The Places We Call Home podcast

A vivid recollection of immigrating at the age of eight from a country that no longer exists. In this intimate and emotional episode, guest Yulia Patsay shares the reality of childhood immigration — the disorienting impact of an abundance of resources, diversity, culture shock, and the courage it takes to rebuild your identity when you don't understand the language, rituals and experience. Through...

Practical guidance for migrant women rebuilding life in the USA. This episode shares three practical lessons for migrant women who are working hard to build a new life in the United States. These lessons come from my conversation with Janet Xu in episode #67, who moved from China with $300 in her pocket and rebuilt her life through persistence, community, and a clear sense of identity. You’ll get...

A blueprint for migrant women eager to turn obstacles into opportunities. Most women exploring life abroad feel overwhelmed by cultural shifts, language barriers, and the fear of losing themselves—until you hear Janet Zhu’s story. Janet shares raw, live stories of her journey—from the initial excitement, loneliness and identity shifts to creating a life that honors both her Chinese heritage and Am...

How to rebuild with kids, handle culture shock, and find your footing as an expat mom. immigrant mom. Feeling lost after moving abroad? This episode names the quiet grief women carry when you immigrate-homesickness, language shame, identity wobble, and the pressure to make the move "worth it". Karen - a professional organizer from Israel shares how she rebuilt in the U.S. in her 40s: making friend...

Moving to a new country is an emotional, psychological, and cultural upheaval. In this episode, Korean‑Canadian entrepreneur Monica Hyang-sil Chang shares her powerful story of rebuilding her identity after immigrating from Korea, to Toronto, Canada, to Marin County in California. This episode is for anyone searching for belonging, rebuilding identity after migration, or learning how to stay groun...

Life abroad can stretch you, soften you, and sometimes drain you in ways you didn’t expect. In this episode, I’m sharing five clear signs that your expat life — or the spaces you’re in — are costing you too much emotionally , and what it looks like to take your power back without abandoning yourself. If you’re an expat or immigrant woman navigating homesickness, isolation, microaggressions, shrink...

If you moved to the USA for love and now find yourself homesick, lonely, overwhelmed, or wondering who you’re becoming, this episode is for you. So many expat and immigrant women arrive with hope — then quietly struggle with the emotional cost of life in a new country. In this conversation you'll look through the eyes of guest Monica Hyang-sil Chang. Hear what’s actually possible for you, even if...

When you move abroad, especially to the USA, imposter syndrome can show up in ways you never expected. In this episode, I sit down with Zainab Ugokwe — scientist, mom, wife — a woman whose story will feel familiar if you’ve ever tried to rebuild your identity in a new country. Zainab talks about returning to the U.S. after spending her childhood in Palestine, navigating homesickness, cultural diff...

The moment you move abroad, something shifts — in your body, in your identity, in the way you see yourself. In this episode, I’m sharing three things that happen the moment you leave home for a new country, especially if you’re an expat or immigrant woman starting over in the USA. These are the parts no one prepares you for: the sudden loneliness, the unexpected softness, the way your confidence w...

There’s one thing that makes life abroad feel heavier than it needs to be — and most expat and immigrant women don’t realize they’re doing it. In this episode, I talk about the quiet habit that drains your confidence, deepens your homesickness, and makes every part of starting over in a new country feel harder. It’s something I’ve done myself, especially in my early years in the USA. It shows up i...

What does it really mean to start over in a country where no one knows your story? In this episode, you’ll hear Ghirmay’s journey — a true immigrant story of arriving in the USA with no English, no family, and no way to return home. Eighteen years later, he has built a life through resilience, homesickness, loneliness, fear, and pure determination. This is the unglamorous side of life in the USA:...

What would make someone walk 2,000 miles — not once, but three times? For Tim Scott, it was one thing: getting back to the woman he loved in Mexico and to the children waiting for him on the other side of the border. Tim didn’t grow up with safety. He didn’t grow up with stability. He came from an abusive home, left Virginia with almost nothing, and found himself learning a new language, navigatin...

Moving abroad doesn’t just change your address — it changes you . In this episode, I talk about the tension between fitting in and staying true to yourself, the culture shock that hits long after you arrive, and the slow, often invisible process of rebuilding your sense of belonging. These are the parts most “moving abroad” lists never mention — the internal unraveling, the rebuilding, and the bec...

Moving abroad has a way of shaking loose parts of you that you didn’t even know were fragile. Friendships shift, it changes your sense of self. In this episode, I talk with Patricia Boes , CEO of Unlimit Me , about what it takes to rebuild identity in a new country. Patricia shares how she found belonging after leaving Australia for the Bay Area, and what helped her feel grounded when everything f...

Relocating to a foreign country has a way of rearranging things -- your friendships, confidence, parts of you that you thought were solid. I talk about: the mix of belonging, homesickness, and loneliness that comes with expat life what it feels like to raise kids between cultures the version of you that’s waiting on the other side of this transition You don’t have to have it all sorted. You’re all...

The holidays are complicated when you’re living in a country that isn’t home. I’m sharing ten simple, comforting ideas that worked for me and can help you create a holiday season in the USA that feels truly yours. I talk about: finding community without the overwhelm • how to opt out gracefully • planning for triggers like homesickness I hope this episode gives you a few ideas — and a little comfo...

Send us Fan Mail What does Christmas look like when your life stretches across many countries? If you’re an expat or immigrant woman navigating the holidays in the USA, this episode offers something deeper than tips—it offers recognition. You’ll hear the mix of nostalgia, joy, longing, and connection that comes with celebrating Christmas far from home. You’ll come away with:  A reminder that home...

Send us Fan Mail Have you created your dream expat life abroad? Life as an expat is no joke! Moving to the USA can mean new opportunities, growth, and the inevitable personal changes for the better. For you.  Here is why you should not expect to walk in the front door to find the same attitudes that wished you well years ago. The new version of you is critiqued, the old version still expected. And...

Send us Fan Mail Have you immigrated away from your home, feeling foreign and a little lost? The first months abroad can feel like a whirlwind—joy, then the crash, then the ache of missing home.  In this episode, host Yolanda revisits her interview with guest Dr. Veronique Elefant—Yani, Clinical Psychologist, and creator of 3D Human Therapy®.  You will get: Gentle ways to steady yourself: journali...

Send us Fan Mail How to protect your identity, set boundaries, and create meaningful traditions when creating a new life in the USA. You’re not imagining it. For expat / immigrant women in the USA, the holidays often bring a unique mix of homesickness, cultural pressure, and the quiet fear of not belonging. This episode takes an honest look at what women like us are really experiencing: the overwh...

Send us Fan Mail How do you avoid isolation and create connection, community, and belonging during the Christmas holidays? The holidays can be a season of joy but for immigrant and expat women, it can feel like an extra layer of homesickness and longing. In this episode, we explore how to transform that loneliness into connection by blending traditions from back home with new rituals that feel aut...

Send us Fan Mail Feeling the dread of holiday loneliness because you live abroad?  Host Yolanda is being honest. The holidays bring a much needed moment of rest, togetherness, community, fun and festive food. But if you live abroad without family and you haven't built your tribe yet, it can be a mess.  The season that’s supposed to bring joy can instead spotlight what you're missing. Pay attention...

Fleeing Russia. Starting over in a new country is hard enough — doing it under pressure comes with a cost most people never talk about. In this episode, I sit down with Anna and Sergey as they share the story of fleeing Russia with only three days’ notice and seeking asylum in the United States. Their journey is raw, emotional, and full of moments that reveal what relocation really feels like when...

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do as an expat is admit that you’re ready to go home. In this episode, I share the story of a friend who, after twenty years in the USA, realized she was done pushing through corporate pressure, cultural exhaustion, and the constant feeling of being “the different one.” Her decision to return to England wasn’t about giving up — it was about choosing a life that...

Send us Fan Mail How do you rebuild an entire life from zero—no job, no family, no network—after fleeing a country you can never return to? If you’re an expat woman trying to feel grounded, connected, or at home in the USA, this episode reveals the real emotional, practical, and spiritual challenges that come with starting over—and the one element that makes the transition radically easier. You ar...