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© 2026 Quiero un Panino con Cheese - A Podcast for TCKs and Multicultural Families
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Ever tried answering the question “Where are you from?” and gave a 10-minute monologue? Ever caught yourself switching between three languages in the middle of a sentence? Ever wondered what home really means when you’ve had more than one?
If so, welcome to Quiero un Panino con Cheese, the podcast for parents, kids, and families living the beautiful chaos of multicultural life.
Hosted by Gaia Striano and Hazel Swayne, two moms who have raised children across borders, this show explores the joys and challenges of Third Culture Kids—kids who grow up between cultures, languages, and identities.
20 Episodes
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As the year comes to a close, we’re also wrapping up Season 1 of Quiero un Panino con Cheese — and what a year it’s been. This episode serves as a year-end recap, where we share our honest thoughts on what 2025 has meant for us personally and creatively, the lessons we’ve learned along the way, and how this podcast has grown since its very first episode. From meaningful conversations to unexpected laughs, Season 1 has been full of moments we’ll never forget. We would also like to give s...
Traveling—especially during the holiday season—can be exciting, chaotic, and downright stressful all at once. In this episode of Quiero un Panino con Cheese, Hazel and Gaia dive headfirst into the highs and lows of travel, sharing their personal tips, quirks, and very real anxieties when it comes to getting from point A to point B. In a lighthearted and funny conversation, they break down how each of them approaches travel, from the planning and preparation beforehand to the emotional rollerc...
In this light-hearted episode, Hazel and Gaia dive into the joys and challenges of navigating the holiday season as part of a multicultural, globally-scattered family. With relatives spread across countries and time zones—and traditions coming from multiple cultures—the holidays can quickly become complicated. They explore: Traditions vs. Flexibility: How much should you hold onto long-standing customs, and when is it okay to let them go?Creating Your Own Holidays: The moment when carvi...
In this episode, we sit down with Elisabeth Hutman, a multilingual psychologist based in Madrid, to explore a topic many expats quietly struggle with: expat guilt. Together, we unpack questions such as: Do people even realize when they’re experiencing expat guilt?What are the signs, and how can we recognize it in ourselves?How is expat guilt tied to our sense of identity?Are certain cultures more susceptible to it?What role does empathy play in shaping these feelings?Are there different forms...
Today we sit down with J.K. Amerson López, author of Embassy Kid: An American Foreign Service Family Memoir — the first book to tell the story of Foreign Service life from the perspective of a child. Kelly, as she likes to be called, shares vivid memories of growing up as the eldest daughter of a U.S. Foreign Service officer during a turbulent era beginning in the late 1950s. From moving between countries to adapting to new cultures, she reflects on what it meant for her and her family to be ...
In this inspiring episode, we chat with the wonderful Kat Simison from Brewster Madrid. Kat wears many hats — she’s Brewster’s Director of Enrollment and External Affairs, an educator, and a mom raising a daughter between two homes: Spain and the USA. Our conversation dives deep into what it means to raise and educate children across cultures. Kat shares insightful stories that weave together her personal journey as a parent of a bi-cultural, bilingual child and her professional role supporti...
Markian Benhamou on the TCK Experience and Building Global Community In this episode, we sit down with Markian Benhamou — creator, content entrepreneur, and founder of the Smile Squad — to explore what it means to grow up as a Third Culture Kid (TCK) and how that experience has shaped his mission to build community across cultures. Markian shares his journey of growing up between worlds, the challenges of identity and belonging, and how his multicultural background inspired him to create sp...
Have you ever traveled somewhere and found yourself in a situation that felt completely foreign—even uncomfortable—because it was normal for the locals but so unusual for you? That’s culture shock. And that’s exactly what Hazel and Gaia dive into in today’s episode. Having lived in various countries around the world, they’ve both had their fair share of moments where local customs clashed with their own expectations—sometimes leading to hilarious, sometimes eye-opening situations. Tune in as ...
Naming a baby should be one of the most joyful parts of expecting. But when families cross borders, cultures, and languages, this “fun” task can quickly turn into a puzzle. In this episode of Quiero un Panino con Cheese, we explore the complexities of choosing a name that works across multiple worlds. From avoiding awkward translations to navigating legal requirements in different countries, to finding names that kids won’t get teased for, we dive into the challenges (and comedy) of the namin...
What would it be like to leave everything you’ve ever known — your family, your hometown, your traditions — at just 23 years old and start a life abroad? Now imagine doing it 65 years ago, without the internet, Google Maps, cell phones, Duolingo, or even reliable landlines. That’s the incredible journey of our guest, Nicoletta Loewenherz, who “expatted” long before the word was even common. Now 87 years old, Nicoletta shares wonderful stories and timeless wisdom from a life lived across count...
In today’s episode of our series, TCK STORIES , we sit down with Chiara — Gaia’s middle child and a true Third Culture Kid. Born in Paris to Italian parents, Chiara's journey spans multiple countries: from Rome to Madrid, then across the ocean to the U.S. for college and work, and now back to Spain. Chiara opens up in a raw and heartfelt conversation about what it’s like to grow up feeling like an outsider, navigating identity, and the challenges of reverse culture shock after retur...
After years of living abroad, returning home might seem like the easy part—but for many, it’s the hardest transition of all. In this episode, we dive deep into the often overlooked phenomenon of reverse culture shock—what it is, why it hits harder than expected, and how to navigate it with more awareness and compassion. We’re thrilled to welcome Annegret Bertsch, a solution-focused coach certified through Erickson International, with a background in Mathematics and English. Annegret has lived...
In this heartfelt and candid episode, Hazel and Gaia tackle a tough but important topic: what happens when life takes a scary turn and you're thousands of miles away from your loved ones? Whether it's a personal emergency or a crisis back home, being far from family adds a layer of fear and helplessness that’s hard to shake. While we can't always prevent difficult moments, we can prepare ourselves emotionally and practically. In this episode, we discuss: The emotional impact of dealing with e...
Today, we sit down with Giulia, Gaia’s daughter, the talented graphic artist behind Quiero un Panino con Cheese, and a quintessential Third-Culture Kid. Born in France to Italian parents and having lived in France, Italy, and Spain, Giulia shares her unique perspective on what it means to grow up between cultures and across borders. In this episode, we explore: What it really means to be a Third Culture Kid (TCK)The complexities of navigating cultural identityThe constant challenge of adaptin...
In this episode, we dive into the emotionally complex and often delicate topic of telling our families, "We're moving." Joining us is Angela Vitiello, founder of The Expat Parenting Collective. Angela brings a wealth of experience as an expat parent, having lived in four countries across three continents, traveled to nearly 40, and worked with globally mobile families since founding The Expat Parenting Collective based out of Brussels, Belgium. She is an INSEAD Business School alumna, is an a...
In today's episode of Quiero un Panino con Cheese, we're excited to welcome our very first guest, Julia Marcos, a close friend of Hazel’s who has navigated the challenges of raising children in a foreign country, far from her family and support system. Julia shares her remarkable journey, detailing how a planned three-month stay in the U.S. unexpectedly evolved into a 22-year adventure. She opens up about the difficulties she and her partner faced in those early days and how finding their "tr...
🎙️ Today on “Quiero un Panino con Cheese” — we dive deep into the future of education through the inspiring journey of Hazel and her husband Iñaki. After growing disillusioned with traditional schooling, they made a bold decision: to leave everything behind and embark on a three-year nomadic adventure in search of the most effective and meaningful ways to educate their children. In this heartfelt and thought-provoking conversation, Gaia sits down with Hazel to explore: What sparked Hazel and ...
Navigating the journey of raising bilingual children comes with its own unique set of challenges — and joys! In this episode of "Quiero un Panino con Cheese," we dive into our personal experiences of living across borders and growing up in multilingual households. We share the triumphs, the frustrations, and the surprising moments that come with communicating with our kids in more than one language. Join us as we explore a range of lively topics, including: Balancing language goals with rea...
In this episode, Hazel and I explore the dynamics of being in relationships with partners from diverse cultural backgrounds and the unique challenges that arise. While my husband and I share Italian roots, we were raised in different countries, each with its own customs and traditions. Similarly, Hazel and her husband communicate in Spanish but hail from entirely distinct cultures. Join us as we delve into a variety of intriguing topics: Does sharing a language equate to having a shared cultu...
In this episode, we tell the story of how our podcast got its very particular name and how our multicultural backgrounds have brought us to interrogate ourselves regarding issues like nationality, identity, and sense of belonging. After sharing our own crazy mixed-up stories of how we grew up and got to where we are today, Hazel and I discuss the various doubts and concerns that naturally arise when discussing our backgrounds. It all begins with that harrowing question… “So, where are you fro...
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