Boarding Call

Drew Portnoy is an American from Colorado whose connection to Germany began as a high school exchange student. He later returned to Germany, where he would go on to build his life. Now based in Berlin, he has spent 25 years in the country, seamlessly adapting to the culture—even performing stand-up comedy in German, a testament to his deep integration and command of the language.

Aaron Arnold is an American from Georgia who relocated to Slovenia and has been based in Ljubljana for the past 18 months. He is currently pursuing his Master’s degree at a local university while immersing himself in Slovenian culture and language. Alongside his studies, Aaron also creates YouTube content about his life in Slovenia, sharing his experiences adapting to a new country.

Emmanuel Ventura is originally from the Philippines, where he trained as a nurse before beginning his career abroad. After spending several years working in Saudi Arabia, he eventually relocated to Ireland, where he has now been based for eight years. Alongside his work in healthcare, Emmanuel creates YouTube content about life as a nurse abroad, often interviewing others who share similar interna...

Sandra Mora is originally from southern Germany but set out to explore Latin America in search of new experiences. After her first trip to Colombia, she quickly fell in love with the country and made the bold decision to quit her job and relocate there. Sandra has now spent four years in Colombia in total, including the last three years based in Cali.

Tiana Thomson is an American originally from California who moved to France six years ago. Her journey began as an au pair and later evolved into becoming an international student, eventually leading her to establish herself as a full-time resident. Having lived in Nice and now based in Paris, Tiana has experienced multiple sides of French life while adapting to a new culture far from home.

Dylan Stafford is an American from Pennsylvania whose connection to Chile began through an international relationship that had him traveling back and forth between the two countries. That experience eventually led him to spend six months living in Chile, where he immersed himself in the culture and daily life. Although he’s now back in the U.S., Dylan continues to share his appreciation for Chilea...

Billy Peters is an Australian from Melbourne who developed a passion for Spanish and Latin American culture through language learning. That interest eventually led him to travel throughout the region before deciding to settle in Mexico City. Now based there for the past six months, Billy creates content about his life abroad while also teaching English to Latin American learners.

Kamil Kowal, originally from Poland, relocated to the Netherlands six years ago in search of a new place to call home. What began as a short stay eventually turned into a permanent move, and he now calls Amsterdam home. Through his videos, Kamil shares his experiences adapting to Dutch life, exploring cultural differences, and navigating everyday life as a foreigner in the Netherlands.

Amber Barnes is an American from Connecticut who recently relocated to Bogotá, Colombia. After making the move six months ago, she quickly embraced her new life abroad and began documenting the experience online. Through her videos, Amber shares honest reflections on adapting to daily life in Colombia, navigating cultural differences, and discovering what it means to start fresh in a new country.

AK Joel is an Australian from Melbourne who moved to Colombia four years ago after traveling to 48 countries in search of a place to settle. Now based in Medellín, he is a business owner working in real estate, with a focus on the city’s more luxurious neighborhoods. Alongside his Colombian wife, AK has built a new life in Colombia and has integrated into the local culture.

Marcel Kirst is a multicultural content creator born in Germany with Guatemalan heritage. He spent many years living in Guatemala before relocating to the United States, where he has now been based for eight years. Having grown up between cultures and surrounded by people from across Latin America, Marcel brings a unique perspective to his work, creating content that explores cultural differences,...

Anna Muckerman is an American from Maryland who first came to France as an exchange student to learn the language. What began as a study-abroad experience took a life-changing turn when she met and eventually married a Frenchman. Six years later, Anna has built a life in Nice, France and now proudly calls it home.

Rob D. Willis is a British Strategic Story Producer from Norfolk, England who has spent the past 16 years based in Berlin. He gives storytelling workshops and public-speaking coaching, drawing on his long experience living abroad. Rob also creates content about culture, blending perspectives from his British roots, his life in Germany, and his multicultural marriage with his Brazilian wife.

Brendan and Susie Davis are an American–Chinese couple who run a YouTube channel about life in France as foreigners, sharing practical advice for anyone considering the move. For the past two years, they’ve been based in France, where they also welcomed their daughter. Brendan is a writer, director, producer, and composer, while Susie is a working professional, and together they offer a grounded l...

Nya Yeanafehn is a stand-up comedian from New Jersey who relocated to Berlin after touring Europe with comedy gigs. He’s been based in Berlin for two years now, fully immersed in the city’s vibrant comedy scene. Alongside performing, Nya creates content about life abroad and hosts the Third Culture Talk podcast, where he explores identity, humor, and culture.

Maddie Lucas is an Australian creator from Adelaide, whose life took an unexpected turn after meeting the man who would later become her husband — a half-Uruguayan with deep roots in Latin America. What started as a cross-cultural relationship eventually brought her all the way to Uruguay, where she’s been based for the past six years. Maddie now makes YouTube videos about life abroad, the Spanish...

Stepan Bogatyrev is a YouTuber and cinematographer from Saint Petersburg, Russia. After the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, he made the difficult decision to leave his home country and start anew in France. Now based there with his wife for over a year, Stepan continues to pursue his passion for filmmaking, creating visually striking content that reflects his journey and his experience rebuilding...

Jared Hartmann is a Canadian who, after traveling to a number of countries, became fascinated by the stories of those who choose to build lives far from where they were born. This curiosity led him to create the Boarding Call Podcast, a show dedicated to conversations about culture shock, identity, and the process of embracing new ways of life. Now reflecting on the first year of hosting the podca...

Liam Dean is a British content creator from England who moved to Chile after meeting a Chilean woman who would later become his wife. What started as a cross-cultural love story turned into a brand-new life abroad. For the past seven years, Liam has been living in Santiago with his wife and their son, where he streams video games and creates videos about his experiences adapting to life in Chile a...

Luardo Gamero is a Mexican content creator and podcast host who moved to Europe in his twenties in search of new experiences. What began as an adventure abroad led him to Germany, where he met his future wife and built a new life. For the past 13 years, he has called Berlin home. Luardo is the host of the Guten Tag and Berlin & Elsewhere podcasts , which talk about life in Germany, both in Eng...

Conor Mangan, originally from Cork, Ireland, moved to Canada 12 years ago. His career as a professional rugby and football player took him across both Canada and the United States before he eventually made Toronto his home. Today, he works as a real estate agent, bringing the same drive and adaptability that defined his athletic years to his life and career in Canada.

Paul Strikwerda is originally from the Netherlands but moved to the United States 25 years ago, eventually settling in Vermont. Over the years, he has built a career as a professional voice actor, and has also been making content online. Having spent so much of his life in the U.S. gives this Dutchman a unique perspective on both countries.

David Wen is from California who moved to the Netherlands to pursue his Master’s degree. What began as a study abroad experience grew into seven years of living in the country, where he fully immersed himself in Dutch culture and daily life. While in the Netherlands, David also began creating YouTube videos about Dutch culture and life in Europe.

Josh Collins was born in the United States but moved to Okinawa, Japan, when he was in sixth grade. He spent nearly a decade growing up there, navigating life as a third culture kid and balancing both American and Japanese influences. Fluent in the language and deeply connected to the culture, Japan still feels like home to him even though he now resides in the U.S.

Tait Lawton is a Canadian from Edmonton who has maintained a deep connection with China for over 20 years. Altogether, he has spent a decade living in Nanjing, where he met his wife, achieved fluency in Mandarin, and even started his own business. Today, Tait runs a marketing agency based in China while also creating content in both Mandarin and English that covers current events, pop culture, and...