Whereabouts Tales | Stories of Belonging and Immigrant Experiences

What happens when a Silicon Valley data analyst trades his routine for a global pursuit of empathy? In this episode of  Whereabouts Tales , Paul sits down with Wesley Warshawer to dissect his "Epiphanies-Per-Year Ratio" the metric he uses to measure personal growth against the stagnation of a daily routine. After leaving the remote tech bubble, Wesley spent years exposing his ego to the...

"I ended up hospitalized. I was almost dead about eight years ago". Moving abroad is often sold as an escape, but what happens when you bring your demons with you? In Episode 80, I'm sitting down with American drummer David Deane Haskell, who moved to Tokyo to play for Disney and stayed for over two decades. Beyond the pristine image of Japan lies a grueling story of survival. David...

[The Hook] You bought the camper van and left the corporate grind—but what happens when the honeymoon phase ends? [Episode Summary]   In Part 2 of our deep dive with Angela, we leave the theory of escaping the system and face the gritty, unpolished reality of executing it. Angela breaks down the culture shock of arriving in rural Hungary with zero language skills and the immense mental friction of...

The Hook  What happens when the parts of your identity you try to erase are exactly what make you valuable? The Episode  In Episode 78 (Book of Tales 08), Paul deconstructs the illusion of cultural assimilation and the brutal reality of the creative process with attorney, publisher, and author Michael Isaac Shokrian. Centered around his debut novel,  American Playground , Michael details his jarri...

The Illusion of Security: From Six-Figure Burnout to a Camper Van in Hungary What happens when your body physically rejects the corporate matrix? Angela had the prestigious automotive project manager title, the BMW, and the German corporate lifestyle. But behind the facade, she realized she was operating in a "factory of PowerPoints and Excel without real life skills," ultimately leading...

What happens to a nation's psychology when the government collapses? Author Faizah Mohamed breaks down the brutal reality of the 1989 Romanian Revolution. In this sprint of the  Book of Tales , we dissect the psychological hangover of communism. We sit down with Faizah Mohamed, author of  The Art of Making a Forgotten Cup of Tea , to analyze how decades of systemic oppression hardwire generati...

What happens when you do everything right for 18 years, buy the house, raise the kids, and realize the "American Dream" is just a blueprint for burnout? In this episode of Whereabouts Tales,I'm sitting down with Jessica Roman, a former corporate IT manager who decided she was done waiting for retirement. At 47, Jessica quit her nearly two-decade career, sold her house in six days, ga...

What if positive affirmations are actually disgusting? Author David Deane Haskell breaks down the brutal realities of toxic shame, addiction, and codependency.  In this sprint of the  Book of Tales , we pivot from analyzing failing global logistics to analyzing the most complex, easily compromised system on earth: our own psychology. We sit down with David Deane Haskell, author of  Wounded Angels...

We are often told that the pinnacle of success is found in the relentless pursuit of achievement. But what happens when you reach the top of that mountain, only to realize the view isn't what you expected? In this episode, I sit down with Danielle Nemesio, who traded a high-profile culinary career at Walt Disney World for a life in Sicily. But this is not a romanticized story of  La Dolce Vita...

Is the 2026 World Cup truly clean? We dissect Declan Hill’s "The Fix: Soccer and Organized Crime," exposing how global betting syndicates, corporate logistics, and spot-fixing manipulate modern football. In this solo sprint of the  Book of Tales , we pull back the curtain on the invisible infrastructure of international sports corruption. Tying the chaotic events of the 2026 World Cup—fr...

The "English Delusion" & Rebuilding Your Identity in Austria | Asadito What happens when you sell everything you own to move 12,000 kilometers away, only to realize you left your personality behind? In this episode of  Whereabouts Tales , we sit down with Asadito, an Argentinian musician who uprooted his family to start over in the Austrian Alps. We deconstruct the harsh realities of...

What happens when the constitutional baseline of "one person, one vote" collides with highly sophisticated geographic software? In this bonus deep-dive of  Whereabouts Tales , we pull back the curtain on the invisible architecture of American political power. Emily Pabst, who previously managed redistricting data for the Kansas Legislative Research Department, joins us to explain exactly...

What happens when a chronic over-thinker from Texas marries a deadpan Australian who casually travels the world with zero plan? Today on  Whereabouts Tales , we sit down with Tom and Jenn Kan to unpack a global love story that defies logic, borders, and a 25-year age gap. After their lives secretly orbited each other through impossible coincidences, they finally collided. We explore their chaotic...

Machan Taylor sang for Pink Floyd and Sting. But behind the stadium lights of the 1980s rock scene, she was battling imposter syndrome and cultural displacement. In this episode of  Whereabouts Tales , we sit down with world-class vocalist Machan Taylor to dissect her memoir,  Naked Out Loud . We explore her unique origin story—born in post-WWII Japan to an American military father and a Japanese...

In this episode, I had the immense pleasure of sitting down with Miyu and Valentin, a truly captivating couple whose journey spans continents and cultures. Their honesty and openness instantly drew me in, setting the stage for one of the most refreshing conversations I’ve had. Miyu's upbringing alone is fascinating, born in the UK, moving to traditional Japan at 11, and navigating two vastly d...

Zach Taylor, NASA engineer and author of  Rockstar: Echoes , ghosted us twice. We dissect his dark music industry novel without him. When a guest goes dark, the text must speak for itself. In this solo "Book of Tales" deep-dive, we maintain our bi-weekly production sprint by turning our analytical focus entirely onto the novel the author couldn't be bothered to show up for. How does...

What happens when an unexpected military order sends you from Georgia to a tiny, rural village in Germany? In this episode of Whereabouts Tales, Peyton Siemiaczko breaks down the unfiltered reality of American expat life in Europe. We strip away the romanticized Instagram version of moving abroad to discuss the true culture shock of relocation. Peyton shares what it is actually like to be the only...

📖 Buy The Courage to Be Disliked Here: https://amzn.eu/d/0d7e66AuAre you caught in the "Instagram Trap"? In Chapter 2 of the Book of Tales, we explore the psychology of true freedom and review the global bestseller, The Courage to Be Disliked. We are constantly told to live our "dream life," but how often are we actually just living someone else's dream for the validation?...

Welcome to an episode that truly left me speechless and filled with hope! I was absolutely thrilled to sit down with Marc and Alinka, an intercultural family whose journey is unlike any I’ve ever encountered. You might know them as "The Blaschkovs," a fascinating story in itself, as Marc adopted Alinka's unique Slavic family name for their wedding photography business, leading to a m...

Pre-Order Sarah's Brand New Book,  The Scenic Route , right here:  👉  www.thescenicroutebook.com Welcome to Chapter 1 of the  Book of Tales , a brand new series from Whereabouts Media. Every other week, we step off the road and into the library to dive deep into the psychology of global living, interviewing authors and dissecting the books that change the way we see the world. We’re told that...

In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Rob Solves America, and I have to admit, it was one of those rare "cold start" conversations that resonated deeply and just flowed naturally from the get-go! I came into this chat knowing little beyond his name, but Rob’s incredible story immediately ignited my native curiosity. Rob takes us on a fascinating personal journey, traci...

Hey everyone, Paul here, and I'm still buzzing from my incredible conversation with Yvonne! If you've ever dreamed of leaving your home country for a sunnier, slower pace of life, or even if you just need a serious dose of positivity, then you *have* to listen to this episode. Yvonne's story is truly captivating. Born in Germany, raised in Belgium, she’s lived what she calls a "no...

Good evening, or whenever you're tuning in! I'm thrilled to bring you a truly special episode today, one that moves beyond typical expert advice to deliver a profound experience. I recently stumbled upon Carl's story on Reddit, where his 'Ask Me Anything' post captivated me: 'I'm 33, a man, and I traveled the whole world the last three years (85+ countries).' I knew...

In this deeply personal episode, I had the immense pleasure of sitting down with Yibet and Manuel. returnees and cultural explorers, as they trade the American dream for life in Valencia, Spain. Their immigrant experiences honor belonging and transformation from the start. From the outset, I was fascinated by their journey. Yibet and Manuel, originally from Texas and Mexico respectively, built a s...

In this episode, I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Stephanie Jahn, an American expat who traded the snowy landscapes of Wisconsin for the vibrant, sun-drenched streets of Seville, Spain. Our conversation couldn't have started better, diving straight into her unique upbringing in a tiny Wisconsin town with no stoplight and a gas station as the primary grocery store! (01:09) It immediatel...