The Places We Call Home podcast

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#80. Is Life Abroad Worth It When Your Support System Is an Ocean Away?

2026-10-0206:10

The night my husband fell ill suddenly, the distance I've been carrying for years hit me harder than I expected.Everything I usually manage on my own, like anticipated hospital runs, school drop-off and pick up, after-school schedule, new bathroom demolition and rebuild, the business ... suddenly felt impossible without the people who know how to steady me. And in that moment, I had to face a question I’d been avoiding: Is the life I’m living abroad still sustainable for the woman I’m becoming?This episode is a real look at what a crisis reveals for immigrant women - the pressure to stay strong, the loneliness underneath the routine, and the truth that distance carries a weight you don’t always feel until something breaks open.Let's have a real conversation about distance, belonging, and the courage to reassess the life you’ve built.3.Share this with the friend who’s rebuilding her life in a new country.expat life, immigrant women, emotional sustainability, motherhood abroad, belonging, family distance, crisis support, resilience, moving countries, burnout, identity, women’s stories, life transitions

#79. The Moment You Realize: I’m Lonely Here

2026-10-0124:43

A real conversation about being unseen, finding your people, and rebuilding connection from scratch.Today’s episode is a panel conversation with immigrant and American friends talking honestly about the moment they realized, I’m lonely here. From Venezuela, China, Brazil, Sierra Leone, the U.K., and the U.S. We describe the exact situations that made loneliness feel real, and what made the change possible.We talk about what loneliness looks like for immigrants — the loss of culture, language, identity, and the shock of becoming invisible overnight. And we talk about what loneliness looks like for Americans too, people who grew up here, know the systems, and still feel disconnected. It’s a reminder that loneliness isn’t an immigrant problem or an American problem. It’s a human one.You’ll hear how each person worked through it: finding community spaces, meeting one person who finally said your name out loud, discovering places where you can be your full self, and learning how to build friendships that can hold real grief, real vulnerability, and real life.This episode is for any woman who has moved to the U.S. and is struggling with competence loss, language shame, and building friendships that feel safe and real.Part two continues next week.loneliness, immigrant women, expat life, belonging, identity loss, competence loss, language shame, community building, friendship, connection, USA relocation, adaptation fatigue, grief abroad, invisibility, migrant stories, panel discussion, emotional wellbeing, social isolation, rebuilding identity, cross‑cultural life

#78.Why Belonging Feels So Hard: What Immigrant Women Need to Ask Themselves First

2026-09-2421:33

Belonging takes a while to create. It’s something you first begin to build from the inside out.Part two with guest Natalie Chu, a Taiwanese woman who moved to the U.S. alone and discovered that belonging is also about emotional clarity. She shares how solo travel, cultural transition, and moments of deep loneliness forced her to ask better questions: Why am I feeling this? What do I actually need? What am I trying to build?We talk about identity, masking, self‑respect, cultural pressure, and the courage to begin again — even when growth feels uncomfortable. Natalie’s story is a guide for any immigrant woman trying to build a life in a new country without losing herself in the process.If you’ve ever stepped off a plane with two suitcases and a dream, this conversation will feel like someone finally understands you.“You’re not here for perfect. You’re here for real.”immigrant women, belonging, loneliness, identity, self‑love, cultural adjustment, starting over, expat life, emotional resilience, self‑discovery, growth, authenticity, Taiwan, women’s stories

#77. The Day You Stop Begging to Belong

2026-09-1508:19

There's a moment every immigrant woman hits and once you hit it, everything changes.In this episode, I'm talking you as my friend. Because starting over in a new country forces you into a delicate truth most people never say out loud: you can chase inclusion for years and still feel lonely, unseen, or disconnected. Real belonging begins somewhere else entirely.I share what I takeaway from Natalie's story (episode 76) when she left Taiwan for California's Bay Area the warmth she grew up with, the sudden quiet of a new culture, and the powerful decision she made when she stopped asking Why wasn’t I invited? and started choosing people who genuinely appreciate her.Let's talk about the subtle ways women shrink to fit, the difference between chemistry and consistency, and why leading with a part of your culture can anchor you in places that feel unfamiliar. And we end with the daily practice I've used that builds the kind of self‑appreciation that protects your energy, your identity, and your belonging.If you’re navigating a new country like us expats in the USA, a new chapter, or a new version of yourself, this episode will help you feel seen, grounded, and reminded there are more friendship connections to be made than not.Belonging is built with the right people.belonging, immigrant women, inclusion, identity work, culture, self‑appreciation, expat life, starting over, emotional resilience, community building, relocation, authenticity, women’s stories, Natalie Chu

#76. Friendliness Isn’t Friendship: What Expat Women Learn the Hard Way Part 1

2026-09-1029:27

A conversation about belonging, friendships, and rebuilding yourself in a new country.I sat down with Natalie Chu, who moved from Taiwan to the U.S. with a childhood dream and found herself facing the emotional truth expat women rarely say out loud. She talks about the “friendly but not actually your friend” moments, and the shock of realizing that belonging doesn’t show up just because you arrived.Natalie shares what she misses most about home — the morning markets, being known — and how different it feels to build community in the Bay Area.We talk about navigating safety in San Francisco, learning American social cues, and the moment she stopped chasing inclusion and started defining belonging on her own terms.This episode is honest, grounded, and deeply human. If you’ve ever moved countries, cities, or chapters, you’ll hear yourself in the tension, the ache, and the small wins that make starting over possible.A grounded conversation about connecting, community, identity, and the truth of starting over abroad.Natalie is the founder of a new podcast, Built Young, examining the journey of young entrepreneurs - Under 25. Over 1 M, and the ethics we can learn from them.Expat women immigrant women Taiwan Bay Area culture shock belonging loneliness move abroad identity homesickness community starting over migration stories international students migration USA friendship homesick

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