How to be Local

About How to be Local

How to Be Local is the podcast for anyone living abroad figuring out what it really means to belong somewhere new. Hosted by Fernanda, a Brazilian living in Canada, and Vicky, a German living in Brazil, we get honest about culture shock, intercultural relationships, language barriers, homesickness, and the emotional side of starting over. New episodes every Monday. Come and be local with us!

Publisher

with Vicky and Nanda

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

10 Apr 2026

Latest episode

16 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

23 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   16 Oct 2026

   Ep 23 // From Au Pair to Digital Nomad: Dyla's Journey Abroad

   Moving abroad at 20 with only €400 and no idea what to expect? That's how Dyla's journey from Indonesia to Germany began. Starting a new life abroad can be exciting, but what happens when the reality turns out to be completely different from what you imagined? In Episode 23 of How to Be Local, we're welcoming our first guest who isn't one of our partners! Meet Dyla, originally from Indonesia, who moved to Germany at just 20 years old as an au pair, without ever having visited Europe before. She wanted to explore the world, experience a different culture and create opportunities for herself that she didn't have back home. But moving abroad wasn't nearly as easy as she imagined. From struggling with German bureaucracy and language barriers to adjusting to cultural differences, feeling lonely and questioning whether she'd made the right decision, Dyla shares what those first months in Germany were really like. And things have changed quite a bit since then! After six years in Germany, Dyla eventually decided to leave the life she'd built behind and start another chapter. Today, she works remotely, travels between Europe and Asia and is building a business with her husband. Together, we talk about culture shock, moving abroad alone, learning languages, making friends as an adult and what it actually takes to feel at home somewhere new. We also get into intercultural relationships, the surprising differences between living in Germany and Spain, and why making friends in a country that feels culturally familiar isn't necessarily easier. As a German living in Brazil, a Brazilian living in Canada and an Indonesian who has built a life across different countries, we realize how many experiences we share despite growing up in completely different parts of the world. One thing that really stayed with us from this conversation is that you don't have to have your entire life figured out before moving abroad. Your plans can change. Your goals can change. And deciding that you want something different doesn't mean your original decision was a mistake. Sometimes, it just means you've grown. Whether you're planning your first move abroad, struggling to settle into a new country or simply trying to figure out where you belong, we hope Dyla's story reminds you that you're not alone in this experience. 💬 LET'S TALK! Have you ever moved abroad without knowing what to expect? What's something you struggled with in the beginning that eventually became easier? And if you're still dreaming about moving abroad, what's the biggest thing holding you back? We'd love to hear your stories in the comments! 🎙️ ABOUT HOW TO BE LOCAL We're Vicky, a German living in Brazil, and Fernanda, a Brazilian living in Canada. Together, we talk about the real side of living abroad, intercultural relationships, culture shock, identity, personal growth and everything that comes with building a life somewhere new. CONNECT WITH US Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howtobelocal_/ (https://www.instagram.com/howtobelocal_/) Vicky: https://www.instagram.com/avidadavi/ (https://www.instagram.com/avidadavi/) Fernanda: https://www.instagram.com/nandafernandes/ (https://www.instagram.com/nandafernandes/) Send us your stories or questions: how2belocal@gmail.com (mailto:how2belocal@gmail.com) If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our channel and share it with someone who's dreaming about starting a new life abroad. 💛 #HowToBeLocal #MovingAbroad #LivingInGermany #CultureShock #ExpatLife

2. 

   5 Oct 2026

   Ep. 22 // Is Remote Work Really the Dream?

   Working remotely sounds like the dream: work from anywhere, travel whenever you want, skip the commute and have more freedom over your day. But what happens when the dream becomes your everyday life? In this episode, we talk about our very different journeys into remote work and what working from home actually looks like behind the flexibility. Vicky shares what it was like trying to enter the remote job market after coming from a completely in-person medical career and why finding that first opportunity was much harder than she expected. Nanda shares how the pandemic unexpectedly started her remote-work journey and how networking and previous connections shaped the opportunities that followed. We also talk about the side of remote work that doesn't always make it onto social media: struggling to switch off, spending entire days at home, losing the natural social interaction that comes with going to work, and how working remotely while living abroad can sometimes make loneliness and making friends even harder. We get into healthy vs. unhealthy routines, work-life boundaries, working while traveling, whether we would choose remote work again, and the freedom remote work has given us to build lives abroad and spend more time with family. And if you're currently trying to find your first remote job, we also share some of the things we've learned along the way, from building experience and practicing interviews to networking, freelance work and looking beyond the usual job platforms. Remote work can give you an incredible amount of freedom. But does that automatically make it the better way to work? Maybe the bigger question is: does remote work actually fit the kind of person you are? Let us know your experience. Do you love working remotely, miss going into work, or would your ideal situation be somewhere in between? _________________________________________________________ Send us your stories or questions: Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠how2belocal@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ (mailto:how2belocal@gmail.com) Follow us on social media for behind-the-scenes content, updates, and more conversations about living abroad: Podcast Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@howtobelocal_⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/howtobelocal_/) Vicky: ⁠⁠⁠@avidadavi⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/avidadavi/) Fernanda: ⁠⁠⁠@nandafernandes⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/nandafernandes/) If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast, leave us a rating, and share it with someone who is currently learning a new language or building a life abroad.

3. 

   15 Sept 2026

   Ep. 21 // Family First? Boundaries in Intercultural Relationships

   How much should your family actually be involved in your relationship and when does being close to your family start crossing a boundary? In Episode 21 of How to Be Local, we continue our series about cultural differences versus actual relationship problems, and this time we’re talking about family. We talk about how our own family dynamics shaped what we consider “normal,” how moving abroad changed the way we see our families, and what happens when two people grow up with completely different expectations around closeness, privacy and involvement. We also get into the harder questions: What if your family starts influencing decisions that should belong to you and your partner? What if your partner feels like they’re competing with your family for attention? Should your partner eventually come first? And what happens when your family simply doesn’t like the person you’re with? One thing we keep coming back to is boundaries. Your family can be incredibly important without making every decision for you, and your partner can respect your family without having to be involved in absolutely everything. So where do you draw the line? When is it simply a different family dynamic and when does it become an actual relationship problem? _________________________________________________________ Send us your stories or questions: Email: ⁠⁠⁠how2belocal@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠ (mailto:how2belocal@gmail.com) Follow us on social media for behind-the-scenes content, updates, and more conversations about living abroad: Podcast Instagram: ⁠⁠@howtobelocal_⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/howtobelocal_/) Vicky: ⁠⁠@avidadavi⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/avidadavi/) Fernanda: ⁠⁠@nandafernandes⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/nandafernandes/) If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast, leave us a rating, and share it with someone who is currently learning a new language or building a life abroad.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Contact How to be Local

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.