Shows
Relocurious PodcastS3:E4 Seizing OpportunitiesIn today’s episode, we’re joined by Charlie, whose relationship with travel began early, and whose positive first experiences abroad shaped her desire to keep exploring. Born and raised in Germany, Charlie first ventured out into the world at 14, when a semester in Australia planted the idea that she was capable of adapting to — and even thriving in — new places far from home. What may have began as something “daunting” soon turned into excitement, curiosity, and confidence, eventually leading her to study in Sweden, complete graduate studies in Canada, and spend extended time backpacking through Southeast Asia and Lat...
2026-01-2824 min
Relocurious PodcastS3:E3 A Home on the MoveWhat if “home” wasn’t a place, but a way of being?In this episode of Relocurious, we’re joined by Kristy Halvorsen, whose life challenges conventional ideas of relocation, relationships, and purpose.After serious health wake-up calls as a firefighter-paramedic, Kristy let go of most of her belongings, hitched up an Airstream, and just got on the road. What began as an experiment in freedom became a way of life she calls coddiwompling — wandering with no destination.Living off-grid and migrating with the seasons, Kristy carries her sense of home with her. She speaks...
2026-01-1452 min
Relocurious PodcastS3:E2 Special Episode: Kathy's StoryA series of steps brought Kathy to imagining a life overseas: First, she realized early in her adult life that creative pursuits and travel fulfill her. She then set the goal of leaving full time work behind by the time she turned fifty. And, she sought out a financial planner to discuss what was possible.The planner’s words of wisdom? The lifestyle you are dreaming of is available to you — if you are open to relocating.Fast forward ten years, Kathy is reflecting on the enthusiasm and curiosity that guided her (well, our) quest for...
2025-12-3132 min
Relocurious PodcastS3:E1 Special Episode: Michal's StoryGrowing up in former Czechoslovakia, freely travelling the world once felt out of reach for Michal. It all changed with the fall of the Iron Curtain: borders opened, opportunities presented themselves, and Michal was ready. His curiosity about the world led him from Europe all the way to North America … and back, years later.In this special episode, Kathy interviews Michal about his passion for travelling, his relocation experiences, and how a lifetime of moves has reshaped his relationship with freedom, belonging, and what it really means to call a place “home.”In 2023, Kathy and Michal...
2025-12-1727 min
Relocurious PodcastS2:E10 "Muito difícil", "Calmo", e "Feliz"When Michelle and Sean visited Portugal for a beach vacation in 2015, they felt an unexpected connection to the country — one that kept pulling them back again and again. Michelle quickly became keen on moving there, so she quietly set the wheels in motion. Sean joined the plan a bit later, but with an open mind. Along the way, the couple encountered a few surprises, some challenging, others more light-hearted.In the episode, Sean and Michelle share their everyday experiences of finding their way in Portugal, from navigating daily tasks to staying connected with loved ones overseas, learning th...
2025-12-0330 min
Relocurious PodcastS2:E9 "Come Home to Yourself"This week on the podcast, we meet Tracey Zhang. Having left home at 16 and relocated across six cities worldwide, she understands firsthand the loneliness, identity shifts, and cultural disorientation that often accompany major moves. Tracey shares how uncertainty and unmet expectations after moving solo from Hong Kong to Canada, seeking a “fresh start” after a series of personal setbacks, put her on a path of deep personal exploration and transformation. Those experiences shaped her life path, and inspired her work as a relocation coach and somatic practitioner. She now helps expats and immigrants navigate the emot...
2025-11-2044 min
Relocurious PodcastS2:E8 Three Countries in Three YearsThis week, we speak with Matej Adam Balint, a Slovak student whose university program has taken him to Lisbon, Paris, and Berlin over the past three years. Each new city has brought a fresh beginning, then all too soon, it’s time to move on again. Matej shares about the cycle of unpacking, repacking, building friendships, and redefining what it means to belong.For Matej, relocation isn’t just a practical challenge, each move is an opportunity to learn more about himself. In our conversation, he reflects on how each move has revealed a different layer of his...
2025-11-0532 min
Relocurious PodcastS2:E7 Adventure and BelongingThis week we talk with Catherine Stratton, a writer and filmmaker from Hoboken, New Jersey whose dream to explore the world has brought her to Paris, France.When her marriage ended, and her grown children moved out of the family home, Catherine stepped out of her comfort zone to embark on new life adventures. She remembers telling herself at one point, “I gotta get out there, make more memories!”Catherine journeyed through the UK, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and France, experiencing the highs and lows of being a solo traveller. These days, she is enjoying life in P...
2025-10-2241 min
Relocurious PodcastS2:E6 When Grief Travels With YouThis week we speak with Madeline Wahl, who shares her emotional journey from the United States to Scotland. Madeline relocated to Glasgow on a study visa, along what turns out to be a deeply personal and transformative journey. During COVID-19, she moved back home to Florida to be a caregiver for her mom. She wanted to pursue the dream of living abroad, but life didn’t unfold the way she expected. What started as a dream to travel became a journey through profound grief and self-discovery.Madeline Wahl is a writer and an alumna of th...
2025-10-0844 min
Relocurious PodcastS2:E5 Knocking on a Closed DoorIn most episodes, our guests are speaking with us from the place they had relocated to. They are reflecting back on the move, new experiences, and the journey toward feeling a sense of belonging in their new home. Today’s guest, however, has faced obstacles in her quest to relocate from Canada to Scotland, the country that has won her heart.Tineke is a professional photographer who travels the world capturing the people, places, and cultures she experiences. In 2017, she took a group of photography students to Scotland and thus began a love affair with the wind an...
2025-09-2528 min
Relocurious PodcastS2:E4 From Canada to Australia and BackSometimes we need a nudge to finally take the leap and chase the dream of adventure. For paramedics Joe and Tania, that nudge came in the form of Tania’s milestone birthday – a reminder that it was time to commit to her dream of living abroad for at least a year.What began as a one-year plan quickly stretched into seven. Along the way, the couple navigated the highs and lows of building a life in a new country, gained dual citizenship, and wrestled with questions of career identity, ego, and family priorities.We loved the...
2025-09-1055 min
Relocurious PodcastS2:E3 Someday SyndromeHave you ever held onto a dream for your whole life, but never taken the next step to make it happen? Today’s guest had the dream of moving to Europe, but did not take the steps to make it a reality until a death in the family, and a close look at how short life can be, spurred her into action.Barbara Grassey is a writer and book coach who moved from the US to Portugal solo in January of 2021, in the middle of the COVID lockdowns. Her Substack, My Expat Golden Girl Life, ex...
2025-08-2753 min
Relocurious PodcastS2:E2 A Healing JourneyLike many children of immigrants, Sarah heard beautiful stories of her mother’s home country of Portugal. But it wasn’t until she visited her mother’s birthplace — the Portuguese island of Madeira — that she felt an undeniable pull: this was where she was meant to be.When fate offered her a month-long artist residency on the island, she didn’t hesitate, she leapt at the chance. The one-month residency turned into twelve years (and counting). In that time, Sarah has experienced both the exhilaration of feeling spiritually connected to the land and the isolation of being an...
2025-08-1349 min
Relocurious PodcastS2:E1 From Imagining to BelongingIn this special episode, we (your hosts, Kathy and Michal) pause to reflect on our own experience of dreaming about living in another country, eventually relocating from Canada to Portugal — and the journey that sparked the Relocurious project.As we’ve listened to the stories of our podcast guests, examining the emotional layers of our own experience of moving, what has started to emerge is a sequence of stages that we all seem to be moving through. We call it The Relocurious Arc — a five-stage framework for making meaning of the unfolding emotions of relocating.Our re...
2025-07-3036 min
Relocurious PodcastS1:E10 From Known to NewIn this episode, we speak with Aryan, a young man from India who moved to Canada to pursue graduate studies. What began as a plan to stay close to family in Ottawa took an unexpected turn when the right academic program led him instead to rainy Vancouver—a detour filled with surprises, challenges, and unexpected growth.Aryan shares what it was like to trade the familiarity of India for the newness of Canada, navigating everything from Vancouver’s ‘endless rain’ to the surprise of a tech-heavy classroom culture. Along the way, he reflects on identity, independence, and the expe...
2025-07-1640 min
Relocurious PodcastS1:E9 The Dreamer and the PlannerIn this episode, we sit down with Caleb, originally from Ghana, and Deniz, who is Turkish. They are a newly married couple who recently made Canada their new home. Their story began in a language class in Turkey, and what started as a fleeting connection eventually grew into a relationship that spanned years and continents.With Deniz thriving in Spain and Caleb pursuing studies in Vancouver, their future together was anything but certain. In this lively and layered conversation, they reflect on what it took to bridge the distance, both emotionally and geographically, as they navigated an...
2025-07-0247 min
Relocurious PodcastS1:E8 Finding Freedom, and Authentic SelfDeeply understanding your personal values and who you are at your core is one thing. Finding a country where those values align, and where you’re free to explore your authentic self, is a rare and powerful gift.This week, we speak with Hawwa, who moved from the Maldives to Vancouver, Canada, just two years ago, and describes the experience as a leap of faith. A scholar with a background in sociology and education, Hawwa brings a thoughtful perspective on the emotional and psychological journey of migration.Her story is one of courage, clarity, and in...
2025-06-1828 min
Relocurious PodcastS1:E7 What We Leave Out When We Talk About Moving AbroadWhat happens when your “dream move” abroad doesn’t feel so dreamy? In this episode of Relocurious, we talk with Cressida, who moved from a cottage in the English countryside to the fast-paced urban energy of Hong Kong with her husband, and a newborn in tow.From the outside, it looked like an incredible opportunity: a new country, a new adventure, a fresh chapter. But inside, Cressida was struggling with exhaustion, isolation, culture shock, and the pressure to stay positive for everyone around her.She opens up about what it really felt like to navigate steep...
2025-06-0433 min
Relocurious PodcastS1:E6 From Brexit to British Columbia: A Leap of FaithWhat happens when a political earthquake nudges you halfway around the world? In this episode of Relocurious, we meet Sarah and Stu, an adventurous couple who turned a moment of shock into a new chapter. Originally from Malta and the UK, they now call British Columbia, Canada home.Their relocation story is anything but straightforward. It’s spontaneous and strategic, emotional and analytical, highlighting how big moves are rarely just about geography. We talk about the emotional aftermath of Brexit, the myths we carry about new places, and the mental gymnastics required to make a life-changing leap fe...
2025-05-2135 min
Relocurious PodcastS1:E5 "I Am the Same, and I Am Different..."In this episode Kathy speaks with Anushka, a young woman who grew up in India and now lives in British Columbia, Canada. As a young girl Anushka fell in love with the city of Vancouver, Canada when she visited as a tourist with her family. Years later, she returned to Vancouver as a masters student, and now lives there as a newly graduated working professional. She thinks that the city is a wonderful place for people wanting to relocate for experience, beauty, or diversity. Although with her fair share of mountains to climb, she’s found the ci...
2025-05-0726 min
Relocurious PodcastS1:E4 Seeking Belonging in a New CountryIn this episode of Relocurious, Michal sits down with Alex, who shares his deeply personal story of leaving Romania and building a new life in Canada. What started as an impulsive leap during a time of emotional burnout became a journey of transformation. Alex opens up about the creative roots that shaped his identity, and the period of disillusionment that led to his decision to relocate. He reflects on the honeymoon phase of immigration, the loneliness that followed, and the unexpected moments of connection that helped him feel at home in a new land.This...
2025-04-2324 min
Relocurious PodcastS1:E3 If Not Now, When?In this episode of Relocurious, your hosts Michal and Kathy explore the emotional and psychological side of moving abroad—this time through the lens of a couple embracing relocation as an adventure rather than a permanent move.Michal sits down with Georganne and Anne, a married couple who have spent the last 20 years in Canada. With dual citizenships spanning the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., they’ve recently made the leap to relocate to the U.K. Their move is open-ended, fueled by a desire to reconnect with roots, experience European living, and travel more deep...
2025-04-0926 min
Relocurious PodcastS1:E2 Finding Authentic ConnectionThe Relocurious Podcast shares real stories from people who have recently relocated to a new country. Through open and honest conversations, we’ll explore the emotional journey behind moving abroad—what sparked the idea, what pushed it from dream to reality, and how life is unfolding in their new home.Moving abroad isn’t just about visas, packing, and finding a place to live—it’s a human experience that challenges identity, expectations, and resilience. By sharing these stories, we hope to normalize the emotional ups and downs and provide a space for reflection and learning.Whether...
2025-03-2619 min
Relocurious PodcastS1:E1 Introducing the Relocurious PodcastThe Relocurious Podcast shares real stories from people who have recently relocated to a new country. Through open and honest conversations, we’ll explore the emotional journey behind moving abroad—what sparked the idea, what pushed it from dream to reality, and how life is unfolding in their new home.Moving abroad isn’t just about visas, packing, and finding a place to live—it’s a human experience that challenges identity, expectations, and resilience. By sharing these stories, we hope to normalize the emotional ups and downs and provide a space for reflection and learning.Whether...
2025-03-1518 min