That’s the real question this conversation is built around. Writer and foreigner abroad, Rosamaria Mancini has lived it twice over: Italy taught her to slow down and find peace; Germany forced a full reset: new language, new norms, new social playbook. She’s navigated isolation, adult friendship-making, parenting without the family village, career reinvention across continents, and losing a parent from thousands of miles away.

We get practical about what most people don’t talk about: the early warning signs that you’re slipping into isolation, how to deliberately engineer friendships as an adult in a country where you don’t speak the language, and what “staying close” to family actually looks like across time zones; not the glossy version, but the daily reality. We also get into parenting abroad without a village, the guilt of caring for aging parents at a distance, and the honest truth that “forever” is a scary word; so plan in seasons, not absolutes.

This is one of those episodes that’ll land differently depending on where you are in your move. If you’re six weeks out, it’s a candid preview of what’s coming. If you’re six years in, it’s a reminder that the hard parts are normal and survivable.

More About Rosamaria

Rosamaria Mancini is a New York–born writer whose career spans print journalism (bylines in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and other publications), several years in the Vatican Press Office in Rome, and her current role with Fairtrade International in Bonn, alongside teaching communications at the Brussels School of Governance and UMGC Europe. After years in Italy, she moved with her family to one of Germany’s tri-border regions (Germany–Netherlands–Belgium). Rosamaria writes candidly about the realities of life abroad — from isolation and friendship to parenting, bureaucracy, and career reinvention — most recently in her memoir SOS Podcasts (Cambria Books, 2024).

What You’ll Hear

• Early signs you’re slipping into isolation, and how to course-correct quickly

• A simple “friend-making” playbook for adults abroad (volunteer, show up, repeat)

• Daily contact habits to stay close to family across time zones

• Guilt and grief at a distance: practical ways to support aging parents

• Third-culture kids: one big advantage and one trade-off

• Language learning without overwhelm: low-ego, high-exposure tactics

• Bureaucracy survival in Italy/Germany: prep, mindset, recovery

• Career reinvention abroad: resilience + flexibility > silver bullets

• Why “forever” is optional; thinking in seasons, not endpoints

Show Notes

• [~00:39–06:30] The honeymoon hangover: why isolation sneaks up and how to spot early signs (energy dips, avoidance, “just us” bubble).

• [~14:41–16:41] Social engineering for grown-ups: volunteering at school/local events as low-pressure friend-making.

• [~19:50–21:30] The tiny-touch rule: daily contact rhythms with family (even 30 seconds) to reduce distance guilt.

• [~23:15–27:12, 31:29–31:36] Guilt vs. reality: caring for aging parents from abroad — what you can do from afar, and what to forgive.

• [~27:40–32:20] Grief abroad: reframing “quality over quantity” time; letting outside voices help you process loss.

• [~46:12–50:34] Third-culture kids & Gen Alpha: independence, multilingual exposure, and the cost of no village.

• [~43:25–45:23] Language learning without overwhelm: low-ego, high-exposure tactics; comprehension over perfection.

• [~59:00–01:02:20] Bureaucracy playbook: know norms, pre-stack documents, and plan a recovery ritual after admin days.

• [~01:01:50–01:02:46] Micro-adaptations that matter: borrow the local pace; dress for weather, not season.

• [~34:27–41:36] Career pivots that stick: send the emails, take the no’s, collect the learning — resilience compounds.

• [~51:39–52:25] Designing for seasons, not forever: keeping options open without pretending permanence.

Thinking About a Move?

If this episode got you thinking about where you’d actually go, MoveSmart can help you figure that out. It’s a tool built around a conversation that generates personalized country recommendations based on your real life: your career, your family situation, your non-negotiables; not a generic list.

Recording Details

Recorded: November 6, 2025

Locations: Host in Belize; Guest in Germany (tri-border region)

Want more practical frameworks for making your move abroad smoother? Check out MoveSmart to help identify where your communication style might work best, or grab the Moving Abroad Punchlist for systematic planning without the hype. And if you’re curious about more real-world expat insights, you can catch full conversations like this on the Foreign Radio podcast.

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In this episode, business coach, language expert, polyglot, author, and host of the Fluent Show, Kerstin Cable, makes a practical case for learning at any age, and on any budget. We get honest about app culture (why Duolingo streaks don’t equal fluency), the myth of “immersion or bust,” and how a simple habit system can carry you further than motivation ever will.

Kerstin shares how to design “daily contact” with your target language, why intrinsic motivation matters more than time on the clock, and how to turn AI into a patient training partner rather than a distraction. We dig into mnemonics that actually stick, the brain-health upside of learning, and a bigger truth: identity rides in our voices—and power often decides which accents get called “educated.”

If you’ve fallen off Spanish (same), or you’ve wondered how to start again without burning out, this one gives you a plan you can use today. Less parroting, more pattern recognition. Less pressure, more play. And a reminder that learning another language isn’t just a skill—it’s a way to live more widely.

Guest Bio

Kerstin Cable is a language learning coach, writer, and podcaster based in England. A native German speaker who has studied 10+ languages (and fell in love with Welsh), she created The Fluent Show (240+ episodes), co-founded Women in Language, and runs AI Language Club, where learners use practical, low-friction AI workflows to personalize practice. Kerstin’s approach blends habit design, realistic planning, and self-compassion—helping adults build daily contact, leverage mnemonics and roots, and develop true fluency without chasing streaks. She’s been featured by BBC World Service, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Bloomberg Businessweek, and The Cut.

Guest Links

• www.kerstincable.com/

• www.fluent.show/hosts/kerstin

• www.youtube.com/fluentlanguage

• www.fluentlanguage.co.uk/

• www.ailanguageclub.com/

• Kerstin’s LinkedIn

What You’ll Hear

• Why streaks ≠ fluency—and what to track instead

• “Daily contact” over daily grind: habit design that sticks

• Intrinsic motivation > willpower (how to find your “why”)

• The language habit system: goals, four core skills, accountability

• Mnemonics and linguistic roots that turbocharge memory

• The myth of immersion—and a better path to fluency

• Using AI without overwhelm (and why AI doesn’t judge)

• Safe spaces, “silent periods,” and pushing your edge wisely

• Accent bias, class, and why “one correct accent” is a trap

• Welsh joy, world peace: language as connection (not performance)

Show Notes

• Kerstin’s practical definition of fluency (patterns + grace) — 15:32–16:34

• App critique (habits vs real-life mapping; “useless sentences”) — 11:46–13:31

• “Daily contact” menu (texts, shows, micro-reading, drills) — 06:15–08:07

• Intrinsic motivation (fun, specific goals; 30-day challenge) — 08:07–09:39

• Language Habit System (listening, reading, speaking, writing; weekly) — 42:50–44:22

• Mnemonics that work (imagery + roots; simple CSV workflow) — 25:51–27:56

• Brain benefits (neuroplasticity; cognitive cross-training) — 17:21–17:50

• AI as patient sparring partner (prompts, tutorials, judgment-free) — 12:50–13:05; 20:22–23:33; 49:00–49:12

• Safe-space strategy (practice where failure is cheap; silent period) — 46:50–49:12

• Accent & power (permissive stance; bias shapes “correctness”) — 57:50–58:07; 1:01:41–1:01:56; 1:02:33–1:02:39

• “Immersion” without moving (structure first; stop parroting) — 16:58–17:06

• Community & accountability (tutors, exchanges, avoid overcorrection) — 42:50–44:22; 45:49–46:22; 52:30–53:10

Recording Details

Recorded: November 3, 2025
Locations (Remote Recording) with Simo in Belize and Kerstin in England

If you enjoy this podcast, you might also like the A Foreign Perspective, Foreigner501, Foreign Tales, the Lili Art Blog, or my award-winning book Home in Good Hands.

If you’d like to support this Substack and help me keep creating stories and essays about life abroad, consider subscribing, sharing, or buying me a coffee. And to those who already have—thank you. Your support means the world.

This is what happens when the retirement wheel goes flat.

After 27 years of teaching in Atlanta, realized her pension wouldn’t fund the life she actually wanted.

Instead of grinding into her 70s, she moved to Mexico’s Lake Chapala, trading headlines and hesitation for routine, community, and room to think.

In this episode of Foreign Radio, we talk practicals—visas, safety, and research—and internals—ego vs. soul, and how distance changes what you notice about home.

Queen also shares how moving to Mexico sparked a spiritual awakening, leading to a trip to Guinea-Bissau, where she reconnected with her ancestry, and why she’s building a consciousness-forward curriculum for Gen Alpha.

If you’re weighing a move—or just craving a life that fits—this one’s for you.

What You’ll Hear

• Why “work, pay bills, repeat” isn’t a retirement plan

• Mexico safety: lived reality vs. scary headlines

• Soft landings: expat hubs, research, and recon alternatives

• Mexican visas, immigration and the luck variable (and how to avoid relying on it)

• Importance vs. pitfalls of the ego. “Ego has a general purpose, but it’s not the general.”

• How distance creates space for inner work

• Gen Alpha, phones, and a missing class: mindfulness, agency, choices

• Ancestry, repatriation, and breaking generational patterns

• Visualization as a starter move (imagine → act)

• The simple rule for moving abroad: don’t bring “home systems” with you

Show Notes

• Queen’s pivot: 27 years in classrooms → a pension that covered rent → side hustles → the choice to exit the wheel rather than ride it into old age.

• Expat life in Lake Chapala as a strategic landing: short flight from Atlanta, spring climate, built-in expat community—why “soft landing” reduces friction and fear.

• Media vs. boots-on-the-ground truth: how safety in Mexico actually feels day-to-day, and why local expat groups beat cable news for decision data.

• Visas and Mexican Immigration process: do the research early; control what you can so you don’t depend on “stars aligning.”

• Mindset shift: how ego is useful and a hindrance. Why living “inside out” beats “outside in” any day of the week.

• Parenting abroad: more nature, fewer screens; why direct contact with the world matters for Gen Alpha; reflections on Simo’s experience living in Belize.

• 52 Insights for Gen Alpha: the importance of practical SEL skills—mindfulness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, conscious decision-making for Generation Alpha.

• Ancestry and identity: an African DNA trail to Guinea-Bissau, stepping into an ancestral village, and the idea that healing can move up the bloodline.

• Don’t import the fortress: blending with the host culture instead of trying to replicate your old life behind gates.

• First step for fence-sitters: visualize a day in the new place—then backfill the logistics that make it real.

More About Queen

Queen D. Michele is an educator, author, and nonprofit founder who left a 27-year teaching career in Atlanta to build a life abroad in Mexico. Her work sits at the intersection of practical relocation and inner change: navigating Mexican visas, safety, and community while also making space for the inward shift that a slower, simpler routine can unlock.

After tracing her maternal African bloodline to Guinea-Bissau and visiting her ancestral village, Queen launched projects focused on generational healing and a consciousness-forward curriculum for Gen Alpha.

She writes on Substack and at FulaAmerican.org about life abroad, identity, and choosing a life that fits.

Episode Recorded remotely on October 14, 2025 (Simo D in Belize and Queen in Chiapas, Mexico)

Episode Recorded remotely on October 14, 2025 (Simo D in Belize and Queen in Chiapas, Mexico)

Links

• Exodus Summit: https://exodussummit2025.heysummit.com/

• Jerry Brown Travels (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/@JerryBrownTravels

• African Ancestry: https://www.africanancestry.com/

• Queen’s Substack: https://substack.com/@queendmichele1

• FulaAmerican: https://www.fulaamerican.org

• Instagram: @fulaamerican

  Simo’s Substack runs on curiosity, reflection, and subscriber support. If you find value in these conversations, consider becoming a subscriber, especially a paid one. It’s the best way to keep this work going and show that this content matters.

  If you enjoy this podcast, you might also like the A Foreign Perspective, Foreigner501, Foreign Tales, the Lili Art Blog, or my award-winning book Home in Good Hands.

  If you’d like to support this Substack and help me keep creating stories and essays about life abroad, consider subscribing, sharing, or buying me a coffee. And to those who already have—thank you. Your support means the world.

What if living abroad isn’t an escape but a way to see home clearly? Evan Jaqua has lived in Japan, China, and across South America, speaks four languages, and now channels those lessons into the Solutions Party, a reform project looking to break politicians’ addiction to power.

In Episode 9 of Foreign Radio, we talk about how people worldwide all share something in common: the desire for freedom and prosperity. We discuss why “one-idea” systems fail, how pluralism and good journalism keep societies healthy, and how international experience can shape how we behave at home. Evan provides a sober approach to risk, too: don’t run away from problems; do your homework before moving abroad, and know where you’re going and the culture you’re entering.

This episode is for anyone weighing a move or wanting to borrow an international lens to make meaningful decisions at home.

What You’ll Learn

• Why power behaves like an addiction—and how to design politics to resist it

• The surprising sameness across cultures: freedom, prosperity, future for our kids

• “One idea only”: lessons from time in China

• How immersion (not headlines) rewires assumptions

• Solutions Party 101: term limits, de-tribalized parties, stronger journalism

• Why disagreement is permanent and how mature societies manage it

• Practical pathways to go overseas (or borrow the perspective at home)

• Why time > stuff: design your life around the scarce resource

• Courage over hesitation: action beats fear

• Why “running away” is the wrong reason and what to do instead—research: avoid authoritarianism abroad.

Show Notes

• Shared humanity first: Under the noise, most people want the same things—freedom and prosperity—and we’ve got to steer back to that common aim.

• Power as a drug: Why leaders (and systems) relapse into self-preservation—and how to break the cycle with structural limits.

• Pluralism vs. “one idea”: Living in China showed Evan how brittle single-perspective systems become; democratic strength = diversity of opinion.

• From expat to engaged: Languages and years abroad didn’t pull Evan away from home—they armed him to contribute back.

• Solutions Party in brief: One-term service, parties that organize ideas (not tribes), and journalism strong enough to inform rather than inflame.

• Handle disagreement like adults: Conflict is inevitable; the craft is how we process it without rage addiction.

• Design for time: Choose location, habits, and work that give time back; stuff can be managed—time cannot.

• Sober travel: Moving isn’t a cure-all. Do due diligence on safety, rule of law, and real political conditions.

• Borrow the lens: If you can’t go yet, build an international perspective locally—communities, languages, and cross-cultural work.

• Act despite fear: Start small, keep moving; clarity comes from motion.

More About Evan

Evan Jaqua is an international business development specialist and polyglot who has lived in Japan, South America, and China. Fluent in English, Japanese, Spanish, and Chinese, he’s seen how different systems shape everyday life, and how much ordinary people share: a desire for freedom and prosperity. Evan founded the Solutions Party to translate those lessons into reforms at home, tackling politics’ addiction to power with structural fixes, healthier parties, and a revitalized press. His outlook is worldly, practical, and grounded in lived experience.

Recorded October 7, 2025

Links

• Solutions Party

• Belize & foreigner life essays

• On the Road in Mexico- My experience driving through Mexico when moving to Belize

• Simo’s Substack runs on curiosity, reflection, and subscriber support. If you find value in these conversations, consider becoming a subscriber, especially a paid one. It’s the best way to keep this work going and show that this content matters.

  If you enjoy this podcast, you might also like the A Foreign Perspective, Foreigner501, Foreign Tales, the Lili Art Blog, or my award-winning book Home in Good Hands.

  If you’d like to support this Substack and help me keep creating stories and essays about life abroad, consider subscribing, sharing, or buying me a coffee. And to those who already have—thank you. Your support means the world.

For decades, the story was simple: work hard, save up, retire at sixty-five.
But that story isn’t true anymore.

—writer, entrepreneur, and founder of the legendary Copyblogger—knows what happens when the system we’ve been sold stops making sense. After building multiple 7-figure digital businesses, he didn’t retire; he adapted. Now, through his project Further, he helps Generation X navigate a new reality where the rules of work, money, and meaning have changed.

In this episode of Foreign Radio, we talk about rewriting the playbook for midlife: turning experience into freedom, replacing “security” with flexibility, and building a life that actually fits today’s world.

What You’ll Learn

• Why the old “work hard, retire at 65” story no longer works

• Unlearning loyalty to employers who can’t return it

• The demographic and economic shifts forcing adaptation

• Why adaptation isn’t a dream—it’s survival

• How to turn decades of experience into portable income

• Midlife reinvention and the business of “just-in-time” expertise

• Strategic relocation and the rise of the “slowmad” lifestyle

• The practical side of living abroad→ healthcare, cost, and mindset

• How to prepare before you leap: the first steps toward independence

• A simple mindset for moving from fear to action

Show Notes

• The myth of retirement: how the system that promised freedom became one that traps people in fear

• The collapse of loyalty: when employers stopped building careers and workers stopped believing in stability

• Demographic upheaval: longer lives, lower birth rates, and why “old age” isn’t what it used to be

• From pensions to 401(k)s: how the financial playbook broke down

• A global perspective: healthcare, cost of living, and why relocation is a practical—not idealistic—move

• The “slowmad” mindset: living three to six months in different places to test real-world fit

• Expertise as currency: how to turn what you know into independent income streams

• Reinvention over retirement: the unretirement movement and why purpose matters more than age

• Portable work, portable life: building freedom before the system forces your hand

• The first decision to break free from the corporate treadmill

More About Brian

Brian Clark is a writer, traveler, and entrepreneur best known as the founder of the pioneering content-marketing platform Copyblogger, along with its StudioPress and Rainmaker business lines. Between 2007 and 2017, his companies generated more than $70 million in sales—without investment or traditional advertising—thanks to his innovative content-driven approach.

After selling Copyblogger’s assets and taking time to travel the world, Brian launched Further, a publication helping Generation X navigate midlife, longevity, and the shifting definitions of work and retirement. He also leads Leading Expert, offering coaching and consulting for expertise-based business owners adapting to rapid change.

Brian has been featured in numerous books by leading thinkers, including Seth Godin, James Clear, Daniel Pink, and others, recognizing his role in shaping the early landscape of online entrepreneurship and modern content strategy.

Today, Brian and his wife live a “slowmad” lifestyle, spending several months at a time in places like Baja Sur and Costa Rica—continuing the same experiment in adaptation that his work inspires others to try.

Find Brian’s work:
🌐 Further.net
📬 news.further.net (Substack newsletter)
🔗 LinkedIn @thatbrianclark

Episode Recorded on September 18, 2025

If you enjoy this podcast, you might also like the A Foreign Perspective, Foreigner501, Foreign Tales, the Lili Art Blog, or my award-winning book Home in Good Hands.

If you’d like to support this Substack and help me keep creating stories and essays about life abroad, consider subscribing, sharing, or buying me a coffee. And to those who already have—thank you. Your support means the world.

Before a place becomes a home, it’s often a headline. Alan J Roberts—musician, entertainer, and creative strategist—heard “don’t go,” went anyway, and found something different: a welcoming community and a career that finally fit.

In this episode, we discuss embracing curiosity over fear, turning risk into opportunity when life at home doesn’t feel right, and how living abroad can challenge long-held beliefs about the world and about home.

What you’ll hear

• Warnings vs. welcome: testing headlines against lived reality

• Risk as a tool: how to turn uncertainty into an actual plan

• Building a portfolio career abroad (work, community, creative practice)

• Personal adjustments that make integration easier

• Seeing your home country differently after time away

Show Notes

• Warnings vs. welcome: Alan’s first-hand take on the Middle East and why he stopped outsourcing his view to headlines

• The leap: how a quick decision (“I’m gonna take the risk and see what happens”) became the best risk he ever took

• When home stops fitting: coming back to Canada, feeling the mismatch, and deciding to leave again

• Turning risk into a plan: simple ways to choose curiosity over fear and make uncertainty practical

• Building a life abroad: work lanes (full-time + freelance + business license) and why a portfolio approach works

• Cultural fit & acceptance: everyday reality in the UAE; locals, expats, and a city built by international talent

• Personal adjustments that help integration: the habit shift that made social life clearer and more respectful

• Career & creativity: from Toronto MC roots to Dubai residency to creative strategy across entertainment and emerging tech

• Seeing home differently: how time abroad reframed beliefs about Canada and the West

• Advice for the stuck: “Don’t hold yourself back”—looking for options when opportunity feels limited

• Emotional undercurrent: balancing distance, family, and the occasional guilt of being away—without wasting the chance to build

• Cliffhanger prompt: “College or a one-way ticket?”—a decision lens for anyone debating the next move

• Takeaway: living abroad as a path to acceptance, a wider perspective, and self-designed work and community

Recorded on September 12, 2025

More About Alan

Alan J Roberts is a Canadian-born musician, songwriter, and creative strategist whose work connects music, culture, and digital storytelling. Early in his career, he served as Vice President of the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton, helping advance race relations, produce cultural showcases, and create employment pathways for Black youth in partnership with the Canadian government.

He emerged in Toronto’s live scene as an MC before evolving into a genre-blending artist, drawing on influences from R&B, Afrobeat, Latin music, techno, and dance; driven by emotion, rhythm, and narrative.

After moving to Dubai, Alan grew artistically through a residency at Lucky Voice and built a portfolio career leading content and brand experiences across gaming, entertainment, and emerging tech. Whether performing or building creative strategy, he lives with intention, bringing creativity, culture, and connection into the same conversation.

If you want to know more about the life Alan is building in Dubai, you can connect with him through the following channels:

• YouTube @alanjamzing

• Instagram @alanj_amazing

• LinkTree

• Spotify

• TikTok- @alanjamazing

If you enjoy this podcast, you might also like the A Foreign Perspective, Foreigner501, Foreign Tales, the Lili Art Blog, or my award-winning book Home in Good Hands. If you’d like to support this Substack and help me keep creating stories and essays about life abroad, consider subscribing, sharing, or buying me a coffee. And to those who already have—thank you. Your support means the world.

If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that certainty is fragile. The one thing we can control is our actions, be it stepping forward into the unknown or staying put and wondering “what if.”

Twenty years ago, chose to flip the American script and step into a life of travel. Since then, he has visited nearly 80 countries, built a network of friendships that spans borders and cultures, and changed lives through microdonations sourced from his caring With Gusto community.

In this conversation, we explore:

• How travel dismantles ignorance and builds empathy.

• Why he walked away from corporate America and never looked back.

• Raw stories—from kindness in Laos to resilience in Cambodia—that shaped his worldview.

• His belief that regret is worse than risk, and why action is the only certainty we have.

It’s a reminder that life doesn’t have to follow a single script, and that sometimes the most important step is to buy the f’ing ticket!

Enjoy the episode! And, be sure to check out all the episodes of Foreign Radio and Adrian’s publication here on Substack.

Show Notes

• Leaving the American Dream behind to pursue aliveness.

• Travel as an alternative education: empathy, compassion, and tolerance.

• Laos motorbike breakdown and lessons in honesty and generosity.

• Southeast Asia as a transformative region: Thailand, Cambodia, Burma.

• Reflections on regret, fear, and cultural expectations around career/family.

• Stories of serendipity and human connection across the world.

• With Gusto: how micro-donations create meaningful local impact.

• Cambodia’s resilience and joy in the face of tragedy.

• Advice for hesitant travelers: “Just buy the ticket.”

• Where Adrian is headed next: Iraq, India, Nepal, and back to Southeast Asia.

Adrian and I recorded this episode on August 14, 2025.

Thanks for watching!

If you enjoy this podcast, you might also like the A Foreign Perspective, Foreigner501, Foreign Tales, the Lili Art Blog, or my award-winning book Home in Good Hands. If you'd like to support this Substack and help me keep creating stories and essays about life abroad, consider subscribing, sharing, or buying me a coffee. And to those who already have—thank you. Your support means the world.

In Episode 5 of Foreign Radio, I speak with expat veteran —writer, novelist, and playwright—about the personal cost of moving abroad, and why the realities of expat life rarely match the fantasy.

We talk about what’s lost when you leave: careers that don’t translate, friendships that fade, identities that collapse without context. Elizabeth shares her experience navigating new countries as a trailing spouse, raising a third-culture child, and reckoning with the invisible trade-offs behind every international move.

We also explore the emotional impact of being “othered,” the importance of feeling welcomed by your host culture, and why slow, steady integration matters more than chasing an idealized lifestyle. From quiet joys to hard-won lessons, this conversation cuts through the noise and offers a grounded take on what it really means to live abroad.

Honest, funny, and full of hard-earned wisdom, Elizabeth was a real pleasure to speak with, and our conversation was as enlightening as it was engaging.

Topics Covered

• The Reality of Living Abroad

• Cultural Adjustments and Parenting Abroad

• The Challenges of Career Transition

• Finding Joy in Unexpected Places

• The Impact of Expat Life on Children

• Navigating Work and Identity Abroad

• Technical Aspects of Podcasting

• Final Thoughts on Moving Abroad

• Embracing Remote Work and Digital Nomadism

• Building Community Abroad

• Navigating Adult Friendships in New Places

• Choosing the Right Country to Move To

• The Importance of Feeling Welcomed

• Creating Your Ideal Country: A Thought Experiment

Elizabeth and I recorded the episode on June 13, 2025

If you enjoy this podcast, you might also like the Belize Foreigner Blog, the Lili Art Blog, or my award-winning book Home in Good Hands. If you'd like to support this Substack and help me keep creating stories and essays about life abroad, consider subscribing, sharing, or making a small donation. And to those who already have—thank you. Your support means the world.

THANKS FOR WATCHING FOREIGN RADIO

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When Kathleen and Marc-André of More Life Diaries realized their life in Toronto wasn’t giving them the freedom, family time, or fulfillment they wanted, they made a bold decision: sell everything and move to Mexico. In this episode of Foreign Radio, Marc-André joins me for an honest conversation about why they chose Puerto Vallarta, how they navigated cultural shifts, safety perceptions, affordability, and what it means to truly feel “at home” abroad. We also touch on expat entitlement, blending in, family life, and why — two years later — they’re still waking up with that spark of travel. If you’ve been thinking about life beyond the 9–5 or moving abroad, this episode offers real insight from a family who made it happen.

Topics We Cover:

🌩 Dealing with power outages and hurricane season in Mexico and Belize
🏙️ Why they left Toronto — and what felt “off” about their life there
📺 How watching YouTube sparked their decision to move
🏝️ Choosing Puerto Vallarta over Playa del Carmen or other locations
🚔 The reality of crime and safety in Mexico vs. Toronto
🏖️ Beach access and the entitlement problem with some expats
💰 How cost of living in PV compares to life in Toronto
⏳ Adjusting to Mexican culture and embracing slower living
👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Parenting abroad and why Mexican culture is so family-friendly
🚫 The dangers of expat entitlement — and why respect matters
🗣️ Simple tips for blending in (beyond just learning the language)
🌎 How life abroad continues to feel like travel — even after two years
🎥 Why they started a YouTube channel (and Marc’s new real estate work)

You can find and connect with Marc in the following ways.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Morelifediaries

Web: www.morelifediaries.com

Gmail: morelifediaries@gmail.com

Real estate: marcoinmexico@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100081816452767

If you enjoy this, you might also like the A Foreign Perspective, Foreigner501, Foreign Tales, the Lili Art Blog, or my award-winning book Home in Good Hands. If you'd like to support this Substack and help me keep creating stories and essays about life abroad, consider subscribing, sharing, or making a small donation. And to those who already have—thank you. Your support means the world.

In Episode 3 of Foreign Radio, I speak with William A. Finnegan—former intelligence insider and author of The Long Memo and Borderless Living—about the growing disillusionment within the U.S. and what it means for those seeking a life abroad.

We unpack the early signs of state failure, the rise of authoritarianism, and why more Americans are quietly preparing to leave. William shares practical insights on when, why, and how to emigrate, the countries best positioned for the next decade, and what it really means to seek opportunity—not escape.

From identity and disorientation to mobility and mindset, this conversation is a must-listen for anyone considering life beyond borders.​

William and I recorded the episode on April 9, 2025

Mentions:

Leaving Wasn’t the Plan

Barbara F Walter Ted Talk

Olivia Troy Substack

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If you enjoy this, you might also like the A Foreign Perspective, Foreigner501, Foreign Tales, the Lili Art Blog, or my award-winning book Home in Good Hands. If you'd like to support this Substack and help me keep creating stories and essays about life abroad, consider subscribing, sharing, or making a small donation. And to those who already have—thank you. Your support means the world.

In Episode 2 of Foreign Radio, host Simo D sits down with linguist, educator, and writer Gregory Garretson to explore what it means to live a life abroad. With over 20 years in Europe and a Substack that tackles culture shock, communication, and expat identity, Gregory brings both profound wisdom and good humor to the table.

We discuss the stark contrasts between North America and Europe, the emotional resilience required to build a life elsewhere, and how men, in particular, are often underprepared for the social demands of starting over in a foreign place. Gregory shares practical advice on staying connected, why discovery-driven individuals tend to fare better abroad, and why moving to a new country is far more destabilizing than most people anticipate.

We also discuss the "fear-curiosity continuum", the illusion of control, and what it means to emotionally prepare for an international move, just as you would physically train for a significant adventure. Gregory speaks candidly about life recycling, neocolonialism, and the myth that moving abroad will automatically make you happy.

From laughing about Facebook expat group debates in Belize to unpacking the philosophical shifts that happen when you trade familiarity for the unknown, this episode is a raw and thoughtful exploration of language, belonging, identity, and transformation.

Gregory and I recorded the episode on April 4, 2025.

✒️ Article mentions: “Investing in Returing”

If you enjoy this, you might also like the A Foreign Perspective, Foreigner501, Foreign Tales, the Lili Art Blog, or my award-winning book Home in Good Hands. If you'd like to support this Substack and help me keep creating stories and essays about life abroad, consider subscribing, sharing, or making a small donation. And to those who already have—thank you. Your support means the world.

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In the premiere episode of the Foreign Radio podcast, Host Simo D sits down with Cory Vinny from the Substack newsletter, Radical Paths, to learn all about Cory's momentous undertaking: a worldwide sailing odyssey—on a sailboat he and his partner refurbished themselves! The two discuss his reasons for leaving and why it is important to take back your life from the grips of "the ordinary." The two also touch on how to overcome the fear of the unknown, why you don't need a lot of money to live a life of vitality, when "enough is enough," and why you shouldn't wait to pursue a life of creativity, adventure, and freedom.

Recorded on March 21, 2025.

If you enjoy this podcast, you might also like the A Foreign Perspective, Foreigner501, Foreign Tales, the Lili Art Blog, or my award-winning book Home in Good Hands. If you'd like to support this Substack and help me keep creating stories and essays about life abroad, consider subscribing, sharing, or making a small donation. And to those who already have—thank you. Your support means the world.

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