Almost Local: Living Abroad Stories

Thinking of moving to the South of France? It’s not just baguettes, beaches, and sunshine. In this episode of Almost Local, we dive into the real, unfiltered truth about expat life in France.

Josh Kennedy, a Dutch forigneir who has lived on the French Riviera for 8 years, sits down to share his incredible journey. We cover everything from the brutal "vicious circle" of French bureaucracy and housing (and how tool...

What really changes when you move abroad? In this episode of Expat Experts, Caline Malek shares her journey from high-pressure journalism to aligned living in Portugal — and how Human Design can help expats avoid burnout and find clarity.

Moving abroad isn’t just about visas, housing, or cost of living — it’s also an internal journey. In this episode of the Expat Experts Podcast, I’m joined by Caline Malek — former nuclear...

Expat life isn’t always an adventure. In this episode of Expat Experts, clinical psychologist Dr. Elefant-Yanni reveals the hidden emotional cost of living abroad, identity shifts, and the pressure expat couples face.

Living abroad can be exciting — but it can also be emotionally exhausting. In this episode of Expat Experts, I sit down with Dr. Veronique Elefant-Yanni, a Clinical Psychologist (PhD) who works with expatriat...

Thinking of moving to Costa Rica? It’s not just beaches and sloths. In this episode of Almost Local, Zach Gerth from Start Abroad breaks down the honest reality of relocating to Central America.

From his time in the Peace Corps to building a life in Kenya and now Costa Rica, Zach shares the "Expat Curve" that everyone goes through—from the honeymoon phase to the "what have I done" panic. We discuss the ...

What is it really like to live in Paris as an American expat? 🇫🇷 In this episode of the Expat Experts Podcast, Marc sits down with Paul Island, originally from New York City and now living in Paris, France. After traveling to 54 countries, Paul decided to turn his traveler’s mindset into a full expat life — and he shares the real story behind that transition.

In this episode, we talk about:
🏥💶🏠 Healthcare, cost of...

Thinking about moving to Portugal? In this episode, American expat Kalie reveals the honest reality of living in Porto as a family, breaking down the exact cost of living, the SEF bureaucracy nightmare, and why you should come with "no expectations."

After 15 years living abroad in Spain, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore, Kalie and her family settled in Porto. But is the "Portugal Dream" all it&...

🎧 In this episode of Expat Experts, I’m joined by Australian-born filmmaker, storyteller and podcast host Chris Baron. Now based in Indonesia, Chris takes us behind the scenes of his extraordinary journey—from filmmaking in extreme environments to launching his podcast “No Ordinary Monday”, relocating abroad and re-imagining life on his own terms.

We talk about:
🌍 Why moving abroad can be the ultimate life hack for g...

What happens when your life abroad looks perfect on paper — but inside, you feel completely empty? ✈️ 🤔

In this episode of the Expat Experts Podcast, host Marc Alcobé talks with Lara Ferreira — a Brazilian-born former corporate high-flyer turned mindful career & life coach, now based in the Netherlands. After a serious burnout, Lara discovered a deeper purpose and founded Mindful Experiences to help expats who feel “s...

Thinking about moving abroad? Wondering why some places feel right and others feel off? Today’s episode will change how you see the world 🌍✨

We’re joined by Isabel Guerreira, founder of Your Stellar Truth — a New York City expat who moved to Spain after discovering the power of astrocartography, the branch of astrology that reveals where in the world your energy flows best.

In this conversation, we explore:
✨...

👩🏼‍🎓🇮🇹 In this episode, we sit down with Sofia Vrettou, a Greek researcher and expat currently living in Italy, to explore what it really takes to build a life abroad — emotionally, culturally, and personally. Sofia shares her journey from Greece to Bologna as a PhD researcher, the cultural differences she experienced between Greek and Italian life, how identity shifts when you move countries, and the challenges of adapting to...

🏯 👧🏽 What happens when you sell most of what you own, leave behind stable 9–5 jobs, and decide to slow travel through Southeast Asia? Meet Zanesta & Nabeel, the creators behind Tiny Detour. Originally from Australia, they traded routine for freedom, leaning into lifestyle arbitrage and building a life on their own terms.

In this episode of the Expat Experts Podcast, we dive into their expat journey as a couple:

• Why they le...

Unlock the untold story of Aleksandar Svetski, an entrepreneur who overcame $250K in debt by age 20, lived as a digital nomad, and eventually launched the app Satlantis.io—a radical new vision for social mapping.

In this episode, we dive deep into:

• Aleks’s expat & digital nomad journey: How hopping across cultures shaped his mindset and career.
• From $250K debt to startup hustle: What resilience, discipline, and Bitcoin taught ...

🤰✈️ In this episode, Angela Vitiello, founder of the Expat Parenting Collective, discusses the unique aspects of raising kids abroad. She shares insights on navigating culture shock as an expat family and offers valuable parenting tips for those considering moving abroad. Whether you're already an expat parent or contemplating the move, this episode provides essential guidance.

Ever wonder about the intricacies of being an  ex...

🇮🇹 🐎 What’s it really like to live in Italy as an American? We talk with Mike Manchester — an American expat who moved from Denver to Siena over 20 years ago and built his life in Italy. Mike co-founded an intercultural study abroad program, raised a bilingual family in Bologna, and even teaches English through improv! Mike touches on the teaching of English in Italian classrooms, pointing out that the current methods don't...

🌍 🥼 What’s it like to live in Baghdad, Beirut, Phnom Penh, Lagos, and Curaçao — all while battling Lyme disease and Hashimoto’s? In this powerful episode of the Expat Experts Podcast, we sit down with Vashti Kanahele, functional medicine practitioner, author, and founder of Passports & Parasites.

What happens when chronic illness meets global adventure? 🌍 In this episode of Expat Experts, I chat with Vashti Kanahele — author ...

🌍✈️ Ever dreamed of leaving a high-flying job to travel the world full-time? In this episode of the Expat Experts Podcast, I sit down with Jordi Llonch Esteve, a former airline pilot turned global digital nomad and tech founder. Jordi traded cockpits for co-working spaces, and since then, he’s lived in over 50 cities, from Chiang Mai to Tarifa and Uvita to Lisbon.

This video dives into the guest's unique approach to traveling,...

🏈🚓 What happens when your dream of living abroad turns into a nightmare? Former American football player Chancellor Jackson found himself arrested and thrown into a Chinese jail for 14 days.

In this jaw-dropping episode of Expat Experts, Chancellor shares the full story—how he ended up behind bars, what jail life in China is really like, and how that experience changed the course of his life forever.

🎧 We talk about:

• ...

🌏 🐝 What happens when a shy German scientist dares to trade her lab coat for a one-way ticket abroad? Hanna Marks, a Berlin native who left her stable job in biological research — including working on honeybee diseases — to pursue a more meaningful life overseas.

In the latest episode of Expat Experts, I sit down with Hanna Marks, who left behind a secure job in science to chase something deeper: freedom. After years of working in...

🌍💼 What’s it like to be a woman leading a high-stakes sales career in West Africa’s male-dominated telecom world—while also becoming a mom abroad?

In this powerful and inspiring episode of the Expat Experts Podcast, Marc sits down with Wanda Serkowska, a fearless expat who built her career across Congo DRC, Benin, and Côte d'Ivoire, navigating business, culture, and motherhood in ways most of us can’t imagine.

🔥 Wan...