Send a text

A grounded conversation on cultural roots, status loss, and the courage it takes to build a life that actually fits you.

In this episode, we get into the real, unpolished truth of what happens when you move abroad and suddenly find your identity being questioned or misunderstood.

My guest, Manuelita Antonio Rangel Sosa is a Venezuelan American artist, architect, designer, mother, and founder — and her story will feel familiar to anyone who has ever had to rebuild themselves in a new country.

We talk about cultural roots, the quiet “status loss” that happens in America, the humor you need to survive it, and the courage it takes to build the life no one is going to hand you.

What we cover:

• How cultural roots keep you steady when the world misreads you
• The subtle hierarchies immigrant women run into in the U.S.
• Humor as a way to push back when people question your belonging
• Why so many immigrant women end up creating the jobs no one will give them
• What “home” becomes when you’ve lived more years abroad than back home
• A practical gift for the woman who has just landed with two suitcases and a passport

Key takeaways

• Cultural roots aren’t nostalgia — they’re stability.
• Thriving abroad requires emotional intelligence, humor, and a defiant mindset.
• Empowerment abroad is about audacity: you carve the path yourself.

If this episode resonates, share it with another woman building a life abroad.

https://www.instagram.com/placeswecallhomepod

Send a text

For expat and immigrant women who feel drained, unseen, or lonely in your new friendships abroad.

Are the connections you’re making abroad actually right for you, or are they slowly draining you? In this solo episode of Places We Call Home, I share three clear signs that the friendships and communities you’re trying to build in your new country are not aligned with who you are — and what to do when you notice them.

I talked about what it looks like to shrink yourself just to fit in, how it feels when you’re physically present but emotionally invisible, and why your body often tells you the truth about a space long before your mind catches up. I also share a personal story from my early days as an expat woman in the USA, when I had to decide where my line was and what it meant to belong to myself first.

Walk away with:

• Three signs you're shrinking to fit in abroad and
• How to reclaim your voice as an expat woman

If you’re an expat or immigrant woman living in the US, or for you in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, or anywhere else in the world, and you’re walking away from gatherings feeling lonelier than when you arrived, this episode is for you.

You’ll leave with language for what you’re experiencing, three signs to watch for, and a gentle reminder that you deserve connections that nourish you, not connections that cost you pieces of yourself.

Download each episode. Connect to people and their stories.

https://www.instagram.com/placeswecallhomepod

Send a text

What does it really mean to start over in a country where no one knows your story?

Ghirmay is a US citizen. He arrived over 18 years ago with no English, no family, and no way to return home. His journey is a true immigrant story of life in the USA, resilience, overcoming homesickness, overcoming loneliness, resilience and pure grit.

He washed dishes, went to ESL classes, and slowly shaped a new identity. this is the unglamorous side of life in the USA—the culture shock, the pride and the quiet victories that come from starting over with nothing but determination. This isn’t about overnight success, it's about overcoming the psychological impact of moving abroad alone.

If you’ve ever felt like you were beginning again — in a new country like the USA or reinventing yourself — his story will stay with you.

In this episode you'll hear:

• Building life from scratch in a place where nothing is handed to you, and
• Living with the weight of not knowing if you'll ever go back home
• Finding identity, stability, and belonging far from where your story began

Follow the show for weekly podcast episodes about move abroad, expat life, where is home? overcoming homesickness, tools, strategies to thrive and find your voice as an expat woman.

https://www.instagram.com/placeswecallhomepod

Send a text

What would make you walk 2,000 miles, three times?

For Tim Scott, it came down to one thing: getting back to his family in Mexico and to his sick daughter, no matter what it cost him. This isn’t a movie plot. It’s one American man's real immigration story shaped by sacrifice, cultural differences, and the kind of grit people tap into when they're fighting for their version of the American dream.

Tim left Virginia with almost nothing and decided that stopping wasn’t an option. His journey carries the weight of homesickness, the disorientation of an identity crisis, and the quiet strength it takes to keep going when you’re navigating life across borders. It’s a reminder of how people reinvent themselves when language barriers, distance, and uncertainty stand in the way of getting home. By the end of this episode, you’ll see your own “starting over” differently.

In this episode you'll hear:

• What he learned about family, identity, belonging
• Finding purpose, rebuilding a support system from scratch
• Redefining who you are when life forces you into a new beginning.

Quiet, extraordinary stories rarely get told the ones that sit at the heart of moving abroad— even in the opposite direction to expat life — and the emotional work of starting again.

This podcast episode about conquering separation, homesickness, loneliness, moving abroad, belonging and identity is for everyone walking through hard things.

LISTEN NOW If you've wondered if you are strong enough to start again.

Follow The Places We Call Home podcast for more true stories about expat life, belonging, immigration, rebuilding your life, who am I now? and the messy, beautiful work of creating a life in a place that didn’t raise you.

Here’s your link to Tim’s full story on Amazon

https://www.instagram.com/placeswecallhomepod

Send a text

Moving abroad changes you in ways you don’t always see coming.

In this episode, I’m trying to make sense of it — the quiet identity shifts, the emotional realities of life abroad, and what it feels like to build a life in a place that wasn’t part of your original story. Right now, for me, that place is the USA.

I talk about how moving abroad reshapes your sense of self, the tension between fitting in and staying authentic, and the emotional work of finding your footing when everything familiar is gone. These are the parts most “living abroad tips” lists and relocation stories barely touch — the culture shock, the homesickness, and the slow rebuilding of belonging and identity abroad.

Today, you’ll walk away with:

• A clearer language for what you’ve been feeling
• A grounded understanding of your own identity changes
• Three questions to help you reconnect with who you’re becoming

If you’re moving abroad in 2026, thinking about how to move abroad, or already in the middle of relocating to a new country, this conversation gives language to the things you’ve been feeling but haven’t known how to name.

Follow the show and share the link with someone who’s navigating their own version of starting over.

https://www.instagram.com/placeswecallhomepod

Send a text

In this episode, I sit down with Patricia Boes — co‑founder and CEO of Unlimit Me — a woman who has quietly built a life of impact while navigating her own big move across the world.

Patricia left Australia, rebuilt her identity in the Bay Area, and now spends her days helping young people find confidence, belonging, and a sense of self at a time when mental health is under real pressure.

Patricia is one of those women who doesn’t chase the spotlight. She’s grounded, honest, and deeply committed to the work.

'Trish' answers the questions so many expat women carry but rarely say out loud:

• Who am I now
• Was this move worth it
• What does the woman who just landed need to know

This conversation is for anyone rebuilding their life in a new country, raising kids between cultures, or trying to find their voice again after starting over. Patricia brings wisdom, humor, and a kind of calm honesty that stays with you long after the episode ends.

Hit follow and leave a short, positive review. It helps more expat and immigrant women find these conversations when they need them most

https://www.instagram.com/placeswecallhomepod

Send a text

In this short minisode, is about the quiet identity shifts so many expat women experience after moving to the USA.

From homesickness and cultural differences to the unexpected ways we grow, this episode reflects on who we were before we moved — and who we’re becoming now.

Yolanda shares her own recent move back to the USA, the emotional changes she’s noticing in herself and her family, and the stories she’s hearing from expat women around the world:
I don’t recognize myself anymore.
I didn’t expect to lose this part of me.
I didn’t know I had this much strength until I moved.

This episode is a grounding moment for anyone navigating belonging, loneliness, reinvention, or starting over in a new country. You’ll also hear a gentle message for the woman just landing — a reminder that you’re allowed to be new, unsure, and still becoming.

Reflection for your day:
What part of yourself do you want to bring forward this year, and what part are you ready to release?

If this resonates, share it with another expat woman who’s starting over. Follow the show for upcoming conversations on identity, belonging, and rebuilding your life after moving abroad.

Here is a podcast about courage—the courage to transform your life and to tell your own story. Here, we dive into the journeys of expat / immigrant women who've left their countries of origin for adventure or the American dream.

https://www.instagram.com/placeswecallhomepod

Send a text

What if this holiday season didn’t leave you overwhelmed, overspending, or quietly homesick?

Yolanda explores how you, expat and immigrant woman, can create a cozy, joyful holiday season that actually feels like yours — even while living far from home.

This episode brings 10 expat‑approved tips gathered from communities in the USA, the UK, and online expat spaces. Hear about:

• Creating your own mini holiday world at home
• Blending yours and American cultural traditions
• Building micro‑communities that feel like family

Whether you're newly arrived or a decade into your American journey, these tips help you shape the Holidays to support your wellbeing and honors who you are.

Tap the play button. Leave a comment. Share the link.

Here is a podcast about courage—the courage to transform your life and to tell your own story. Here, we dive into the journeys of expat / immigrant women who've left their countries of origin for adventure or the American dream. Together, we explore the ache of homesickness, the challenge of cultural differences, and the search for identity—while sharing practical tips and inspiring success stories. This isn't just about living overseas. It's about finding resilience, purpose, and belonging. It's creating a home wherever you are. This is your space to learn, connect, and gather tools to navigate the emotional cost of building a life in the USA.

https://www.instagram.com/placeswecallhomepod