Stories Between Sips

René sits down with her former colleague O’dine, an Afrikaans teacher who has taught at both co-ed and single-sex schools, to reflect on how the classroom has evolved. From the days before smartphones to the hyper-digital learners of today, they unpack how education—and educators—have had to adapt. ✨ We’re also preparing our final episode for the season, and we want to hear from you: * How has be...

René shares her journey across three countries—South Africa, South Korea, and Qatar—to reflect on how teaching has changed over the past decade. From chalkboards to TikTok, what does it mean to teach the digital generation? Grab your cup and settle in. 🎧 Follow @storiesbetweensipspodcast on Instagram and @storiesbetweensipspod on TikTok. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this...

In this week’s guest episode, René chats with Milla — someone who’s formed a powerful, enduring bond with Ilze over the years. Their friendship may not have started in childhood, but it has become one rooted in loyalty, growth, and deep understanding. Together, Milla and René talk about what it takes to build and maintain adult friendships, the beauty of sisterhood, and the ways our closest connec...

In this solo episode, René gets honest about how complex adult friendship can be — especially when you grow up without being taught how to nurture emotional connections. She reflects on sisterhood, friendships with men, the shifting nature of relationships, and how the loss of her parents reshaped the way she connects with others. From childhood dynamics to expat loneliness, this episode holds spa...

Next week on Stories Between Sips , we explore the messy beauty of adult friendship. In Monday’s solo episode, René opens up about learning (and unlearning) how to be a friend — from childhood gaps in emotional education to navigating connection, distance, and grief as an adult. Then on Friday, she sits down with Milla, Ilze’s lifelong best friend, for a heartfelt conversation about sisterhood, ev...

What does it mean to grieve when you're far from everything familiar? In this episode, I speak with Renate Mayer — someone I went to high school with — who now lives in the U.S. with her husband John and is currently on the path to becoming a death doula. We talk about the heartbreak of losing a parent while living abroad, the silence of family who don’t show up, and how grief can reshape your sen...

In this solo episode, I share the most personal story I've ever told — losing my mom in 2021 and my dad in 2024. I talk about the guilt of being far from home, how grief affected my relationship with my brother and my dad, and what it felt like when family didn’t show up. This isn’t a guide to “getting over it.” It’s an honest look at what it means to carry loss — and to slowly find your way throu...

Grief changes everything — your identity, your relationships, your sense of home. On Monday, I share my story of losing both my parents — my mom in 2021 and my dad in 2024 — and how that grief shaped me. Then on Friday, I’m joined by my high school friend Renate Mayer, now living in the U.S., as we talk about grieving across oceans and the family who showed up… and who didn’t. Two episodes. One ho...

In this deeply moving episode of Stories Between Sips , René sits down with Ilze Gopal — a wife, mother, poet, and lifelong friend — who shares her lived experience with bipolar disorder . Ilze speaks candidly about her early diagnosis, the emotional highs and lows, her relationship with faith, family, and the role therapy and medication have played in her journey. This is a story of strength, sur...

In this powerful solo episode, I open up about navigating mental health as a Coloured person in South Africa. From growing up surrounded by silence around emotional struggles to seeking therapy and medication after personal loss, this episode is a gentle but honest unpacking of stigma, survival, and healing. 🎙️ May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this conversation is for anyone who has ever...

In this episode of Stories Between Sips , I sit down with LaToya Gabriel, a teacher, traveler, and expat who has lived and worked in China, Qatar, and beyond. We discuss the challenges of building a life away from home, navigating racism, and the constant search for belonging. LaToya shares her journey of teaching abroad, the complexities of adapting to different cultures, and how she has grown in...

Leaving your home country sounds like a dream—new opportunities, a better lifestyle, growth. But what about the moments no one talks about? The loneliness. The milestones you miss. The quiet grief of being far away from everything and everyone that once defined “home.” In this solo episode of Stories Between Sips , your host, René van Niekerk, opens up about the emotional cost of living and workin...

In this pilot episode of Stories between Sips , I share who I am, why I started this podcast, and what you can expect from this space. Born and raised in Cape Town, I’m a teacher, poet, and storyteller who’s taught in South Africa, South Korea, and now Qatar. After losing both of my parents in recent years, I created this platform to reflect, heal, and connect—because I believe our stories matter....