Today's episode is for all the aspiring writers out there and, of course, their equally important enthusiastic readers!
My guest is Catriona Turner, a seasoned expat and newly published author. Her memoir, "Nest - a Memoir of Home on the Move" is widely available.

We chat about Catriona's expat journey,  taking her from Scotland to France, Uganda, Congo and Denmark, and then back to Scotland, and how she decided to fulfil her dream of becoming a writer and then a published author.

Find out more about Catriona on Instagram, or her website: The Frustrated Nester. 

Get the first three chapters of "Nest" for free: https://thefrustratednester.com/overload/
Sign up via email, and you'll be sent the download link.

The book that helped Catriona with her memoir is Fast Draft Your Memoir by Rachael Herron. Rachel also hosts a brilliant writing podcast, called How Do You Write.

If you're interested in joining a writing challenge, NaNoWriMo (national novel writing month) might be the tool for you!

Another writing resource Catriona mentions is Faber Academy London; this is full of advice, courses, and writing assistance.

If you're interested in making a Galette des Rois for epiphany, here's Catriona's French recipe, and here's one in English.

 Thank you again, Catriona, for this inspiring, uplifting and informative conversation!
Have a Fun-filled Festive Season and a Happy New Year!

My guest today is an education warrior: Brantley Turner-Bradley, East Asia Education Director for Dwight Schools.

Born in Brooklyn, NY, Brantley spent 25 years of her life in China and is raising three TCKs with her husband. We spoke in June, while Brantley and her family were in the US; they are currently embarking on a new venture in Hanoi, Vietnam.

We cover a whole range of subjects, from the importance of cultural immersion for growth, to the Chinese vs US education system, AI and how the current education system is failing young people, the way emotions have been dismissed from curricula over the last few centuries, the differences in remote and in-person learning, the importance of vulnerability - both feeling and showing it - and so many more.

To connect with Brantley, or learn more about her, find her on LinkedIn.

The book Brantley mentions is called Emo Sapiens, by Polish author Rafał Ohme, expert in the field of psychology of persuasion, emotions and the subconscious. The book has only been published in Polish at this point.

Today's guest is Katherine, who was a guest on my podcast two years ago, an expat coach, writer, and locational astrologer. 

Using my own journey as an example, we're traveling the world looking at some of the places I've lived in or visited, and how the date, place and time of my birth are determining how I react to different places in the world.

If you're interested in finding out more, check out Katherine’s website, or find her on Instagram.

Special treat: Katherine is offering a 20% discount for listeners of Transcontinental Overload on her Astrocartography packages!! Code ASTROMAP20, bookable here.

Katherine recommends: 

• You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance and Living Your Purpose by Chani Nicholas
• The Twelve Houses by Howard Sasportas and Liz Greene.
• Andrea Dupuis' spiritual approach to astrology, and comprehensive program on her website Rising Woman.  
• Locational astrology entry-level material: Helena Woods' website. 

Glossary:
Planetary line themes:

• Sun: a place to be seen, the ego can develop, creative talents become more visible
• Moon: a place to call home, go deeper into yourself, be with family, and nurture self-care practices
• Mercury: a busy place with lots to do, many people to meet, and so much to learn
• Venus: a place to love and be loved, to indulge, create, and find pleasure and romance
• Mars: a place to stake your claim, get motivated, take action on your passions, and do big things
• Jupiter: a place of expansion, good fortune, luck, overindulgence, and grand new beginnings
• Saturn: a place of discipline, restrictions, and limitations, tough life lessons that make you stronger
• Uranus: an unconventional place with lots of twists and turns, alternative experiences and people, and disruptions
• Neptune: a dreamy place of bliss, spiritual happenings, unexplained phenomena, and the possibility of escapism
• Pluto: a place for deep soul healing, psychological plumbing, and exploration of the circle of life
• Nodes: a place you may have been in a past life that can still feel like you’ve been there before, fated experiences 
• Chiron: a place to heal your inner child, explore wounds from the past, and turn pain into art or healing 

MC Line: The Midheaven/Medi-Coeli line is your vocation, calling, sense of purpose, or aspects relating to career.

We're going really deep today!
 
My guests are American family and sex therapists Julia & Jeremiah, who currently live in Utrecht, The Netherlands. They are the founders of "Sexvangelicals - the sex education the church didn't want you to have", and co-host the Sexvangelicals Podcast.

Sex! Religion! Politics! We talk about it all in this episode. Our topics range from sex education (and the lack thereof) at school to differences in parenting depending on which country you grow up in, and the impact of social media on they way we approach sex.   

You can find out more about Julia & Jeremiah on Instagram, and make sure to check out their website, where you'll also find the Sexvangelicals Podcast. Their site is an absolute treasure trove of books, links, and recommendations if you want to dig deeper!

The book Jeremiah references is "Not Under My Roof: Parents, Teens, and the Culture of Sex".  Highly recommended!

The 2021 documentary I mention but couldn't remember the title of: "Cusp", following a group of teenagers in rural Texas. Watch the trailer here, and read more about the documentary here and here.

My guest today is Chase, an American currently based in Spain and Germany.
 
Chase works as Head of Remote at Doist, a pioneer of distributed work that specializes in productivity software. He is responsible for developing and executing the company's remote work strategy. Having worked remotely for over 12 years, as one of Doist’s 100 employees in 35 countries, he has a whole array of accolades!

Knowing the huge range of possible subjects, we just started chatting and our topics cover the nomadic lifestyle, working remotely and what a typical day looks like for him, national stereotypes, the pros and cons of calling several places home and what it does to one's identity, and what it's like to do all this with a pet!

Chase also has a podcast, which we didn't get a chance to talk about. If you're interested in finding out more about that, check out his website, About Abroad. He can also be found on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. 

Other apps/websites/organizations we mention:
Internations, a global organization that helps newcomers connect with like minded people (not just expats)
Pettravel.com, a great resource for anything related to traveling with your pet
Bringfido, a global resource for anything dog-related (hotels, destinations, activities, restaurants, etc, plus entry and vaccination requirements)

When I looked for other pet travel related resources, I found this one, compiled by blogger Abroad Purpose.

Don't forget to subscribe to my podcast and blog, and if you're feeling generous, consider making a donation on Ko-Fi (who am I kidding - it's January lol).

In our second conversation, Lea and I jump right back in and pick up a few subjects we mentioned in Episode 48.
This time we dig even further into our expat minds, and Lea takes me deep into Jewish cultural history and how it's shaped the collective psyche. 

We also talk about how our own experiences have not only shaped us, but also keep influencing our immediate families, and we go back to topics such as identity, belonging, homesickness,  and how we can maintain a bearable tension between missing a place and living in the present.

For more information about Lea, or how to contact her, take a look at her therapy and coaching website, or contact her by Email: coachleamisan@gmail.com

Lea's Charity: Act for Change , Email: lea@actforchange.org.uk, also on Instagram and Facebook.

Lea can also be found on LinkedIn.

Today's episode is the first of two parts - I'm talking to Lea Misan, London-based author, psychotherapist and coach, as well as trauma counsellor. She's the executive director of UK charity Act for Change, and has worked extensively with expats.

We talk about everything from what it's like to grow up with multiple languages, moving countries at a young age and in adolescence, what such a multi-faceted life does to your psyche and sense of self, and so much more. 

For more information about Lea, or how to contact her, take a look at her website, or contact her by Email: coachleamisan@gmail.com

Lea's Charity: Act for Change , Email: lea@actforchange.org.uk, also on Instagram and Facebook.

Lea can also be found on LinkedIn.