Stories Between Sips

René sits down with her former colleague O’dine, an Afrikaans teacher who has taught at both co-ed and single-sex schools, to reflect on how the classroom has evolved. From the days before smartphones to the hyper-digital learners of today, they unpack how education—and educators—have had to adapt.✨ We’re also preparing our final episode for the season, and we want to hear from you:* How has being a listener or viewer of Stories Between Sips impacted you?* What would you like to see in our next season?Send us your response via voice note, short video clip, or written message!📩 Contact: Instagram @storiesbetweensipspodcast | TikTok @storiesbetweensipspod This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storiesbetweensips.substack.com

René shares her journey across three countries—South Africa, South Korea, and Qatar—to reflect on how teaching has changed over the past decade. From chalkboards to TikTok, what does it mean to teach the digital generation? Grab your cup and settle in.🎧 Follow @storiesbetweensipspodcast on Instagram and @storiesbetweensipspod on TikTok. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storiesbetweensips.substack.com

In this week’s guest episode, René chats with Milla — someone who’s formed a powerful, enduring bond with Ilze over the years. Their friendship may not have started in childhood, but it has become one rooted in loyalty, growth, and deep understanding.Together, Milla and René talk about what it takes to build and maintain adult friendships, the beauty of sisterhood, and the ways our closest connections shape us — especially when they evolve later in life.This episode is a celebration of friendships that find us exactly when we need them. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storiesbetweensips.substack.com

In this solo episode, René gets honest about how complex adult friendship can be — especially when you grow up without being taught how to nurture emotional connections. She reflects on sisterhood, friendships with men, the shifting nature of relationships, and how the loss of her parents reshaped the way she connects with others.From childhood dynamics to expat loneliness, this episode holds space for the grief and grace of evolving friendships — and the peace that comes with loving people from a distance.Whether you’re holding on, letting go, or searching for your people — this is for you. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storiesbetweensips.substack.com

Next week on Stories Between Sips, we explore the messy beauty of adult friendship. In Monday’s solo episode, René opens up about learning (and unlearning) how to be a friend — from childhood gaps in emotional education to navigating connection, distance, and grief as an adult. Then on Friday, she sits down with Milla, Ilze’s lifelong best friend, for a heartfelt conversation about sisterhood, evolving bonds, and the kind of friendship that lasts through decades.Whether you're holding onto old friends or hoping to make new ones — this one’s for you. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storiesbetweensips.substack.com

What does it mean to grieve when you're far from everything familiar?In this episode, I speak with Renate Mayer — someone I went to high school with — who now lives in the U.S. with her husband John and is currently on the path to becoming a death doula. We talk about the heartbreak of losing a parent while living abroad, the silence of family who don’t show up, and how grief can reshape your sense of connection and calling.Renate opens up about her own journey and how personal loss led her toward supporting others in the sacred space of end-of-life care.This conversation is about distance, death, and discovering meaning in the midst of pain.Follow Stories Between Sips for more real, reflective conversations. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storiesbetweensips.substack.com

In this solo episode, I share the most personal story I've ever told — losing my mom in 2021 and my dad in 2024. I talk about the guilt of being far from home, how grief affected my relationship with my brother and my dad, and what it felt like when family didn’t show up.This isn’t a guide to “getting over it.” It’s an honest look at what it means to carry loss — and to slowly find your way through.Follow Stories Between Sips and join me for a conversation we don’t have nearly enough. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storiesbetweensips.substack.com

Grief changes everything — your identity, your relationships, your sense of home.On Monday, I share my story of losing both my parents — my mom in 2021 and my dad in 2024 — and how that grief shaped me.Then on Friday, I’m joined by my high school friend Renate Mayer, now living in the U.S., as we talk about grieving across oceans and the family who showed up… and who didn’t.Two episodes. One honest conversation.Follow @storiesbetweensipspodcast and meet me in the silence between the sips.#StoriesBetweenSips #GriefJourney #PodcastPreview #HealingOutLoud #BlackWomenPodcasters This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storiesbetweensips.substack.com

In this deeply moving episode of Stories Between Sips, René sits down with Ilze Gopal — a wife, mother, poet, and lifelong friend — who shares her lived experience with bipolar disorder.Ilze speaks candidly about her early diagnosis, the emotional highs and lows, her relationship with faith, family, and the role therapy and medication have played in her journey. This is a story of strength, survival, and ongoing healing — filled with insight and heart.🎙️ Whether you’ve been diagnosed yourself or love someone who’s struggling, this episode is a must-listen.We talk about:* What bipolar disorder really feels like* The challenges of diagnosis and daily management* Being a Christian and living with mental illness* Why community and connection matter* Finding light in the middle of the dark💛 You are not your diagnosis. You are not alone.📞 Mental Health Support (South Africa):SADAG 24-Hour Helpline: 0800 456 789Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0800 567 567WhatsApp Chat (8am–5pm): 076 882 2775Website: www.sadag.org📬 Contact Stories Between Sips:Email: storiesbetweensips@gmail.comInstagram: @storiesbetweensipspodcastTikTok: @storiesbetweensipspod🫶🏽 If this episode resonates with you, share it. Let’s keep normalising real, raw conversations around mental health. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storiesbetweensips.substack.com

In this powerful solo episode, I open up about navigating mental health as a Coloured person in South Africa. From growing up surrounded by silence around emotional struggles to seeking therapy and medication after personal loss, this episode is a gentle but honest unpacking of stigma, survival, and healing.🎙️ May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this conversation is for anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed, isolated, or unsure of how to ask for help.I talk about:* Cultural stigma in Coloured and Black communities* The reality of depression and anxiety* Accessing therapy and affordable support in SA* The dangers of self-diagnosis* Mental health and Christianity* What healing and self-care look like in real life💛 You’re not alone. Healing is possible.📞 Mental Health Support (South Africa):SADAG 24-Hour Helpline: 0800 456 789Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0800 567 567WhatsApp Chat: 076 882 2775📬 Contact Stories Between Sips:Email: storiesbetweensips@gmail.comInstagram: @storiesbetweensipsTikTok: @storiesbetweensips🎧 Tune in this Friday for Part 2, featuring Ilze Gopal — a mom, poet, and friend living with bipolar disorder who shares her lived experience with vulnerability and grace. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storiesbetweensips.substack.com

In this episode of Stories Between Sips, I sit down with LaToya Gabriel, a teacher, traveler, and expat who has lived and worked in China, Qatar, and beyond. We discuss the challenges of building a life away from home, navigating racism, and the constant search for belonging. LaToya shares her journey of teaching abroad, the complexities of adapting to different cultures, and how she has grown in the process. If you’ve ever felt like you’re not fully from anywhere, this conversation will speak to you.Follow LaToya and her journey on social media:Instagram: Latoyagabriel_ TikTok: latoya_gabrielDon’t forget to follow Stories Between Sips for more reflections and upcoming guest episodes:Instagram: @StoriesBetweenSipsPodcastTikTok: @storiesbetweensipspod This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storiesbetweensips.substack.com

Leaving your home country sounds like a dream—new opportunities, a better lifestyle, growth. But what about the moments no one talks about? The loneliness. The milestones you miss. The quiet grief of being far away from everything and everyone that once defined “home.”In this solo episode of Stories Between Sips, your host, René van Niekerk, opens up about the emotional cost of living and working abroad. From strained friendships to culture shock, from the guilt of privilege to the sting of racism and othering—she shares what it really feels like to exist in the in-between.If you've ever lived abroad, thought about it, or loved someone who has—this episode is for you.🎧 Topics Covered:* Being far from friends and family* Missing life’s important milestones* Evolving friendships across distance* Culture shock moving from a third world to a first world country* Navigating racism, othering, and identity shifts* What it means to grow through dislocation💬 Let me know if something in this episode resonated with you in the comments or DMs.📲 Follow for more:Instagram: @StoriesBetweenSipsPodcastTikTok: @Storiesbetweensipspod🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review on your favorite podcast platform! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storiesbetweensips.substack.com

In this pilot episode of Stories between Sips, I share who I am, why I started this podcast, and what you can expect from this space.Born and raised in Cape Town, I’m a teacher, poet, and storyteller who’s taught in South Africa, South Korea, and now Qatar. After losing both of my parents in recent years, I created this platform to reflect, heal, and connect—because I believe our stories matter.Expect honest, thoughtful, and sometimes funny conversations over tea, every second Monday (solo episode) and Friday (guest episode).Follow and sip with me.Instagram: @storiesbetweensipspodcastTikTok: @storiesbetweensipspod This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storiesbetweensips.substack.com

I'm launching my podcast this week. Please tune in! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storiesbetweensips.substack.com