Marie in Motion

Dreaming of hiking in Nepal but not sure where to start? In this episode, I share everything I wish I'd known before my first trek, from choosing the right route and bargaining tips to making the most of the experience. Whether you're planning your first solo adventure or simply curious about trekking in the Himalayas, these are the tips, mistakes, and lessons that can help you feel more c...

After Indonesia, Singapore felt almost too easy; drinkable tap water, clean hostels, food courts where every culture met on one tray. Then Taiwan surprised me entirely: a middle school teacher I hadn't seen in 10 years, expat families who talked about moving countries the way others talk about changing jobs, a black sand beach in the fog, and a coastal bike ride with a stranger. By the end, I...

Travel has taken me to many countries, but one of the most important journeys I've been on happened without moving an inch: learning English. In this episode, I look back on how my relationship with the language evolved, from struggling through my first books and TV series to eventually thinking, counting, and even dreaming in English. I share the moments that made me realize I was not as good...

This week, Anusha shares her experience of discovering two completely different sides of Fiji. After staying in luxury resorts surrounded by postcard-perfect beaches, she chose to leave the tourist bubble and live with a local family. There, she encountered a reality that shocked her: difficult living conditions, a lack of basic hygiene infrastructure, and a completely different way of life from w...

Indonesia was my first time truly on my own. One month, several islands, no safety net. What followed was equal parts terrifying and transformative; a chance encounter on the most beautiful beach I have ever seen, a meal shared in the rain with strangers who spoke no English, a volcano climbed in the dark, and a city that broke me a little at the end. This is the episode where the fear started los...

I had never set foot in Asia. The culture felt too foreign, the distance too great, the risk of getting it wrong too real. But I went anyway, first to northern Thailand, where I traded the beaches everyone else was going to for jungle roads and elephants, then to China during Chinese New Year, where I discovered what it means to be truly lost in a crowd…This is the first episode of a several-part...

I went to New Zealand when I was ten years old… and for years, I thought I barely remembered it. In this episode, I revisit that trip through a conversation with my dad. What started as a few blurry childhood memories turns into the story of a completely improvised family adventure: six of us, a campervan, no itinerary, and two islands to explore. We talk about what it means to travel with kids, w...

My first time in Latin America didn’t go as expected. From a controversial train cutting through the jungle to ancient Maya ruins, vibrant mountain towns, and a church where Coca-Cola is part of sacred rituals, this journey through southern Mexico was as fascinating as it was unsettling. Beneath it all, I began to glimpse a deeper reality; one of resistance, cultural identity, and ongoing struggle...

Since traveling more and living abroad, distances that once felt huge now feel almost normal. A five-hour train ride doesn’t seem that long anymore, and places that once felt far away suddenly feel within reach. In this episode, I reflect on how travel changes the way we perceive distance, how our mental map of the world evolves, and why the planet can start to feel much smaller once you begin mov...

This week, I’m telling you about the month I spent trekking in Nepal. I share what long days of walking really feel like, the toughest mountain passes, being hosted by locals, and the strange feeling of reaching a summit without the expected euphoria. It's an episode about slowing down, pushing your limits, and finding peace on the trail.

After two months away, I’m finally back !This episode is a little life update, a comeback story, and a celebration: one year of the podcast, 24 episodes, 12 guests, and 10 months of consistency. In the meantime, a lot changed : I quit my job, trekked through the Himalayas, spent a month in Mexico, and started my dream master’s in a new country. New mics, new energy, new stories. Let’s go again.

For three days, four friends set out to hike along the coast of Normandy, from Granville to the Mont Saint Michel. What started as a simple idea for a weekend adventure quickly turned into a test of endurance, friendship, and resilience. In this episode, we reflect on the trip: the pain, the laughter, the detours and what we learnt from it all. Although we were exhausted and suffering, it was all...

After a first episode about his 9-month bike trip, Yonas came back to tell us about the most impactful part of his journey: India and Nepal . For three months, he explored, two months in India and one in Nepal, part of it on his bike, part on crowded trains, always guided by curiosity. In this episode, he shares what it’s like to live day by day on the road, between freedom and discomfort, chaos a...

For 56 days, Max ran and walked 1,400 kilometers around Belgium to support refugees through the association BelRefugees. Each night, he was hosted by strangers who opened their homes, offering him meals, stories, and inspiration. Along the way, he discovered the hospitality and kindness of Belgians and the power of small acts of solidarity. This episode is about movement, both physical and human....

In this episode, we travel back to 2022, when Sarah spent several weeks volunteering in a wildlife sanctuary in Namibia. She shares what first sparked her desire to volunteer abroad, how she prepared for the trip, and what her day-to-day looked like among cheetahs, rhinos, and the vast desert landscape. We also talk about the human side of the experience: friendships, emotional highs and lows, and...

Wells Tad Jones has lived many lives — from pararescueman to actor, writer, and producer — but through it all, he has been searching for one thing: purpose. In this episode, he shares the wisdom his mother gave him at 15: ‘You have no business going anywhere until you handle where you are.’ That lesson shaped his resilience and became a guide as he trekked through the Middle East, built his own pr...

After 8 months of adventure in Asia, I came back to Belgium to start my first corporate job; and suddenly faced reverse culture shock, the transition from student life to adulthood, and the reality of office culture. In this episode, I reflect on the challenges of adapting without conforming, the fear of losing my freedom to travel, and the unexpected ways I still managed to explore Europe every w...

What does it mean to live abroad when your identity makes you stand out everywhere you go? In this episode, Emma shares her experience as a Black woman who lived two years in Vietnam. She opens up about daily interactions with locals, the line between curiosity and discrimination, and the surprising reality of the expat community. Together, we explore resilience, stereotypes, and what it means to...

What was supposed to be a simple errand, buying glasses while traveling in China, quickly turned into one of my most stressful travel adventures. From wandering through the world’s biggest glasses mall to sneaking onto a sold-out train with no ticket and no working phone, I had to improvise my way back home. In this episode, I share how a normal day spiraled into chaos, what it taught me about tra...

In this episode, I sit down with Yonas, who completed an incredible journey biking from Brussels all the way to Singapore. We barely scratched the surface of his adventure, but we covered the essentials: the general outline of his route, the technical side of such a trip, his choice of gear, and some of his most memorable interactions with locals along the way. Whether you’re a seasoned cyclist or...

In today’s episode, I’m once again joined by my friend Sarah, and this time she’s sharing a wild and unexpected story from her time living in Malta. What started as a carefree night of camping with friends quickly turned into a nightmare when they were arrested for unknowingly setting up in a national park. Locked up for more than three days, with little information and mounting confusion, Sarah w...

In this episode, I’m back with my best friend Sarah to talk about the joys and chaos of international relationships. Sarah now lives in Mexico with her boyfriend, and his family, navigating daily life in a new language and culture. I share my own experience of a nearly two-year relationship with a German guy, full of linguistic mix-ups, cultural gaps, and long-distance calls. We talk honestly abou...

In this episode, I sit down with my friend Clément to talk about his experience volunteering in Cambodia, where he spent several months teaching English to kids among other missions. What started as a dream of helping and discovering a new culture turned out to be more complex than expected. We dive into the daily realities of the experience, language barriers, lack of training, cultural differenc...

In this episode, I’m joined by my oldest friend, Sarah, to look back on our very first trip together: London, summer, and total chaos. I was 16, we had no money, and we were staying with a total stranger. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was unforgettable. We talk about what it was like to finally achieve our dream of traveling, no matter the conditions, and all the unexpected lessons we picked up alon...

What happens when you grow up Cambodian but schooled in French culture, and then land in Paris as a student? In this episode, Alice shares her story of growing up in Phnom Penh, attending the French high school there, and eventually making the leap to university life in France. We talk about culture shock, identity, and how she balances the influences of two very different worlds. From the familia...