Episodes

May 21, 2023

Dating, toxic relationships, and making friends in Germany (Lulu from Ireland)

Dating can be a minefield at the best of times. But what happens when you move to a city like Berlin? Lulu Johnson discovered just this when she moved from Ireland to Berlin - and then wrote a book about it! It's called Dati…
April 8, 2023

The diversity trend, Misfit Models, and German bureaucracy when starting a company (Del from the UK)

Just do a Google search for Del Keens, and you will see that he's someone with a unique story. After moving to Germany, he started a character modeling agency called Misfit Models . He joins me as a guest in this episode to …
March 31, 2023

Financing property in Germany (with Kerstin Brunner)

Kerstin Brunner is a finance coach, and she comes on the podcast to discuss what goes into buying property in Germany. First we look at how to decide if purchasing a property is right for you. Then we consider the additional…
March 8, 2023

Life in Germany as a gay woman (Kim from the UK)

Kim from the UK explains what life is like in Germany for her as a gay woman. She also discusses the difficulties of finding a community in smaller cities and towns. Plus: Kim gives some advice! Kim has created a self-paced …
Guest: Kim Lummis
March 1, 2023

How German are you? (Nina from Germany)

The Germany Experience is back with a repost from Shaun's other podcast, Everyday Germany. Nina joins Shaun to see which one of them is more German. Subscribe to Everyday Germany where Shaun and Nina discuss their observatio…
Guest: Nina
Jan. 4, 2023

4GEPADFO charity drive update, and when The Germany Experience will be back

Shaun gives an update on 4GEPADFO (spoiler: we made our 500€ goal!). But you can still donate to this great cause (a hotline providing psychosocial support for Ukrainian children and youths: Donate to krisenchat Listen to Sh…
Dec. 22, 2022

Getting ready to leave Germany (Nicole from The Expat Cast)

Nicole joins me this week to discuss some big changes in her life – she's leaving Germany. In this episode, she explains what's happening and why she's making the move. We also talk about our charity drive for 2022 - AND WE …
Dec. 2, 2022

House hunting, finding day care, and handling rough starts (Wafeeqa from Saudi Arabia)

When Wafeeqa and her family moved to Germany, they thought things would be easier: her husband had a job, and his employer was arranging accommodation for them. Plus, they both had experience with learning languages, so they…
Nov. 9, 2022

Using hypnosis to help foreigners in Germany (Suzanne Dinter from the UK)

Suzanne Dinter joins me this week to explain what hypnotherapy is, and how it can help foreigners adjust to life in Germany - among other issues. Suzanne is a Brit who has been living in Germany since 1994, and she specializ…
Oct. 19, 2022

Hidden grief, loss of identity, and getting to know the German version of a loved one (Katie Rössler from the USA)

Katie Rössler , author of The New Face of Grief , comes on the podcast to discuss the role that hidden grief might play in the lives of foreigners in a new country. She also discusses the toll a move to a new country can tak…
Oct. 12, 2022

Advice for adapting and integrating in Germany, from discussions with 100+ foreigners

At the end of September 2022, I gave a talk at the Welcome To Germany Summit. This is the rehearsal that I recorded a few days before. But mine was only one of many great talks on the day from multiple speakers! To access ov…
Oct. 5, 2022

Convincing a company to take a chance on you (Veronica from Mexico)

“I feel like a lot of people feel this - this feeling of Germany crushing your soul, like killing you from the inside.” This is how Veronica from Mexico describes her first years in Germany. One of the biggest reasons for th…
Sept. 28, 2022

Recovering from a car accident while abroad (Sadaf from Pakistan)

Many foreigners do a lot of traveling around Europe while they are here. But have you ever considered what would happen if you had a medical emergency in another country? This happened to Sadaf, when she was involved in a ca…
Sept. 25, 2022

The Welcome To Germany Summit on 29th September 2022

A group of experts (including me!) has come together to organize a free online event for everyone interested in moving to and living in Germany - expats, internationals, immigrants, repats...you name it. In this special epis…
Sept. 13, 2022

A German returning to Germany after a decade (Cathrin from Germany)

Cathrin, originally from Germany, has been living in the States for more than 10 years, but she recently made the decision to return. She discusses the reasons for wanting to come back, how she needs to say goodbye to her ol…
Aug. 24, 2022

RERUN: Wurst/arsch/schwein idioms, why “Der/Die/Das” is weird, and sitting down to pee in Germany (Ricardo from Brazil & Ivan from Bulgaria)

Originally released on October 19th, 2020. View the original show notes here. I F YOU ENJOY THIS PODCAST You can support the show in various ways: BUY THE GERMANY EXPERIENCE PODCAST A COFFEE – there are a lot of costs associ…
Aug. 17, 2022

RERUN: Q&A - Making long-term German friends, reverse parking, and origins of German idioms

Originally released March 8th, 2021 View the original show notes here. I F YOU ENJOY THIS PODCAST You can support the show in various ways: BUY THE GERMANY EXPERIENCE PODCAST A COFFEE – there are a lot of costs associated wi…
Aug. 10, 2022

RERUN: Antoinette Emily from New Zealand

Originally released November 23rd, 2020. View the original show notes here. Antoinette's YouTube channel: Antoinette Emily I F YOU ENJOY THIS PODCAST You can support the show in various ways: BUY THE GERMANY EXPERIENCE PODCA…
Aug. 3, 2022

RERUN: Ask a German - Bureaucracy, German pillows, standing in line, and recruitment through fruit

Original release: November 2nd, 2020 View the original show notes here. Featuring the hosts of the Ach podcast . I F YOU ENJOY THIS PODCAST You can support the show in various ways: BUY THE GERMANY EXPERIENCE PODCAST A COFFE…
July 27, 2022

RERUN: Advice for foreigners in Germany, taken from two years of The Germany Experience

Original release: June 2, 2001 View the original show notes here. I F YOU ENJOY THIS PODCAST You can support the show in various ways: BUY THE GERMANY EXPERIENCE PODCAST A COFFEE – there are a lot of costs associated with ru…
July 20, 2022

The Berlin episode (recorded live @ PodFest Berlin 2022)

I've always felt a special connection to Berlin. But what is it like to live there? I am joined by three foreigners living in Berlin who discuss their stories, what they love about living in Berlin, and various other aspects…
July 6, 2022

Q&A: Self-learning B2, dealing with language barrier frustrations, and is there foolproof advice for making friends in Germany?

You sent in some questions about life in Germany, and I try and answer them in this episode. THE GERMANY EXPERIENCE AT PODFEST BERLIN I will be recording a live episode at Podfest Berlin on Saturday July 16th @ 16:15 . It wi…
June 29, 2022

Probezeit: The first six months in a German job (Lisa Janz, Job Coach Germany)

The first six months in a new job is important. In Germany, it is usually a trial period - or "Probezeit" - and it is a chance for you to get to know your team, company, and more. Lisa Janz, who runs Job Coach Germany, joins…
Guest: Lisa Janz
June 22, 2022

Lessons from changing jobs in Germany (Alexandrea from the USA)

Alexandrea from the USA (and former guest on the podcast ) left her job in Hamburg for one in Frankfurt. However, she realized almost immediately that the new job was not a good fit. She left during her trial period and foun…