Transplants by Laura Peruchi - Conversations With Women Thriving Abroad

Sandra Romero knew early on that she wanted to explore the world and live abroad - she was inspired by her mom, who shared stories about living abroad. She decided to study translation and spent a formative year in England. From there, she took her first teaching job in Belgium, and it hit her: teaching Spanish could be her passport to keep living abroad. That insight became an operating system: p...

When Monique Kreis booked a one-way ticket to London from Australia, she felt called to make a leap - much like when she moved alone from Australia to Tasmania. But London’s gray weather didn’t convince her to stay, and after listening to her best friend’s advice, she secured a Workaway opportunity and booked a ticket to Tuscany, Italy. Following a long-held passion for food, Monique split her tim...

Welcome to this special episode featuring  some of the best moments from the episodes that were published this year. I selected highlight from the conversations I had with 15 women living abroad that are truly inspiring - and can help you to set the tone for the new year! Episode 1 - Adalia Aborisade   American in Mexico Episode 2 - Ambika Mathur - American in Italy Episode 3 - Raquel Paiva - Braz...

Marion Müller is originally from Switzerland and now calls Singapore home. What was meant to be a temporary move for her boyfriend’s job became a life-changing decision - even after their relationship ended. Yes, Marion decided to stay in Singapore, far away from the place she used to call home, to start a new life, by herself. Previous to the move to Asia, her life back in Zurique was pretty good...

When Olga Kudrick took a 36-hour bus from Lithuania to London, she was just a young woman looking for new opportunities and hoping to support her family. Sleeping on the floor, nearly becoming homeless, and being harassed were definitely not on her bingo card — but little by little, after overcoming a series of obstacles, she began building a new life. Olga met her husband, they had their daughter...

From a 21-year-old English teacher in rural Japan to 15 years on a Thai island and now a future in Valencia, Kaila Krayewski has been chasing belonging across continents. Being originally from Canada, Kaila's first experience abroad was in Japan - moved by the belief that Canada was not the right place for her and inspired by her parents, she thought that living in Japan to teach English would be...

In 2012, Celia Alves was a math teacher in Portugal: her life was stable; she had a house, a husband, and two kids. But Celia was pretty tired of her career; she felt burned out, and she knew that being a teacher forever was not something she was excited about. Then, while some European countries were facing an economic crisis, her brother invited Celia and her husband to attend a job fair focused...

When she was a kid, Karen Bussen always dreamed of moving to New York City. Eventually, that dream became reality: she moved to the Big Apple and built a successful, creative career. After more than two decades working as a wedding planner and even creating her own startup, she truly believed she would live in the city forever. Until Paris happened. Led by her love for the French capital and the F...

When Fernanda Santos first moved to the U.S., she had a clear plan: study journalism and return to Brazil. But everything changed after a chance encounter at a job fair. She met the love of her life, decided to stay, and built an extraordinary career, becoming the first Brazilian staff writer at The New York Times , contributing to major publications, publishing a book, and now serving as Editor-i...

Aneri Desai was born and raised in India, and expected to follow a path shaped by tradition, including getting an arranged marriage. When she went to London to study abroad for a while, she discovered another world - and then she decided to pursue an MBA in the United States. And her arranged marriage… turned toxic. But Aneri had the courage to walk away - with nothing. With no money - and no choi...

Gabriela Dutra landed her dream job as a fashion designer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, before even turning 30. But she soon realized that path wouldn’t be enough. Inspired by her grandmother, travel blogs, Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, and even pineapple plantations in Hawaii, she made a bold decision: she moved back in with her parents to save money, grabbed her backpack, and left everything behind t...

Kimberly Anne always dreamed of living abroad, and while she only made it happen at 56, she had already lived quite a life before moving solo from the U.S. to Portugal. She walked away from a 20-year abusive marriage, recovered from addiction, and navigated a complicated family dynamic, especially with her father. In this episode, Kim opens up about her path to Portugal: her journey of healing, th...

Milena Berry is originally from Bulgaria and she is the co-founder and CEO of PowerToFly - a platform that connects underrepresented talent to inclusive companies, helping women, LGBTQIA+ folks, and people of color find jobs, up skill, and thrive in tech and beyond.  She first moved from Bulgaria to Netherlands and then to New York City, as an international student, right before 9/11. Milena built...

Carolina Malis is from Chile. She studied acting and dreamed of moving to London - that eventually happened, but it took a 10-year detour. Imagine yourself just chilling at your house when a friend casually stops over and invite you to join a spontaneous trip to New York City. That's exactly what happened with Carol and she said yes. What was supposed to be a 3-month adventure turned into a 10-yea...

Aisha Ba is a model, dancer, content creator, and immigrant mom living in South Korea - and the path that brought her to Asia is a story in itself. Let's start by talking about her roots: she grew up in South Tyrol, Italy, a region that once belonged to Austria, with a German-speaking Italian mother and a Pulaar-speaking Senegalese father. Can her story give more melting-pot vibes than that? Well,...

When Raquel Paiva learned about the Au Pair Program, she realized it would be the perfect opportunity for her to improve her English to them chase her dream of traveling the world, by working in cruise ships. It was her first time traveling internationally - and she couldn't imagine how that step would change her whole future. After completing the program and failing in love with NYC, she decided...

After ending a long-term relationship, Ambika Mathur found herself back at her parents’ house, wondering what her next step would be. As a model with a flexible career, she impulsively bought a ticket to Paris while binge-watching Emily in Paris between takes on a shoot. She couldn’t have imagined how much that trip would change her life. Amby met the man who is now her husband and eventually move...

Adalia Aborisade is an American (from Texas) living in Mexico City. Former public teacher, she did everything society expected her to do it - she got married, she had kids, she worked hard... until she got tired. In her 40s, after a divorce, she decided to seek an old dream: living abroad. On this episode, Adalia shares more about her decision, her plans, how she became financially independent (sh...

I figured a solo episode would be useful - nice to meet you! I'm Laura Peruchi, a Brazilian journalist based in NYC and your host! On this episode, I share my transplant story - how I moved to NYC in 2014 and how I built my career as a content creator. I also share more about this project, what led me to this idea and also the meaning behind the name. Life coach mentioned - https://www.samanthamel...

Hosted by Laura Peruchi, a Brazilian journalist calling NYC home since 2014 . Each episode, we unpack the transitions, culture shocks, setbacks, and joys of starting a new life in another country—so you can learn from their insights and make your own bold move. Because I truly believe real stories are the strongest way to spark real growth. Why the name “Transplants”? I've always loved the mea...