🌍 Real people. Real journeys. Real lives lived elsewhere. Hosted by April Jackson — BBC presenter, entrepreneur, and former Miss Universe Jamaica — Babes, How Did You Get Here? is a high-quality podcast spotlighting the inspiring stories of everyday people who left everything behind to build a life in a new country.
🎙️ In each episode, April dives into authentic, emotional conversations with global nomads, immigrants, and dream-chasers — from a Russian woman thriving in Jamaica to a former US Marine finding purpose in Thailand. Their stories are raw, reflective, and full of powerful lessons on belonging, transformation, and the courage to start over.
📅 New episodes every Wednesday and Sunday. Whether you’re an aspiring traveller, a lover of human stories, or someone seeking the motivation to explore the world, this podcast will leave you feeling inspired and deeply connected.
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Robbed in London, Safe in Africa: Why This Jamaican Left the UK
Tuesday, July 21, 2026 • Duration 01:47:00
Why This Jamaican Says Kingston Is Safer Than London | Cheryl Ankra Newton on Moving to South Africa
What if everything you were taught about “safe” countries was backwards?
In this powerful conversation, April Jackson sits down with Cheryl Ankra Newton — a British-born global citizen with Trinidadian and Ghanaian roots who left a successful career in London to build a new life in South Africa.
Just days before moving to Johannesburg, Cheryl was robbed in London. Sixteen years later, after living across South Africa, she says she has never been robbed or assaulted there.
Meanwhile, April — who is Jamaican — shares why her experiences of crime in London challenged everything she believed about the so-called “first world” versus the Caribbean.
Together, they explore the truth about Kingston, Jamaica, London, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Ghana and life abroad — beyond the headlines, stereotypes and fear-based narratives.
🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations with people who chose a different life abroad: [insert channel link]
In this episode, we discuss:
Why Cheryl left a prestigious Mayfair career after a 10-day trip to South Africa
Why a Jamaican woman says Kingston can feel safer than London
Crime in London vs crime in Jamaica, Johannesburg and Cape Town
The dangerous assumptions people make about Africa and the Caribbean
Cheryl’s unforgettable meeting with Nelson Mandela on his 92nd birthday
Love, migration and building a marriage across countries and cultures
Raising a child as a global citizen in South Africa
The reality of healthcare, education and cost of living abroad
Living in Ghana during COVID and reconnecting with ancestral roots
Building legacy, entrepreneurship, community and a life that feels aligned
TIMESTAMPS
Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction: Following Love to South Africa
00:01:52 The Eight-Year Courtship That Changed Everything
00:03:46 First Impressions: Why Are They Hiding This From Us?
00:07:41 The 10-Day Trip That Led to Resignation
00:10:43 Meeting Nelson Mandela on His 92nd Birthday
00:13:27 Joburg vs Cape Town: Finding Community as an Expat
00:18:09 Crime, Context, and the Grace We Give First World Countries
00:31:00 The Wedding That Brought 150 People to Cape Town
00:34:55 Raising a Global Citizen: Identity Across Four Cultures
00:39:12 The Two Years in Ghana: Answering an Ancestral Calling
00:44:06 Why South Africa Wins Every Time: The Matrix of Living Abroad
00:45:13 The Price of Progress: Ghana, Jamaica, and Unsustainable Inflation
01:04:23 Motherhood in South Africa: Nannies, Help, and Quality Time
01:10:34 Healthcare That Works: Why She’d Choose South Africa Over the UK
01:16:38 Schooling for a Global Network: The American International School
01:23:50 Raising Kids Who Aren’t Spoiled: The Thing That Keeps Me Up at Night
01:43:49 The Train Station Racism That Changed Everything
01:53:42 The Confidence of Being Ghanaian in Nigeria: Nice Try
02:07:06 Redefining Success: From Corporate Ladder to Cashew Farms
02:14:36 The Postcard Life: Colorful, Vast, and Full of Champagne
This is not a conversation claiming that crime does not exist in Jamaica, London, South Africa or anywhere else. It is a conversation about context: the stories we are told, the places we fear, and why we often extend more grace to Western cities than we do to Black countries and communities.
If you are thinking about moving abroad, moving to Jamaica, relocating to South Africa, living in Cape Town, returning to Ghana, or simply questioning the narrative around the “first world,” this episode is for you.
💬 Where have you felt safest — and did it surprise you? Share your experience in the comments.
▶️ Watch next:
Connect with April Jackson: https://www.instagram.com/a_life_elsewhere/
Connect with Cheryl Ankra Newton: @cherylankrahnewton
#Jamaica #London #MovingAbroad
“I Felt Black for the First Time… in AFRICA?!” Her Story Shocked Our Jamaican Host
Friday, July 17, 2026 • Duration 01:29
A Nigerian woman boards a plane to Lesotho with her husband and twins.
She's not running from anything. She's not chasing a dream.
She's choosing dependence over independence for the first time in her life,
and it terrifies her more than leaving America ever did.
Eight years later, she's still on the continent.
Raising global children in Cape Town,
navigating microaggressions in old money neighborhoods,
building wellness communities, and learning that home isn't always
the place you were born, but the place where you finally feel seen.
She's a healthcare practitioner who left Maryland's 14 hour emergency room shifts
for a life with house help, drivers, and the kind of comfort
she never thought she'd have. She grew up sheltered in Lagos,
moved to the U.S. at 18 with nothing, worked her way through college braiding hair,
paid for her IVF twins out of pocket, and intentionally celebrated
every single one of their birthdays in a different country.
She tried going back to Nigeria. The system broke her heart.
She landed in Lesotho for a soft landing, then moved to Cape Town
because the schools were better and the mountain stole her soul.
This isn't a story about escaping.
It's about choosing discomfort over convenience,
building a village across continents, and staying married for 20 years
even when you've divorced him in your head multiple times.
🔥 What we cover:
Why Cape Town was the first place she actually chose to live
The mountain, the ocean, and why wellness finally had a picture
Growing up sheltered in Lagos where fear kept her grounded
Leaving Nigeria at 18 and landing in Maryland with family she'd never met
The coffee shop incident that revealed how unprepared she was
Do you have toilets in Africa? The questions that never stopped
Losing an aunt one year into America and learning to braid hair to survive
Three people in a one bedroom apartment and finally feeling free
Meeting her husband at a Howard birthday party and building a life
The IVF journey and telling her kids she literally paid for them
Intentional parenting: celebrating birthdays abroad and raising global children
The village: her sister in law, her brother's wife, and the core that raised kids together
The box system: how she categorizes every person in her life
Moving to Lesotho and depending on a man for the first time
Why that was the hardest thing she ever did
Cape Town calling when education forced the next move
The reality of being Black in Cape Town: are these your children?
Why people assume her husband is the gardener in his own neighborhood
Affordability, belonging, and finally being seen as a Black woman
Trying to go back to Nigeria and why the system broke her heart
The uncle who sent you to school but molested you: her relationship with Nigeria
Religion vs relationship: unlearning fear based faith
Why the most religious countries are often the most corrupt
⏱️ CHAPTERS:
Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction: Choosing South Africa After a Life of Wandering
00:00:57 First Impressions: The Mountain, Ocean, and Wellness
00:05:53 Growing Up Nigerian: From Sierra Leone to Lagos
00:06:36 Leaving Home at 18: The Move to Maryland for College
00:08:14 The Coffee Shop Incident: Cultural Shock and Survival Mode
00:11:56 The Ridiculous Questions: Do You Have Toilets in Africa?
00:19:43 Tragedy Strikes: Losing an Aunt and Learning to Braid Hair
00:21:45 Three in a One-Bedroom: Reuniting with Mom and Brother
00:23:44 Fear as Foundation: The Sheltered Life That Kept Her Grounded
00:25:59 Meeting Her Husband: A Howard Connection Through a Birthday Party
00:33:12 The IVF Journey: Paying for Your Children Out of Pocket
00:34:27 Intentional Parenting: Travel, Values, and Celebrating Birthdays Abroad
00:38:18 The Village: Raising Kids with Family and Fierce Loyalty
00:46:07 The Box System: How She Categorizes People in Her Life
00:50:28 The Move to Lesotho: A Soft Landing on the Continent
00:54:07 Depending on a Man: The Hardest Thing She Ever Did
00:58:14 Cape Town Calling: When Education Forced the Next Move
01:07:59 The Reality of Being Black in Cape Town: Assumptions and Microaggressions
01:12:53 Why South Africa Works: Affordability, Belonging, and Being Seen
01:17:34 Nigeria: The Uncle Who Sent You to School but Molested You
01:23:16 Religion vs Relationship: Unlearning Fear-Based Faith
01:28:33 Empty Nest and Therapy: Sending the Twins Back to America
01:31:07 Marriage After 20 Years: Resentment, Distance, and Choosing to Stay
01:39:02 The Postcard: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, and The Beautiful
#SouthAfrica #CapeTown #Nigeria #Lagos
#ExpatLife #Maryland #Howard #Lesotho
#BlackWomen #Healthcare #IVF #Parenting
#IntentionalParenting #GlobalChildren #EmptyNest
#Marriage #20Years #Religion #Faith
#Belonging #Microaggressions #OldMoney
#Wellness #Community #Village #Support
#MovingAbroad #LivingAbroad #ChoosingYourself
#Podcast #AprilJackson #BabesHowDidYouGetHere
#FindingHome #BuildingFamily #TheContinent
I Left a High-Paying NYC Fashion Job to Teach Ballet in Cambodia—My Family Thought I Was Mad!
Friday, July 10, 2026 • Duration 48:00
A corporate fashion designer boards a plane to Cambodia for a one month holiday.
She's not running from anything. She's not chasing a man.
She just Googled "best places for solo female travelers" and Cambodia was number three.
Eight years later, she's still here.
Teaching fashion to the next generation of Cambodian designers,
dancing, modeling, freelancing, and building a life she never could have built in New York.
Ray is a multidisciplinary creative who traded her New York cubicle
for a $70 tuk tuk ride with a driver who became family,
a kindergarten teaching gig she never wanted,
and a fashion job she manifested into existence.
She grew up in California, moved to Portland, studied in LA,
landed in New York working corporate fashion, and hated every second of the cubicle life.
So she took a break, Googled Cambodia, and never looked back.
This isn't a story about escaping.
It's about choosing discomfort over safety, challenge over convenience,
and building a life that feeds your soul even when it doesn't make sense on paper.
🔥 What we cover:
Why she left New York's corporate fashion scene for a country she'd never been to
The $70 tuk tuk driver who took her to meet his family and changed everything
Nerd Night and the moment she realized she could actually live here
New York summers with no sea breeze and winters that lie to you with sunshine
Why she prefers New York bluntness over LA's fake chill energy
The racism of teaching: when your skin color affects your qualifications
Applying to teach kindergarten and being rejected for a month while a TA taught
Two students leaving her class because their parents didn't want a Black teacher
How easy it is to get a teaching job in Cambodia if you're white
The fashion job she manifested finally calling her after one year of survival jobs
Teaching kindergarten seven days a week and ballet on weekends just to stay afloat
COVID in Cambodia: lockdown with a different vibe
Why she never considered going home during the pandemic
The workaholic mentality and learning to stop making herself small
Dating for six years straight and losing herself in relationships
Trying to find a husband instead of finding herself
The year she finally went single and sat with her own thoughts
Affirmations, journaling, and learning to speak kindly to herself
Redefining success: it's not about money or fame, it's about community and art
Why she doesn't agree with what society thinks success looks like
Female friendships and learning to let people in
Why Cambodia made her the woman she is today
Teaching fashion at a Cambodian university and molding the next generation
Why most of her students end up working for Chinese owned factories
How she switched the curriculum to prepare them for real jobs
Doing everything: dancing, modeling, teaching, freelancing, and creating
Why you can do everything in Cambodia but you can't in New York
Living with intention and learning to say no to opportunities that don't align
The year of no and how it changed her entire life
Finding your community or leaving because there's nothing else here for you
Why she still doesn't speak Khmer after eight years
The hardest thing about living here: missing museums, parks, and shopping
⏱️ CHAPTERS:
Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction: A Multidisciplinary Creative's Journey to Phnom Penh
00:00:27 Corporate Fashion and the Cubicle Life in New York
00:01:00 West Coast Girl Meets East Coast Energy
00:03:36 New York Summers, Brutal Winters, and Learning to Survive
00:06:27 Why Cambodia? A Solo Travel Decision That Changed Everything
00:07:12 First Impressions: Heat, Humidity, and the $70 Tuk-Tuk Man
00:11:08 Nerd Night and Meeting the Expat Community
00:12:08 The Fashion Question: Can I Actually Work Here?
00:12:35 Following Your Gut: The Decision to Move
00:14:16 Leaving New York: When the Fantasy Becomes Reality
00:21:44 Teaching Kindergarten and Ballet: The Survival Jobs
00:23:47 The Racism of Teaching: When Your Skin Color Affects Your Qualifications
00:27:11 The Fashion Job Comes Through: Manifesting Your Dreams
00:29:28 COVID in Cambodia: Lockdown with a Different Vibe
00:37:23 The Workaholic Mentality and Its Double-Edged Sword
00:44:36 Female Friendships and Learning to Let People In
00:50:20 Making Yourself Small in Relationships
00:53:14 Redefining Success: Art, Community, and Intentional Living
00:49:09 Cambodia Made Me Who I Am Today
01:12:09 Teaching Fashion: Molding the Next Generation of Cambodian Designers
01:15:24 Doing Everything: Dance, Model, Teach, and Create
01:16:41 It's the People: Why Cambodia is Home
01:20:43 Living with Intention: Saying No to Say Yes to Yourself
#Cambodia #PhnomPenh #NewYork #ExpatLife
#FashionDesigner #TeachingAbroad #BlackWomen
#SoloTravel #CorporateEscape #LivingAbroad
#Workaholic #FemaleFreindships #Relationships
#RedefiningSuccess #Community #IntentionalLiving
#COVID19 #Lockdown #SelfDiscovery
#Podcast #AprilJackson #BabesHowDidYouGetHere
#FindingHome #BuildingCommunity #ChoosingYourself
I PREFER South African Racism Over British 'Politeness' | She Left The UK After 7 Years
Tuesday, July 7, 2026 • Duration 25:47
She left Cape Town for love. 7 years later, she fled the UK and never looked back.
Desmei Collia grew up in a township in Cape Town, South Africa. Her mother worked
as a domestic worker — cleaning white people's houses — just to put food on the
table. Desmei had no money, no university education, and no examples of success
around her. Most of her childhood friends became prostitutes, drug addicts, or
alcoholics.
But she had one thing they didn't: the fire.
In this raw and unfiltered conversation, Desmei opens up about:
🔥 Why she PREFERS South African racism over British "politeness"
💍 Meeting her white British husband — a marriage that would have been ILLEGAL
30 years ago
🇬🇧 The shock of watching a WHITE woman clean her house in the UK
💔 Losing her older sister the first year she moved abroad — and why she only
took 1 week off
🏚️ Growing up in poverty while her husband grew up skiing in Canada
🗣️ The hidden classism and racism in England that no one talks about
✊🏽 What it really means to be "Colored" in South Africa (and why it's NOT the
same as "mixed race")
💰 Why she says "you can't teach the fire" — and why her family is still stuck
🙏🏽 How her mother — who lived through apartheid — accepted her white husband
without a word
This is not a sad story. This is a success story.
From a Cape Town township to a British husband, from cleaning salon floors to
becoming a senior hairdresser, from 7 years in the UK to coming home stronger —
Desmei's journey will challenge everything you think you know about immigration,
interracial relationships, race, and ambition.
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⏱️ CHAPTERS:
Chapters
00:00:00 "I prefer South African racism"
00:01:36 Meet Desmei: From Cape Town to the UK and back
00:02:45 Growing up in a township with a domestic worker mother
00:05:00 Why she didn't go to university
00:07:20 The two paths: academia or the streets
00:09:20 Breaking into the hair industry from the bottom
00:11:20 "I always knew I'd be somebody"
00:15:30 Losing her sister the year she moved abroad
00:17:30 Meeting her white British husband
00:21:00 Two different worlds: township vs privilege
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🎙️ ABOUT THE SHOW:
Some people dream of living elsewhere. Other people actually pack up and do it.
I'm April Jackson, traveling the world finding interesting people who have
moved abroad — sharing their unfiltered truths about identity, belonging, and
the true cost of a life elsewhere.
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💬 What would YOU have done in Desmei's shoes? Drop a comment below.
👉🏽 SUBSCRIBE for new episodes every week
❤️ LIKE if this conversation challenged you
🔔 Hit the bell so you don't miss the next story
Share this with someone who's quietly been thinking about taking that next big leap. 💫
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#SouthAfrica #UKLife #InterracialMarriage #MovingAbroad #Apartheid #CapeTown
#ImmigrationStory #BlackWomen #ColoredCommunity #RaceInUK
She Left New York's Symphony for Her Husband's Happiness in Jamaica
Friday, July 3, 2026 • Duration 56:20
A professional violinist boards a plane to Jamaica in 1992.
She's not coming for reggae or beaches.
She's coming to teach at a small college, taste her first mackerel rundown,
and discover whether she could build a life on an island she'd never considered home.
Twenty years later, she's raising seven musical prodigies in Kingston,
navigating Devon House attitude, homeschooling through three continents,
and choosing her husband's happiness over Carnegie Hall.
Dr. Lisa Walker is a classically trained violinist from Chicago
who fell in love with a half Filipino, half Jamaican boyfriend at 21,
came to Jamaica as a guest lecturer, and got her first taste
of what it means to be an outsider in a place that doesn't hand you anything easily.
She married, raised seven children across 50 cities, homeschooled them all,
got three kids into New York's Special Music School simultaneously,
watched her son win a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music,
spent six months in Belgium learning French, and came back to Jamaica
because her husband's health depended on it.
This is not a story about falling in love with Jamaica.
It's about falling in love with someone whose happiness lives here.
It's about choosing sacrifice over convenience, building a life
that honors your partner's roots, and creating magic for your children
even when the resources aren't handed to you.
🔥 What we cover:
First trip to Jamaica in 1992 teaching at West Indies College
Mackerel rundown, beef patties, and falling in love with the food
The Devon House reality check: when the honeymoon phase ended
Learning to "suite people up" to get good service in Jamaica
Starting violin at nine years old and practicing nine hours a day
The teacher who made her feel like the greatest thing since sliced bread
Auditioning for Chicago's Civic Orchestra and breaking all the rules
Walking into an audition and speaking when you're supposed to stay silent
The screen, the silence, and the sigh that told her she messed up
Raising seven children who all play strings
How each child chose their instrument based on what sound they crawled toward
Homeschooling because no school could meet her children's needs
The gifted child who got moved up three grades and felt socially isolated
The Black son placed in the lowest class until a state test proved otherwise
Teachers playing with math scores to keep celebrity kids on top
Why she pulled her kids out of Jamaican schools
Living in 50 cities across the world to give her children a global education
Getting all three kids into New York's Special Music School
Moving to Belgium for six months so the kids could learn French
Spending $10,000 USD a month maintaining two lives
Why they came back to Jamaica: her husband's health depended on it
Watching Courtney drop 20 years the moment he stepped back on the island
Choosing his happiness and longevity over her access to resources
What it means to sacrifice your convenience for someone else's dream
Teaching performance based pedagogy to Jamaican kids
Why every child should learn an instrument
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
⚠️ REAL TALK:
This episode is about sacrifice, partnership, and what it means
to choose someone else's home over your own comfort.
It's about what happens when you're a world class musician
who could live anywhere, but you choose the place that keeps your husband alive.
When you homeschool seven children because no institution will meet their needs.
When you move across 50 cities to give your kids the world.
New episodes every week from around the world.
Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction: The Violin That Became Her Friend
00:02:32 First Taste of Jamaica: Teaching at West Indies College in 1992
00:06:45 The Devon House Incident: Learning to Suite Them Up
00:17:11 Behind the Screen: The Audition That Went Wrong
00:15:31 Starting at Nine: The Race to Catch Up in Classical Music
00:20:29 Seven Children, Seven Instruments: How They Each Choose
00:27:09 The School System That Couldn't Accommodate Them
00:39:03 Homeschooling Seven: The Manager, Not the Teacher
00:41:26 The Social Myth: Why Homeschool Kids Are More Confident
00:42:43 Fifty Cities and Counting: Raising Global Citizens
00:44:49 The Belgium Experiment: Six Months in French School
00:48:37 Why Jamaica: The Experiment That Made Courtney Drop Twenty Years
00:49:42 Choosing His Dream Over Carnegie Hall
#Jamaica #Chicago #Kingston #ExpatLife
#Violinist #ClassicalMusic #Homeschooling
#RaisingSeven #GiftedChildren #MusicEducation
#BerkleeCollegeOfMusic #SpecialMusicSchool #Belgium
#GlobalChildren #Parenting #Sacrifice
#InterracialMarriage #PartnershipGoals #ChoosingLove
#CulturalAdjustment #MovingAbroad #LifeInJamaica
#Podcast #AprilJackson #BabesHowDidYouGetHere
#FindingHome #BuildingFamily #LivingAbroad
From Chicago to Kingston: The Violinist Who Chose Jamaica Over Carnegie Hall
Tuesday, June 30, 2026 • Duration 51:20
A classically trained violinist from Chicago marries a Jamaican man.
She visits the island in 1992 expecting sunshine and opportunity.
Instead, she gets a Devon House ice cream lady who snaps at her,
a healthcare system that airlifts her newborn to Florida,
and a school system that manipulates her son's math scores
to keep the local elite on top.
She stays anyway.
Not because Jamaica was easy, but because her husband came alive here.
And because she realized she could teach violin at a world class standard
anywhere in the world, even from a classroom in Kingston.
\n\nDr. Lisa Walker is a professional violinist, a homeschooling mother of seven,
and a woman who has lived in over 50 cities across the globe.
She's taught violin in Compton, Paris, Belgium, New York, Honduras, and Jamaica.
Her students have gone from wielding bows as weapons to sitting in top seats
at Florida competitions. Her own children have earned full scholarships
to Berklee College of Music, special music schools in New York,
and Interlochen summer camps, all while being homeschooled
and raised across continents.\n\nBut this isn't a story about privilege or natural talent.
It's about a mother who realized early that the system
wasn't built for her kids, so she built her own.
It's about a woman who chose her husband's health and happiness
over convenience, even when it meant recreating an entire life
in a country that didn't always welcome her warmly.
And it's about raising global children who can speak to a homeless man
on a Jamaican beach with the same ease they speak to a concert master in Paris.
🔥 What we cover:First impressions of Jamaica in 1992: macro rundown and reality checks
The Devon House ice cream incident that revealed the "sweet up" culture
How she became a violinist at nine years old and practiced nine hours a day
The teacher who made her feel like the greatest thing since sliced bread
Why she homeschools seven children and what that actually looks like
Performance based pedagogy: teaching Jamaican kids differently
Taking kids from Compton and turning them into top orchestra players
The National Children's Home pool party that changed everything
Nine Jamaican kids shocking a Florida competition and teachers demanding trophies back
Meeting Courtney: the Jamaican man who became the family standard
Why they left New York and moved to Jamaica for his health
Raising global children who have helpers but know how to busk in Central Park
The $400 lesson: making her son earn his recording money on the streets
Why Paris is where she felt most understood as an artist
Parenting without judgment: asking your children how they want to be disciplined
Why all seven kids play strings but none were forced
The reality of living in Jamaica as a foreign professional
How Jamaican kids learn music differently: it's all about doing, not listening
Why she'll never teach music in Jamaica, only technique
What it means to be a violinist versus playing violin recreationally
The moment her husband dropped 20 years stepping off the plane in Jamaica
How she keeps a world class standard in a country with no major orchestra
Why homeschooling isn't about desks from 8 to 3, it's about managing resources
The privilege of risk and what it takes to raise independent children
Why her 20 year old son is now financially independent and just signed his first lease
⚠️ REAL TALK:
This episode is about sacrifice, standards, and choosing love over convenience.\n\nIt's about what happens when you're a world class musician and you choose to live in a place that doesn't have Carnegie Hall, when you homeschool seven children because the system won't meet their needs, when you teach kids in Compton and Kingston with the same level of excellence, and when you marry a man whose soul belongs to a country that wasn't always kind to you.\n\nWhether you've ever thought about homeschooling, wondered what it takes to raise globally minded children, questioned whether you can maintain
your professional identity in a place that doesn't value it the same way,
or struggled with the balance between giving your kids everything
and teaching them to earn it, this conversation will challenge you.
⏱️ CHAPTERS:
Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction: A Violinist's Journey to Jamaica
00:00:36 First Taste of Jamaica: 1992
00:04:50 The Devon House Reality Check
00:10:44 From Nine Years Old to Professional Violinist
00:12:19 The Teacher Who Made All the Difference
00:25:03 Homeschooling Seven Children: The Decision
00:30:38 Performance-Based Pedagogy: Teaching Jamaican Kids
#jamaica #Kingston #ExpatLife #Homeschooling
#ClassicalMusic #Violin #Parenting #GlobalChildren
#RaisingKidsAbroad #MovingToJamaica #InterracialMarriage
#BlackLove #MusicEducation #Compton #Paris
#NewYork #Belgium #Chicago #CaribbeanLife
#HomeschoolJourney #ProfessionalMusician #ViolinTeacher
#Podcast #AprilJackson #BabesHowDidYouGetHere
#LifeAbroad #Sacrifice #BuildingCommunity
#BreakingStereotypes #ModernParenting #FindingHome
Talk With April
Saturday, June 27, 2026 • Duration 54:11
LIVE — Talk With April: Living Abroad, Love & Finding Home
Real people. Real journeys. Real lives. This week April Jackson goes live to talk about what it actually feels like to build a life far from where you started — the love stories, the culture shock, and those quiet moments of missing home.
"At 17 She Boarded a Plane Alone and Never Went Home Again"
Tuesday, June 23, 2026 • Duration 57:10
A 17 year old girl boards a plane from Botswana to Malaysia.
She doesn't know a single person. She's never been to Asia.
At the airport, she breaks down crying.
Two decades later, she's built businesses across three continents,
survived COVID lockdown separated from her partner,
raised a global child who sleeps in her bed,
and found home in a city she once visited on holiday.
Pearl left Botswana at 17 with a scholarship and a dream
to escape the shadow of eight older siblings.
In Malaysia, she discovered herself through modeling, events,
and the freedom to be loud, independent, and unapologetically her.
Six years in Singapore followed, then a "temporary" move
to Cape Town in 2019 while pregnant.
COVID hit. Borders closed. Her Finnish partner was turned away
at the airport. For seven months, she was alone with a newborn,
a nanny, and a house renovation that wouldn't end.
Now she runs fashion and landscaping businesses in South Africa,
navigates race dynamics as a Black woman and foreigner,
co sleeps with her six year old son, refuses to teach him
her native language (yet), and questions whether she's parenting
too softly compared to the strict, spanking filled childhood she fled.
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🔥 What we cover:
Leaving Botswana at 17 and crying in Kuala Lumpur airport
Boarding school, A levels, and discovering freedom in Malaysia
Culture shock: from African food to Asian spice
Going home changed and realizing she'd never move back
Six years in Singapore and meeting her Finnish partner
COVID lockdown: seven months alone with a newborn in Cape Town
Her partner turned away at the airport, separated for months
Why Cape Town became home: nature, ease, and opportunity
Raising a global child who speaks English but not Setswana
Co sleeping with her son and why she won't stop
Breaking the cycle: no spanking, no yelling, gentle parenting struggles
Starting fashion and landscaping businesses in South Africa
Race and business: being Black, foreign, and female in Cape Town
The segregation she sees in restaurants and social spaces
Public school trauma vs private school privilege
The unglamorous truth about moving abroad
Motherhood reality: it's harder than she ever imagined
The surrogate question: would she have another child?
Interracial love and dating across cultures in Asia
Why she'd never date someone from her own country
The alcohol conversation: teaching kids at home vs sneaking out
Having children at 50: selfish or a second chance?
Her life on a postcard: champagne by the beach at 8am
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🎧 About the show — "Babes, How Did You Get Here?"
Hosted by entrepreneur & former Miss Jamaica April Jackson,
this podcast explores the raw, emotional, and often
uncomfortable stories behind people who chose a life elsewhere.
New episodes every week from around the world.
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⏱️ CHAPTERS:
Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction: From Botswana to Cape Town via Singapore
00:01:32 COVID Lockdown: Separated and Stranded
00:02:24 Leaving Home at 17: The Malaysia Journey Begins
00:03:12 Airport Breakdown: The Reality of Moving Abroad
00:04:03 From Modeling to Events: Finding Her Path in Asia
00:04:21 Culture Shock: Botswana vs Malaysia
00:05:26 Going Home Changed: The First Visit Back
00:08:07 Dreams Deferred: Why Botswana Couldn't Hold Her
00:09:14 Singapore Years: Six Years in the Lion City
00:10:41 Meeting Across Cultures: A Finnish-Botswana Love Story
00:12:02 Cape Town Calling: Why This City Became Home
00:13:15 Raising a Global Child: Language, Culture, and Identity
00:16:21 Breaking the Cycle: Parenting Differently
00:35:11 The Transformation: Eight Months in Asia
00:26:21 Fashion and Landscaping: Building Business in South Africa
00:29:10 Race and Business: Navigating South African Dynamics
00:40:48 The Education Debate: Public School Trauma vs Private School Privilege
00:46:57 Moving Abroad: The Unglamorous Truth
00:17:38 Motherhood Reality Check: It's Not What She Expected
01:19:47 The Surrogate Question: Body, Time, and Future Children
01:17:50 Interracial Love: Finding Connection Beyond Borders
01:16:47 Co-Sleeping and Connection: Parenting Philosophy
01:27:13 The Age Debate: Having Children at 50 and Beyond
01:33:30 Life on a Postcard: Champagne by the Beach
#Botswana #CapeTown #SouthAfrica #ExpatLife
#Malaysia #Singapore #MovingAbroad #COVIDLockdown
#Motherhood #GentleParenting #CoSleeping
#InterracialRelationship #GlobalChild #RaisingKidsAbroad
#BlackWomanInBusiness #FashionBusiness #Entrepreneurship
#RaceInSouthAfrica #CultureShock #LeavingHome
#BoardingSchool #AsianExpat #AfricanAbroad
#Podcast #AprilJackson #BabesHowDidYouGetHere
#FindingHome #ModernMotherhood #LifeAbroad
#BuildingCommunity #StartingOver #BreakingTheCycle
Street Gangs, Cancer & Cambodia: The Story of a Man Who Refused to Quit
Friday, June 19, 2026 • Duration 01:01:32
A Japanese man dreams of becoming a professional footballer.
A street gang attack derails everything at 17.
He ends up in Cambodia, survives testicular cancer,
navigates divorce, and discovers his life purpose
through photography, community, and human connection.
Shunsuke, known as Taki, was on track to become
a professional footballer in Japan when a random act
of violence shattered his ankle and his dream.
One day before his trial, a street gang attacked him,
leaving him with a broken ankle and torn ligaments.
But what could have been the end became a beginning.
From advertising executive in Tokyo to country director in Phnom Penh,
Taki traded the suffocating pressure of Japanese corporate culture
for the chaotic freedom of Cambodia. He built a community
through photography, nerd nights, and football,
documented everyday life in the streets of Phnom Penh,
and gained 50,000 Instagram followers overnight
with a single photo of his son.
But life abroad wasn't easy. Divorce. Distance from his children.
And then, testicular cancer.
He went through chemotherapy in Phnom Penh,
lost all his hair, kept working, and rang the bell
cancer free on Christmas Eve 2023.
Now, nine years into his Cambodian life, Taki is building
a creative co op called Hitonami, mobilizing photographers,
designers, and change makers to solve social issues
through creativity and purpose.
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🔥 What we cover:
From football dreams to street gang violence at 17
The doctor who healed him in 2 months and changed his philosophy
Finding his attacker at Yokohama Station and getting revenge
Why he chose Cambodia over Europe or America
First impressions: red soil, tuk tuks, and BBQ on the streets
The generous man who was killed and finding purpose through photography
Building community through Nerd Night as an outsider
Living in Japan vs Cambodia: the crushing weight of social norms
The Instagram photo that got him 50K followers overnight
Divorce, distance, and raising kids from another country
Testicular cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy in Phnom Penh
Losing hair, gaining perspective, and ringing the bell cancer free
Lifestyle changes: quitting smoking, drinking less, cooking more
Why he'll never go back to Japan
Starting Hitonami: a creative co op with purpose
Online scams, mafia, and social issues in Cambodia
The privilege of risk and entrepreneurship realities
Life purpose: meeting people and widening perspectives
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⚠️ REAL TALK:
This episode is about resilience, reinvention, and refusing to give up.
It's about what happens when your dream gets taken away,
when your body betrays you, when your family is thousands of miles away,
and you still choose to keep going.
Whether you've ever thought about leaving your home country,
survived something that nearly broke you, or wondered
what it really takes to start over in a place where nobody knows you —
this conversation will challenge you, inspire you, and remind you
that life is about the people you meet and the perspectives you gain.
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💬 TELL US IN THE COMMENTS:
Would you move to a country you'd never visited before?
Have you ever had a dream taken away from you?
What would your life postcard look like?
Drop your thoughts below 👇
We read every single one.
🔁 Share this with someone who needs to hear this story.
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🎧 About the show — "Babes, How Did You Get Here?"
Hosted by entrepreneur & former Miss Jamaica April Jackson,
this podcast explores the raw, emotional, and often
uncomfortable stories behind people who chose a life elsewhere.
New episodes every week from around the world.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
⏱️ CHAPTERS:
Chapters
00:01:46 Living in Japan vs Cambodia: The Pressure of Social Norms
00:04:42 The Street Gang Attack That Ended His Football Career
00:09:05 The Doctor Who Healed Him in 2 Months Instead of 10
00:15:43 Revenge at Yokohama Station: Finding the Gang Member
00:19:51 Why He Chose Cambodia Over Europe or America
00:21:59 First Impressions: Red Soil, Tuk Tuks & BBQ on the Streets
00:29:46 The Generous Who Was Killed & Finding His Purpose Through Photography
00:24:36 Nerd Night & Building Community as an Outsider
00:28:13 The Instagram Photo That Got Him 50K Followers Overnight
00:37:48 Divorce, Distance & Raising Kids From Another Country
00:47:40 Starting Hitonami: A Creative Co op With Purpose
#Cambodia #Japan #PhnomPenh #ExpatLife
#CancerSurvivor #Reinvention #Photography
#Entrepreneurship #LeavingJapan #SoutheastAsia
#TesticularCancer #Chemotherapy #Divorce
#RaisingKidsAbroad #CreativeCommunity #SocialChange
#LifeAbroad #JapaneseExpat #CambodiaLife
#Podcast #AprilJackson #BabesHowDidYouGetHere
#LifePurpose #HumanConnection #StartingOver
#BuildingCommunity #CancerFree #ModernMigration
Deported, Broke, Alone: How Jamaica Became My Everything (BO)
Saturday, June 13, 2026 • Duration 17:02
From Montreal's Michelin Dreams to Kingston's Reality: A Chef's Raw Journey of Sacrifice, Survival & Starting Over In this powerful episode of 'Babes, How Did You Get Here?',
April sits down with Chef Matthew — a celebrated Canadian chef who walked away from TV fame, two thriving restaurants, and financial security in Montreal to rebuild his entire life in Jamaica with just $60,000, a French bulldog, and Japanese knives. This isn't your typical expat story. It's raw, unfiltered, and deeply honest — about addiction, recovery, reinvention, and what it really takes to start over in a country that tests you at every turn.
🔪 From rehab to restaurants: How cooking saved his life (and became his new addiction)
💰 The sacrifice: Leaving two restaurants, a TV career & financial stability at 34
✈️ Arrival in Jamaica: Detained at customs, partnership collapsed, sleeping with a machete
🍌 Surviving on nothing: Banana & oatmeal breakfasts, tomato sandwiches, $100 left in his pocket
🌀 Hurricane Beryl: The storm that saved him from deportation
📄 The bureaucracy: 8 months to get a work permit, navigating Jamaica's "fuckery"
🍽️ Building a reputation: His first dinner, $1,000 from mom, and earning his place
💔 Dating in Jamaica: Culture shock, rent requests, and redefining what he's looking for
🏡 Finding home: Why Kingston feels more like himself than Montreal ever did
🇯🇲 Earning your place: What it means to truly belong in Jamaica Matthew opens up about the toxic hospitality industry, his relationship with weed and alcohol, why he'll never open a high-end restaurant in Jamaica (yet), and how moving here forced him to redefine success, happiness, and what it means to feel at home.
📚 For more details on parenting course:
https://april-s-site-fcfd.thinkific.com
This is more than a chef's story. It's about choosing yourself when everything falls apart. It's about trusting the process even when you're down to your last dollar. It's about finding peace in discomfort and building a life that honors who you really are — not who you thought you should be. Whether you've ever thought about leaving everything behind, struggled with addiction and reinvention, or wondered what it takes to truly belong somewhere new — this episode will challenge you, inspire you, and remind you that sometimes the hardest journeys lead to the most honest versions of ourselves. 👉 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more real-life stories of courage, transformation, and finding home far from where you started.
#ChefLife #Jamaica #ExpatLife #HowDidYouGetHere #AprilJackson #Montreal #CanadianChef #StartingOver #Recovery #AddictionRecovery #KingstonJamaica #CaribbeanLife #Reinvention #ChefStories #RealStories #Podcast #LifeAbroad #Sacrifice #FindingHome #JamaicanCulture
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