of summer. It was a one-way-ticket kind of move, an open-ended relocation. She'd start with German courses and go from there. Nine months later, Brandi was back in the States. Life in Germany had become a struggle beyond what was acceptable. Brandi is here to share with us how she came to recognize that her expat journey wasn't the story she...
May 14, 2020•37 min•Ep. 97
Season 4, Episode 7. Ariane left Munich, Germany for Canada when she was a teenager, not realizing it would be a 30-year stay that would change her forever. Now back in Germany with her Canadian-German family, Ariane is a life coach specializing in cross-cultural creative clarity. Creativity doesn't just have to reference pursuit of an artistic project. Creativity can also be found in how we live our lives - and expats know that well. Because the experience of living in a new country is so far o...
May 07, 2020•39 min•Ep. 96
Season 4, Episode 6. Nicole and Casey share their highs and lows of language learning. Both gals are Americans who grew up monolingual and scoffed at their attempts to learn a language in high school or college, but moving abroad gave them the motivation to learn German, for real this time. They share their frustrations, freak-outs, failures, and even the occasional success. Highlights include Nicole inquiring how much it would cost to get her apartment petted, Casey exclaiming her excitement to...
Apr 30, 2020•38 min•Ep. 95
Season 4, Episode 5. Expat & life coach Julia inspired me with her blog post, " How to feel at home while you're abroad ." Although "home" can seem like it's something that just exists, separate from us, home is actually a feeling created actively by an individual. But how? Julia and I map out various strategies that have worked for us to make us feel at home, no matter where we are in the world. CONNECT theexpatcast.com Instagram @theexpatcast Twitter @theexpatcast...
Apr 23, 2020•41 min•Ep. 94
Season 4, Episode 4. Coronavirus is a global pandemic that's got many of us trapped at home. Aspen and I team up to bring you a podcast/YouTube cross-over to help you find the good in this bad situation. Our status as expats in Germany has given us plenty of practice at maintaining relationships and creating a sense of community from afar, and we share our favorite tricks to feeling connected despite the distance. Check out the video of this collaboration on Aspen's YouTube channel here. Read th...
Apr 16, 2020•34 min•Ep. 93
Season 4, Episode 3. Being in a cross-cultural relationship comes with many strengths and many challenges, especially if one partner moved to a new country and learned a new language to make the relationship work. This week's guest has lots of experience with that, both personally and professionally. Katie Rössler is an expat couple's counselor. Working with couples in person and online, through sessions as well as online courses and guides, Katie helps her clients navigate the tricky waters of ...
Apr 09, 2020•44 min•Ep. 92
Season 4, Episode 2. We dive into the topic of introversion with fellow introvert, fellow American living in Europe, and fellow podcaster Austyn from Expat Hour. Although Austyn and Nicole fall on different places on the extrovert/introvert spectrum, we share a love for nights in, the fulfillment of reading a book or watching TV alone, and the joy of missing out, aka JOMO, on social events. We reflect on whether these introverted qualities make expat life easier or harder. REFERENCED THIS EPISOD...
Apr 02, 2020•41 min•Ep. 91
Season 4, Episode 1. We're back with season 4! And we're kicking it off by diving into the delightful world of American football in Germany. Did you know that American football is played in Germany? I didn't, and neither did today's guest, Nick Alfieri, until he got recruited by the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns. Yes, you read that right, they're called the Unicorns. Yes, it's impossible to say that without smiling. Nick's from Oregon, and he jumped at the chance to continue his football career after...
Mar 26, 2020•38 min•Ep. 90
