Marianne & Melissa - chatting overseas

For the season finale, Marianne checks in from Japan and Melissa from Massachusetts — which means this episode is officially happening across approximately eight seas, several time zones, and one deeply committed 7-Eleven birthday mission. They talk World Cup tactics, Norwegian football emotions, why losing to Sweden would be a national trauma, and how Japan somehow makes trains, cakes, convenienc...

In this episode of  Chatting Overseas , Marianne calls in from Amami, Japan — in a bikini, far from Trondheim — while Melissa reports from Massachusetts, newly converted into a Norwegian football supporter after watching Norway play in a Boston bar surrounded by 300 Scottish fans in kilts (with no underwear). Melissa dives into World Cup energy, Tartan Army chaos, Haaland fever, Madagascar vanilla...

In this episode of  Chatting Overseas , Marianne and Melissa begin with an important Norwegian language lesson: the dangerous difference between complimenting a cute little girl and accidentally complimenting something very different. From there, Marianne reports from the sidelines of her daughter’s soccer match, where she is supposed to be a neutral “game host” in a yellow vest — a role wildly in...

In this episode of  Chatting Overseas , Marianne and Melissa move from Bergen confidence boosts and cathedral raves to Northern Norwegian curse words that probably should not be taught on Duolingo. Marianne reports from her travels, Melissa develops a sour candy addiction, and together they explore salty licorice cravings, pregnancy smells, and whether hormones are secretly running the snack depar...

In this episode of  Chatting Overseas , Marianne and Melissa move from laundry mysteries in a Norwegian camper to a one-day vacation in Nantucket, complete with ice cream, squishies, and a third-grade windmill hat parade. They talk about fashion courage, the power of wearing the red skirt or the blue fringe jacket, and why everyone should get more “titsy” with the clothes already hiding in their c...

In this episode of  Chatting Overseas , Marianne and Melissa travel from Norwegian hammocks to American regional culture, from Botox-level facial control to full-face emotional transparency, and from 90210’s eternal question — Brandon or Dylan? — to the deeper mystery of why some people wave at strangers and others absolutely do not. They talk about Montana friendliness, Boston social ice, Atlanta...

This week, Marianne has discovered vibe coding — and may accidentally have built an entire website, solved several work problems, and become mildly unbearable about AI. Melissa is thrilled, confused, and ready to make AI fix school emails, calendar chaos, and maybe everything except the bathroom caulk she has been avoiding since October. They talk about using AI as a tool for women who are tired o...

This week we accidentally invent a new word:  podcoasting  — thanks to Melissa’s dad, also known as Master P, laundry angel and possible merch genius. We talk AI (AKA Nils and his brother Claude), vibe coding, Norwegian travel logistics, beauty advice from “Nils,” eyes that  pop  but definitely do not “pop out,” and the eternal question: do peptides change your life, or should we all just go back...

In episode 2, the conversation jumps from podcast life and creative ambitions to a slightly one-sided (but deeply committed) love story involving Robbie Williams. Expect telepathic friendships, gourmet vanilla beans from Madagascar, and a cross-cultural deep dive into  Love Is Blind . Plus: some hot flashes, sleep struggles, and why everyone might need their own “little boyfriend.”

Marianne in Trondheim and Melissa in Massachusetts launch Chatting Overseas —the podcast absolutely no one requested. In this first episode, we attempt to explain why two middle-aged, slightly hormonal, internationally confused friends decided to start an English-speaking podcast. We cover essential topics like the weather (obviously), weird American geography explanations, Copenhagen reunions, me...