Episodes
How Germany changed us (Jibran from Pakistan)
Dec. 2, 2019
Jibran runs the Desi in Wonderland YouTube channel. He's originally from Pakistan and has been living in Germany for 5 years, so we decided to discuss how Germany has changed us. In the process, I learned a lot more than I expected about Pakistani culture. Find Jibran on Instagram and Facebook . Al…
A Berliner, a Hamburger, a Neapolitan, and a world citizen (Liliana from Italy)
Nov. 18, 2019
Liliana is from Naples, Italy, and has lived in Germany for 7 years. She recently got her citizenship, and discusses how that happened. We also cover her reason for choosing Germany, why she'd struggle to return to Italy, and she compares Hamburg and Berlin with Naples. Subscribe to Liliana's YouTu…
Being far from family when losing someone, making friends through team sports, and security in Germany (Rafael from Brazil)
Nov. 3, 2019
One of my best friends in Germany, Rafael from Brazil, experienced loss when his father passed away, and talks about how he coped dealing with that being far from his family. He's also a handball player, and he had the chance to make German friends through his love of the sport. We also discuss lea…
Discussing German stereotypes with Nicole from The Expat Cast
Oct. 20, 2019
How true are German stereotypes? Nicole of the Expat Cast joins me on Expat Life Germany to dissect German culture and make sweeping generalizations.
Being an English-Speaking Writer in Germany, Bringing a Pet to Germany, and "The God Queen" (Mari from USA)
Oct. 12, 2019
Mari is a US expat living in Germany. She's also a writer and an avid pug fan. She discusses what it's like being an English-speaking writer in Germany, her book " The God Queen ", and how to bring a dog from USA into Germany. To win a signed copy of "The God Queen", find the episode post on one of…
The "Why" Has to be Right (Vlad from Romania)
Oct. 6, 2019
Discuss this episode in the Expat Life Germany Facebook group ! Vlad from Romania was tired of the political situation in Romania, and made the choice to move to Germany. But, unlike many Romanians who emigrate to western Europe, integration is easier for him since he's highly educated and already …
Article 116 (Michael from USA)
Sept. 29, 2019
Michael Silberman lives in the USA, but Germany is certainly intertwined with his life over there. His parents left Nazi Germany (and were stripped of their German citizenship) to start a new life in the States, and this heritage led to a fascination with Germany. Michael spent some time in Murnau …
parkrun Germany
Sept. 22, 2019
The parkrun concept is simple: you turn up on a Saturday morning and you walk, jog, or run 5km. The best thing? It's free. Since it started in 2004, it has become a global phenomenon. And it's a great thing for expats, too: get out and exercise, and meet new people! In this episode, I talk to the o…
Defining "Expat"
Sept. 15, 2019
What exactly is an "expat"? Turns out this question is not as straight forward as Shaun used to think. He goes into some of the problems surrounding the terminology, and also defines his interpretation of it for the podcast. He also reads out Apple Podcast reviews for the show, talks about some blo…
BONUS: Social Media and Expats, Charity Work as an Expat, and Friends Moving On
Sept. 10, 2019
In the last episode , Anna Noakes Schulze dropped so many insights about expat life that I had to edit some of it out. Since it'd be a shame for it to go to waste, I decided to put it in a bonus episode. Here is more Anna, and we go into detail about social media, how to help others by first taking…
Living Abroad Teaches Us the Power of Connections (Anna from Canada)
Sept. 4, 2019
Anna Noakes Schulze from Canada presented a TEDx talk called “ Living Abroad Teaches Us the Power of Connections ”, and in it she tells her own expat story to demonstrate how those that we make connections with shape our lives and who we are, even if we don't live near them. This will resonate with…
Finding and Getting a Job In Germany
Aug. 27, 2019
For all the links mentioned in the episode (there are a few!), go to the Finding and Getting a Job in Germany blog post . I go through some of the ins and outs of getting a job in Germany. To help me, I got Cheryl Howard of cherylhoward.com to discuss her experiences as a job seeker in Berlin (she'…
Through the Eyes of a Newly-Arrived Expat (Sarah From Syria, Canada, et al)
Aug. 12, 2019
I first interviewed Sarah back in July for a bonus episode , because she'd almost been caught by a scam. We had such a great discussion that I wanted to have her back on the show, and here she is. Although Sarah is new in Berlin, she is by no means new to the expat way of life: she has lived in Syr…
Tim From France - Not So Far From Home
Aug. 6, 2019
Tim Bourguignon is a French citizen who moved to Germany to be with his wife. He describes himself as coming in four flavors: Agile Coach, Chief Learning Officer, Mentoring Advocate, and Public Speaker. He also hosts a podcast called Software Developer’s Journey . After bad experiences learning Ger…
The E-Scooterpocalypse & Feeling Dumb in Germany
July 29, 2019
There are a lot of people—expats and Germans alike—who are not pleased about the e-scooter situation in big cities since it became legal for them to share bicycle paths and roads. E-scooter riders are apparently fast, reckless, and they just leave them parked anywhere and everywhere. But surely it …
Natalie from Australia - From the Outback to Europe
July 24, 2019
When learning a new language, it takes a long time before you're able to express yourself and articulate your thoughts, and so it's easy to feel like you're coming across as dumb. This is just one of the topics that Natalie, a stay-at-home mum from Australia, discusses about her time in Germany. Sh…
Shannon from USA - Church Bells and Bicycles
July 16, 2019
Meet Shannon from the USA, whose family were expats in Germany from 2009 until 2013. When they returned to the States, they realized their hearts were still in Germany, and so they immediately started making plans to go back. Shannon talks about falling in love with the German way of life, making c…
Arvi From India - Founding a Startup in Germany
July 9, 2019
Arvi is from India and moved to Germany 5 years ago to complete his studies as an engineer. He did this, but instead of returning home, he moved to Berlin and founded a startup with two other entrepreneurs. His company, MyHelpBuddy , puts expats who need a service or who have a problem in contact w…