The Expat Cast – Details, episodes & analysis

Tereré Talks: Part 10. Is Paraguay a good place to live as a foreigner?

After 9 episodes of singing the praises and things to love about Paraguay, it's time to share some of the honest downsides. (0:00-0:25)

Plus, it's the last episode of The Expat Cast! Over six year since the podcast started in a moldy basement in Germany, it's time to wrap it up in sunny Paraguay.

Nicole closes it out with sharing if she's happier in Paraguay, how she feels about returning to Germany one day, and, of course, how it feels to say farewell to The Expat Cast! (from minute 0:25)

Connect with Nicole @NikkiNeedsToMove on Instagram.

A big thank you from the heart to everyone who's spent some time with The Expat Cast in your ears since 2018. Forming real connections around the globe and feeling less alone in this crazy journey of life abroad has been so rewarding. Mit ganz viel Liebe & un abrazo muy fuerte, -Nicole

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Tereré Talks: Part 9. Many backpackers spend months backpacking "all" of South America - but skip Paraguay. Are they missing anything?

Nicole is temporarily living in Asuncion and traveling around the country. Zoe is a seasoned backpacker who might have skipped Paraguay, but is glad she didn't.

Together, the two give insights and recommendations as to what you can do in Paraguay, the best places to visit, and how to link it into your South American trip.

Plus: some of their crazy travel stories!

Mentioned in the episode

-Free Walking Tour of Asuncion: here or here

-Botelleras, traditional Paraguayan bottle dancing

-Tourist information center in Asuncion from Senator PY

-ChacaTours

-Museo del Fútbol Sudamericano

-Atyra

-Get information about visiting Filadelfia in the Chaco

Next Thursday: the final episode of Tereré Talks!

Read more about tereré here.

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Season 8, Episode 0. A new season + a new format! In this intro to the new season, Nicole shares what she's got planned for season 8. Plus, she walks you through what tereré, the drink that's inspired the name of the season, is and how you drink it (at least as far as she's learned so far!).

Read more about tereré here.

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Season 4, Episode 18. Meg is a love expat - she moved to Freiburg, Germany from South Carolina, USA to be with her German then-girlfriend, now-wife. From the southern US to southern Germany, she shares what it's been like for her being queer. 

What kinds of encounters has she had because of her queer identity? Can she and wife hold hands and kiss in public? What is the queer community like in Germany in comparison to the US? What's the deal with Christopher Street Day?

We get into all that, plus queer history, minority solidarity, and media portrayals of LGBTQ+ people.

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE

City Starlings' list of "10 podcasts you should be listening to if you are an expat in Germany"

Leslie Jordan on Instagram @thelesliejordan

The documentary Disclosure

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Season 4, Episode 17. Germany was supposed to be a temporary stop on a longer journey of living abroad for Natalie, from the UK, and her husband Conrad, from Germany. Then, months before their wedding, weeks before her birthday, and days before Christmas, Natalie got diagnosed with cancer.

The cancer diagnosis changed her life dramatically, immediately, and, in some ways, permanently. Natalie went through various operations, treatments, and therapies - and she did it all in German, a language she was still in the process of learning.

The good news: she recovered from the first round of cancer, even despite a month-long detour in quarantine where she almost died. The bad news: the cancer came back, just months later.

Natalie shares with us what it was like to go through intense and intensely traumatic medical experiences as a foreigner in Germany, and why it lead to her embrace a long-term future in Germany.

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Season 4, Episode 16. In the Travel Germany series, different places across Germany are featured in interviews with expats who relocated there. 

In this episode, Stefanie from the episode Austria v Germany is back to tell us all about her new home city.

Not only is Stuttgart the capital of Baden-Württemberg; it also is the center of Schwabian culture, responsible for such beloved things like Käsespätzle and Maultaschen.

For all of her great travel ideas, read on here.

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Season 4, Episode 15. Nicole recently discovered solo travel, and she chats about it with Zoe, a seasoned solo traveler who has done longer trips across Europe, South America, and southeast Asia all by herself. They discuss the benefits of traveling alone, but they also acknowledge the challenges, and they share their tips for things like loneliness and safety, especially as young female travelers.

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BONUS CONTENT. After the George Floyd protests, the Carl Schurz Haus in Freiburg hosted an online panel discussion with five Americans living in Germany about the state of America and their experiences with racism. It was moderated by Nicole, the host of The Expat Cast.

The audio version of the panel is being re-broadcast here on The Expat Cast on the 4th of July intentionally. As panelist Jorrell put it, "This stuff happened. And it's okay - you can still think America is great now, but you have to come to terms with the fact that these horrible things happened." So let's acknowledge them.

For more about the event and to find the resources mentioned in the panel, click here.

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Season 4, Episode 14. Getting divorced abroad is complicated and challenging in just about every imaginable way, and Katia Vlachos is here to talk to us about it all.

Katia, a longtime expat, got divorced from her Austrian husband in Switzerland. She shares what she learned through the challenging process.

For more about Katia's experience and the resources she mentioned, head over to the blog.

FIND KATIA

Visit her website

Read her book, A Great Move

Check out her coaching services

On Facebook @KatiaVlachosCoach

On Twitter @vlachosk

On Instagram @vlachosk

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Season 4, Episode 13. In the Travel Germany series, different places across Germany are featured in interviews with expats who relocated there. 

Tessa and Lauren are two Americans who both moved to Görlitz, a small city where you can stroll on over a bridge and find yourself in Poland. Görlitz is small but mighty, because it's actually the largest city in Germany to not be bombed in World War 2. It's full of charm, history, architecture, and local culture, and it's captured the hearts of many a Hollywood director - so many movies have been filmed in Görlitz, it's gotten the nickname Görliwood.

For all the amazing ideas shared in this episode, click here.

FIND TESSA

Visit her webite, tessa-approves.com

On Twitter @TessaApproves

FIND LAUREN

Check out her project, DiscoverGoerlitz.com

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