In this podcast, I interview people who live (far) away from home. Some are friends, others are strangers, and a few are strangers on the road to becoming friends. In these conversations, I get to ask interesting people all sorts of questions about their lives and the decisions they've made.
My parents are from Shanghai, I was born in Chicago, and I've lived in Spain, China, Ecuador, and a few other places. I've always been drawn to the stories of people who have a complicated relationship with home. My hope with this podcast is to better understand the immigrants, expats, and foreigners of the world, including myself.
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Florencia, an Argentinian expat, recounts her twenty-year journey in Montanita, Ecuador, where she built a life and business, in this Spanish-language interview with host Elaine Zhou.
15 May 2025
Ali in Colombia
Ali was born on the border of Iran and Iraq, literally on the road as his family fled war through Armenia, Germany, and the Netherlands, eventually settling in a small suburb of Amsterdam. The two of us met at a permaculture hostel in the north of Colombia, which is where this interview takes place. In this episode, we discuss a memory from when Ali was one years old, what material possessions he actually needs, maintaining friendships while traveling long term, and much more.
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25 Sept 2024
Alec in Shanghai
Alec was born and raised in Utah, but he is not Mormon. His dad is from Belgium, he speaks French, and he has been living in China for around 5 years. We met working at the same high school in Shanghai and bonded over board games. In this interview, we talk about buying a one way ticket to New Zealand, advice for aspiring travelers, and the wonder he still feels walking down the street in China.
14 Aug 2024
Nini in Taiwan
Nini is originally from Taiwan and has lived in Australia, New Zealand, California, and Finland. Right now, she is back in the country of her birth, in the midst of figuring out what's next. I met Nini in Helsinki only a few months ago, and we've had a rollercoaster of a friendship. Now, I'm visiting her in Taiwan and asking all sorts of questions, like what it was like to grow up in so many different places, why she needs time to be alone, whether she's good at performing for others, and much more.
10 Aug 2024
Brent in Shanghai
Brent was born in North Carolina and lived most of his life there before moving to China. The original plan was to teach for 10 months and then leave. It has now been 10 years, and he is currently living in Shanghai with his wife and two kids. In this episode, we discuss how China has changed him, what it's like to be visibly foreign on the metro, the sense of home he wants his children to have, and much more.
31 Jul 2024
Stefan in Finland
Stefan was born in the States, grew up mostly in Spain, and has lived in Thailand, the UK, and now Finland. I met him just over a month ago in Helsinki through our mutual friend Alex, star of the previous episode. In this conversation, we discuss how changing locations can both stimulate and stymie growth, what it is like to maintain long distance friendships, and, as always, what home means.
25 Jun 2024
Books in London
Books is an old friend from college who I happened to meet up with in London. They are originally from Berkeley, California, but they have had many homes outside of the US, including Paris, Japan, Beijing, and Stockholm (not a complete list). In our conversation, Books reflects on how they became a world traveler, how they’re currently building a more stable home base, and what sort of advice they’d give to those using travel as a means of self discovery.
8 Jun 2024
Alex in Finland
Alex is originally from Louisville, Kentucky and has lived in Montreal, South Korea, and now Helsinki. We met in Kentucky 8 years ago through a teaching masters program, and now he is practically a part of my family. In fact, this interview was conducted on the very couch I’ve been crashing on for the past week. In this episode, we discuss the loneliness of moving to a new place, the benefits of setting a time frame to travel, the differences between each move away from home, and much more.
14 Feb 2024
Sol in Colombia
I met Sol at a beautiful hostel and eco farm in the mountains of Colombia, near Palomino. She was volunteering there and I was a guest for two weeks. On my last night, she asked if I could be on her travel podcast, Piedra, Papel o Cabra. I said of course, but only if I could interview her back! Here is our conversation, where we discuss her love for Uruguay, her home country, her experience living alone in Europe in a commune, the benefits of traveling slow, and much more.
13 Dec 2023
Justine in Chicago
In this episode, I interview my mom! I suppose she is technically the first person I ever met. She was born in Shanghai but has lived more than half her life in Chicago, the home she chose. In many ways, she is more proud of being American than I am. We discuss why she chose to leave China, how it was like raising kids in a new place with a new person, what advice she has for those seeking a new home, and much more.
25 Sept 2023
Intro to This Podcast
A brief introduction to my podcast.
24 Aug 2023
Camila in South Korea
Camila was born in Colombia, grew up in Florida, and has been living in South Korea for the past five years. We've been friends since 2016 when we met in Louisville, Kentucky. We were both undergoing an intense teacher training program, and unexpectedly ended up as both roommates and coworkers. In this conversation, we discuss why she moved to South Korea, her biggest fear in moving, the discomfort she felt living in the US, and much more.
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 9 / 100
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YouTube
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