While life abroad is often amazing, it is not only rainbows & butterflies - as all experienced expats very well know. From the pleasures of drinking from fresh coconuts to dealing with a personal crisis, This Expat Life opens up space for all facets of life abroad. And more importantly: what you can do to thrive in it.
Certified coach, former diplomat and forever globetrotter Amanda Molenaar dives into the good, the bad & the ugly of expat life. Expect hands-on tips, deep dives, and relatable stories by fellow expats. Whether you're about to take off on your first international adventure or have been repatted already: This Expat Life is your place to find real understanding and to grow from the inside out.
Find more about Amanda and her programs here: https://www.amandamaximecoaching.com.
#124 We watched Anne take the leap - now we get to see her land
/// Before we get started, you're the first to know... Runway (https://www.amandamaximecoaching.com/runway) is back! ///
Two and a half years ago, Anne Verhoeven posted a reel from London. She was 39, stuck, and ready to leave - even though she didn't have a visa, a plan, or a single guarantee that any of it would work out. I found her, I reached out, and she came on the show last year (twice actually because we loved talking about love, trust and moves!).
She was still in the middle of it all: the long distance, the waiting, the faith required to hold on when nothing was certain yet.
This is the third episode. And this time, she's calling in from her home in California, with updates that show the Universe really does deliver.
In this episode we talk about:
What it actually felt like to trust the process for nine months while a visa - and a relationship - hung in the balance
Why the right relationship feels nothing like what she'd been used to, and how she knew
The thing she'd been blocking herself from wanting for years, and what finally shifted
Her exciting updates
What she'd tell anyone who's sitting where she was two years ago
Anne is proof that when you finally decide - really decide - things start moving.
And if you’re ready for that kind of moving as well, you’ll want to be inside my program The Co-Pilot.
Links & resources:
✈️ Ready to stop letting “Should I stay or should I go?” influence your sleep, joy and peace of mind? In The Co-Pilot I help you finally make the decisions you’ve been avoiding, confidently. Schedule a free call here (https://calendly.com/amandamaxime/the-co-pilot-figure-out-your-expat-crossroads)to see if it’s the right step for you now.
🙌 Get a free taster of how I guide you to clarity for your next chapter here (https://www.amandamaximecoaching.com/roundabout-exit).
📚 I’ve listed my favorite books! Find them here (https://tinyurl.com/45ue2mcr).
👩💻 Follow me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amandamaxime/) and LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-molenaar/)
30 Sept 2026
#123 The art of reinventing yourself with Julia Panchkowry
Julia Panchkowry (https://www.instagram.com/juliapanchkowry/) didn't plan on Thailand. She was a trained actress turned primary school teacher when a friend suggested she try an interview in Bangkok, and two weeks after getting the job she was packing. A decade later, after a banana bread side project turned into a bakery and then a restaurant, she came back to London, now as a business coach and a very exciting new project in the making.
Uhm.. Talking about reinvention?!
I met Julia at my event in London last year and knew my listeners needed to hear her story. Because if you’re like most of my clients, you’ve shown courage in the past by moving abroad and possibly changing careers, but slowly a subtle fear has come up that has stopped you from pivoting again, even though you’ve been dreaming about a change for years.
Julia is proof that you can reinvent yourself as often as you like, and that you don't have to wait until you feel ready. For whoever needs a boost of confidence for a new direction (or inspiration of what you could do), this episode is for you!
Links & resources:
✈️ Ready to stop letting “Should I stay or should I go?” influence your sleep, joy and peace of mind? In The Co-Pilot I help you finally make the decisions you’ve been avoiding, confidently. Schedule a free call here (https://calendly.com/amandamaxime/the-co-pilot-figure-out-your-expat-crossroads) to see if it’s the right step for you now.
🙌 Get a free taster of how I guide you to clarity for your next chapter here (https://www.amandamaximecoaching.com/roundabout-exit).
📚 I’ve listed my favorite books! Find them here (https://tinyurl.com/45ue2mcr).
👩💻 Follow me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amandamaxime/)and LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-molenaar/)
23 Sept 2026
#122 The 3 things I'm doing differently as I’m moving abroad again
Sign up for the free LIVE session that I'm hosting on the 30th! Let's get your priorities for Q4 clear so that you can end 2026 on a high. Only organizing this once, just for fun :) Save your spot here (https://www.amandamaximecoaching.com/the-wheel-live) (limited spots available).
If there’s one thing that’s essential when you’re moving abroad that is not about logistics, it’s this: being intentional about this new chapter of your life.
I’m doing the same right now as I’m closing a 6-year chapter in The Hague and moving abroad again. And my previous moves abroad have taught me something about my tendencies, traps and preferences - so I know exactly what to look out for now. In this episode I share the 3 things I’m doing differently as I’m about to leave for Mexico. Things I’m actively investing time, money and effort in.
Whether you’re moving abroad, starting a new chapter in another sense, or liking the idea of being intentional with Q4, this episode will give you the inspiration to come up with your own three things.
Who has been a guest on This Expat Life
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Mickelle Weber
Amanda Maxime
Ana Tello
Candice Gallagher
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
27,460
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
28 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 44 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
27
Social presence
0
YouTube
76
Engagement
77
Contact This Expat Life
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