A blueprint for migrant women eager to turn obstacles into opportunities.

Most women exploring life abroad feel overwhelmed by cultural shifts, language barriers, and the fear of losing themselves—until you hear Janet Zhu’s story.

Janet shares raw, live stories of her journey—from the initial excitement, loneliness and identity shifts to creating a life that honors both her Chinese heritage and American dreams.

What you get:

• Hear how embracing your culture fuels your confidence,
• How to cultivate community through service, and
• Why financial independence is crucial for women abroad.

  Her journey reminds you that success is about achievement and also about being at peace with who you are—regardless of where you came from.

Listen now, share it with women who need a little reminder, and follow the show for more real conversations about life abroad.

How to rebuild with kids, handle culture shock, and find your footing as an expat mom. immigrant mom.

Feeling lost after moving abroad? This episode names the quiet grief women carry when you immigrate-homesickness, language shame, identity wobble, and the pressure to make the move "worth it". Karen - a professional organizer from Israel shares how she rebuilt in the U.S. in her 40s: making friends from zero, helping her kids learn a new language, reopening her career, and adapting to culture without erasing herself.

You'll leave with simple ways to protect your energy, communicate with confidence and release the feelings in your body.

Listen now and start creating the life you moved for-- one small win at a time.

Moving to a new country is an emotional, psychological, and cultural upheaval. In this episode, Korean‑Canadian entrepreneur Monica Hyang-sil Chang shares her powerful story of rebuilding her identity after immigrating from Korea, to Toronto, Canada, to Marin County in California.

This episode is for anyone searching for belonging, rebuilding identity after migration, or learning how to stay grounded while living far from home.

Monica opens up about the pressure many Asian women feel to 'fit the box,' the stereotypes she pushed against, and what it meant to become one of the only Korean women running a food business in her region. We explore the real challenges of loneliness, homesickness, culture shock, and the mental health impact of starting over in a new country — experiences familiar to immigrants, expats, and anyone navigating life abroad.

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Life abroad can stretch you, soften you, and sometimes drain you in ways you didn’t expect. In this episode, I’m sharing five clear signs that your expat life — or the spaces you’re in — are costing you too much emotionally, and what it looks like to take your power back without abandoning yourself.

If you’re an expat or immigrant woman navigating homesickness, isolation, microaggressions, shrinking to fit in, or feeling invisible, this conversation will help you name what’s happening and decide what you need next.

We talk about:

• the quiet ways you start shrinking to stay accepted
• feeling depleted after every interaction
• performing gratitude instead of being honest
• the emotional cost of staying in rooms that don’t see you
• how to choose spaces that let you be present, not disappear

I also share a personal story from my own life in the U.S. — a moment when I stayed in a difficult space, why I made that choice, and what I learned about belonging, boundaries, and self‑trust.

I also share a personal story from my own life in the U.S. — a moment when I stayed in a difficult space, why I made that choice, and what I learned about belonging, boundaries, and self‑trust.

This episode is for the woman abroad who keeps asking:
“Do I matter here? Can I belong here and still be myself?”

If this speaks to you, follow The Places We Call Home on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and leave a 5‑star review so I know these conversations are meeting you where you are.

If you moved to the USA for love and now find yourself homesick, lonely, overwhelmed, or wondering who you’re becoming, this episode is for you.

So many expat and immigrant women arrive with hope — then quietly struggle with the emotional cost of life in a new country.

In this conversation you'll look through the eyes of guest Monica Hyang-sil Chang. Hear what’s actually possible for you, even if right now you feel disconnected, unsure of yourself, or guilty for not loving your new life yet.

You’ll hear the emotional truths we don’t say out loud: the grief attached to leaving home, the pressure to “be grateful,” the loneliness that surprises you, and the identity shifts that happen when you build a life around someone else’s roots.

We explore:

• why moving abroad for love brings its own kind of homesickness
• the isolation that shows up when you don’t have your own community
• how to rebuild confidence and identity in a new country
• what it looks like to create belonging from scratch, and
• the possibilities that open when you stop blaming yourself for struggling

If this is your reality, remember that you’re in that process of figuring it out, you're allowed to be tender, messy, and brave. You're not behind, you’re not failing, and you’re not alone.

If this resonates, follow The Places We Call Home on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and leave a 5‑star review so we know these conversations are supporting you.

When you move abroad, especially to the USA, imposter syndrome can show up in ways you never expected.

In this episode, I sit down with Zainab Ugokwe — scientist, mom, wife — a woman whose story will feel familiar if you’ve ever tried to rebuild your identity in a new country.

Zainab talks about returning to the U.S. after spending her childhood in Palestine, navigating homesickness, cultural differences, and the quiet grief of absent relatives in Palestine, and in the USA. She shares what it was like to grow up as the only Black girl in a town that had never seen people who looked like her, and how those early experiences shaped her confidence as an adult.

We explore:

• what imposter syndrome looks like for expat and immigrant women
• the identity shifts that happen when you move abroad
• the loneliness of feeling “in‑between” cultures
• how to rebuild confidence when you don’t feel like yourself anymore
• the emotional work of belonging in a place that wasn’t part of your original story

If you’re an expat or immigrant woman living in the USA or anywhere abroad — navigating loneliness, cultural differences, or that unsettling feeling of not belonging here or back home — this conversation will meet you right where you are.

Zainab’s reflections offer gentle reminders and practical takeaways about finding your voice again, trusting who you’re becoming, and giving yourself permission to grow into this new version of you.

If this episode resonates, follow The Places We Call Home on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and share it with another woman who’s starting over in a new country.

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What if I fail? What if I don’t belong?

Are these questions keeping you from moving abroad for the life you dream of?

This episode is your expat woman’s masterclass on moving abroad without letting fear win. Host Yolanda shares real experiences and what helped her prepare for a new life in the USA.

If you can’t shake your own fears or answer the “How are you going to make it work?” questions from well-meaning friends, this one is for you.

Press play to uncover the unfiltered truth about forging a new identity as an expat or immigrant—and gain the insights you need to thrive emotionally and mentally in your journey to the U.S.

Email guest@Theplaceswecallhome.com.

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

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Are you an expat woman starting over in the USA—and wondering why this transition feels harder than you expected?

Relocating abroad isn’t just about visas, moving boxes, and learning English. It’s about navigating homesickness, unspoken cultural codes, rebuilding your career, and figuring out how to belong in a place that doesn’t yet feel like home.

In this heartfelt episode, you’ll hear Karen Geva’s story of moving from Israel to California and discover:

• Why the hardest part of adapting abroad isn’t language—it’s behavior, mindset, and emotional rhythm because cultural difference goes beyond language
• Why home will no longer be the geographical location you left of memories and blood relations
• How Karen rebuilt her career and confidence in midlife, as a foreigner.

Download now to uncover the unfiltered truth about forging a new identity as an expat or immigrant—and gain the insights you need to thrive emotionally and mentally in your journey to the U.S.

To share your own migration story or feedback, email guest@Theplaceswecallhome.com

This compelling podcast dives into Expat and immigrant women (and men) stories. Those who immigrate to the USA, tackling the struggles of homesickness, identity crisis, and culture shock in the USA while adjusting to expat life and navigating cultural differences. Through conversations on starting over, reinventing yourself, and finding purpose, it highlights success stories of women's tenacity, and the resilience of expats in the USA. It offers insights into bicultural identity, language barriers, and the challenges of living overseas. The podcast emphasizes the importance of a strong support system and wellbeing for women in pursuit of the American dream.

https://www.instagram.com/placeswecallhomepod