Emigrant's Life - Stories of people who left their country to chase a better life

Aeron had always longed for a better life. He was born in the Philippines, a beautiful country but unfortunately, he grew up in a poor family. His mum had to leave him and his siblings to move to Hong Kong in order to provide for them, as they often went to bed hungry because there was no food in the house. He would only see her every two years. 12 years later, through hard work and determination, she managed to bring the whole family over to Canada. Aeron and his siblings were finally able to have a new start, an extraordinary “normal” life. They could now have all the opportunities they never had before. Aeron's story is one of resilience and hope. It is a story that will inspire you to chase your dreams and do whatever it takes to fulfill them.

When Marta and her husband decided to move to Japan, little did they know that they would also be starting a family. And while becoming a mother can be challenging for anyone, for Marta it was especially difficult. She had to learn how to navigate the Japanese healthcare system, deal with cultural differences, and learn new parenting skills all while adapting to life in a new country.In this episode, she shares her experiences and offers advice to other mothers who may find themselves in a similar situation.Marta is originally from Portugal. She lived in Spain, London, and now Japan. She also traveled the world as a flight attendant. Her first experience abroad was through a scholarship program called Erasmus. After that experience, she knew that her life was going to be away from Portugal. The exposure to many different cultures was eye-opening. So years later, Marta managed to move to England and found a job thanks to her background in aviation. In London, Marta met her husband who is from Belarus. When her husband's visa was about to expire, he had the opportunity to move to Japan. To do so the two had to get married, and they only had 3 days to do it.

What would you do if you had to leave everything behind and start fresh in a new place? Eugenio did just that – twice! Hear his story of how he moved abroad to study, the lessons he learned, and what life is really like living in a foreign country. In this episode, Eugenio tells the story of how he left his beautiful life behind in pursuit of new adventures. He talks about the ups and downs of moving to a new country and offers advice for anyone considering doing the same.

Mundey Young knows all too well the challenges of adapting to a new life as an emigrant. For years, she has been living out of her suitcase and moving from one country to another. However, in that time, she has also learned how to make her life abroad as easy and enjoyable as possible. In this episode, Mundey shares her top tips for training your mind to live your expatriate life with ease. Whether you're just starting out on your expat journey or have been living abroad for a while, her inspiring story and tips will help you manage any potential bumps in the road with grace and confidence. So listen on and discover how to live your best emigrant life yet!

Many dreams of moving abroad and the United States is one of those countries that many has been eyeing on. In fact, the US has reached a record of 44.8 million emigrants since 2018. In this episode, Arnaldo, who originally lived in Brazil, shares how he landed in the land of opportunities with zero knowledge of speaking English. His exemplary journey shows how humbling it is to experience starting from none till you slowly climb up the mountain's peak and reach victory. From being a pizza delivery man, Arnaldo persistently made ways for him to excel in communicating and English, which led him to become an English teacher as he returned home.Although he has seen promising results from his career, Arnaldo knew that staying in Brazil wasn't his destiny. When he met her partner Aline, they decided to pursue immigrating to Canada, where they have successfully established their own business - teaching English. With Aline's 22 years of experience teaching English, she has helped Arnaldo establish a program that continuously assists other people in learning English, the world's universal language.

Erez, the author of the book Berlin's Immigration Secrets, imparts with us his beautiful story of perseverance and commitment to reaching his dream. Erez was initially from Israel, and because of his country's continuing tension and economic crisis, he eventually got determined to find a new home as an emigrant. At 35, Erez moved to Berlin with a systematic plan and devotion to succeed. Erez is a man that is applaudable for his passion, and this character of his enabled Erez to successfully stay in Berlin despite the many challenges he needed to face. Some might say that moving at the age of 35 seems too late, but as Erez shares his side of the story, he proves to us that it's never too late to reach your dreams. If you feel like the perfect time to emigrate is now, do it now! If you need more time, do not fret! Slowly discover the path towards your goal and at the right time, expect to harvest the fruit of your labor just as Erez did. If there's another thing we need to remember from Erez's story is the importance of committing to a daily routine. Layout a plan for your life. Set the goals you want to achieve and be dedicated to working towards them. With this mindset, Erez was able to learn German and build for himself a stable job with a satisfying income. As an emigrant, it is important that we learn the value of discipline. There's nothing one can achieve if this fails to prevail.

Jason, born and raised in Australia, decided to leave his country for the Philippines, where his mother originally lived. Amid rainy weather in Manila, Jason met Arielle. Jason and Arielle both have the mindset to live in a country that would give them satisfaction, and they know it's not where they were born in.When Jason got a job position in Hong Kong, both were gladly willing to leave their country and start a life in Hong Kong, where they got to experience exciting things and the opportunity to travel to China from time to time. When the Hong Kong protest occurred, the couple again decided to a new country - somewhere more peaceful and harmonious.Canada was a country that was not on their list of choices, but they were destined to be there. Of all the processes Jason and Arielle went through to successfully move to Canada, meeting their immigration consultant might be their most-life changing decision.They shared how finding the right person to work with you on your immigration journey would grant you a visa and guide you as you build your future in your new home. In just a year of living in Canada, Jason and Arielle have surpassed incredible successes, and they generously share their knowledge about building a small business with those people who're dreaming of doing the same too.

David, who is originally from the United States, grew up fond of the Japanese culture and even made an effort to learn the language itself. With his tremendous interest in the country, he was motivated to find ways to start his journey outside of the US and eventually live in his dream country. But before everything else, David also managed to work across different cities in the US. Despite enjoying life in these cities, nothing could surpass his hunger to be in Japan.With many job applications to get a position in Tokyo, David's perseverance to fulfill his dream was on the next level, and he finally did it. Though living in Japan was a surreal experience for David, his story, like everybody else, was not meant to be complete comfort.He shared how his struggles from building valuable relationships to his career challenges brought him to Japan, then Germany, until he settled in Portugal with his Japanese wife. With his rejections and successes over the past years of moving countries, David sure has a lot to impart on those who want to follow the same path, which is why he started his platform Expat Empire, intended to help people who want to move abroad too. He is indeed a living example of perseverance and resilience, proving that when you put more than 100% into reaching your goal, there will be no room for failure, just some redirection, and eventually success.

Coming from a country like Hong Kong, Cindy's decision to move to Canada was odd yet fulfilling. With her brother studying in England at the age of 15, Cindy was motivated to follow her brother's path. Being the youngest in her family was something that Cindy wanted to break free from to start living an independent life. Although moving to Canada was reasonably comfortable for Cindy because of her aunt's great help, she was a woman who did not settle for comfort.Cindy sets her perspective on the future, leading her to switch multiple careers because of her advanced thinking. From fashion designing to becoming an IT, and now, a financial advisor, Cindy surpassed her limits and found herself what she's passionate about doing. It is at this moment of our life where we realize our purpose. And Cindy's purpose was to help people with their money to use this money not for lavish but to reach their most unselfish dreams.Most people say that money is the root of all evil, but it's not. Money is one of the best tools to help people's lives if we just learn to use it well. Just like Cindy said, "Learning about finance is a life skill." As emigrants, we need to grasp the importance of managing our finances because it will significantly impact our future abroad. Start saving and investing wisely!

Brandon started his journey as a traveler when he moved to South Korea after his collegiate years. Without any concrete plans of what the future may bring, Brandon decided to work in an Asian country where an unfamiliar environment immediately welcomed him. Foreign language, strange culture, new setting - these were just the things that Brandon needed to overcome.After a few years of venturing into South Korea, Brandon's thirst for new adventures continued. His next destination was the Philippines. His plan to travel for leisure extended until he met his wife and started to build a family of their own. As his daughter was growing up, Brandon finally decided to move back to Canada to provide his child with better opportunities and a more secure place to grow up in.The several years of staying in the Philippines were both a lesson and an eye-opener to Brandon. He saw how immigration processes took place in a third-world country, and as someone competent on this tract, Brandon knew that he could do something to change other people's lives. Moving with his family to Canada further encouraged Brandon's desire to be a part of the Canadian immigration world.With his knowledge and competency, he provided services for aspiring emigrants through his platforms - Maple Immigration Services and Second Passport. Brandon has established himself as a trustworthy immigration advisor for people who aspire to move to Canada throughout his years of practice. What makes Brandon different from other immigration advisors? His empathy for people's circumstances as he, too, once went through those challenging immigration processes.

Stephen grew up in Birhingman, the largest city in the West Midlands of England. At the age of 22, Stephen left his home country to fulfill his thirst for travel. Considering that he didn't have enough money to suffice that goal, he decided to take advantage of his English background. Although lacking a formal teaching experience, he pursued a CELTA course that earned him a certificate to teach English abroad.After accomplishing his CELTA course, Stephen got his first job in Poland, where he taught in a state school to advanced English-level students. Stephen recalled how fond his memories were in Poland. Everyone was friendly, his job was stable, and the environment was welcoming. But as a then young and adventurous person, Stephen went through his next teaching venture, Taiwan. Teaching in Taiwan was another outstanding experience for Stephen because of the sufficient resources given to them.Despite that, it was the Chinese language that made Stephen decide to move to the next country. When he got his third job in Brazil, things turned out magnificent. There, he met his future wife. Although they had to go through various obstacles before getting married, Stephen and his wife finally decided to settle in Brazil, Curitiba, to be particular.As an English teacher for so many years, Stephen has not failed to push himself to learn beyond his basic skills. This perseverance of his has led him to put up his platform - English with Stephen successfully. Through his program, he helps people learn English words more creatively by associating them with stories. Now, Stephen has been working online teaching English to various students worldwide and hopes to explore more countries soon.

Have you been long thinking of pursuing a degree abroad? Our guest, Isabel, originally from Uruguay, had the desire to explore and discover the diverse cultures this world has. The heartbreaking moment of losing her mother was what made Isabel follow that little voice inside of her. This circumstance made her realize how fragile and precious life is, and when you want to do something, dare to pursue and fight for it.Settling abroad was never one of her plans, but Ireland was indeed bliss for her. Being surrounded by people of different cultures, beliefs, races, and perspectives was a surreal experience that made Isabel realize the path that she was to take. Despite the rejection that she had to face along the way when her scholarship application was denied, Isabel was still beyond grateful for every experience - good or bad.After failing her first application, Isabel was determined to pursue her plan, which led her to apply for a master's at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Studying abroad might not be the easiest thing to do, but Isabel was able to overcome difficulties and appreciate the chance of living a life abroad. With all her past experiences and successes, Isabel started her coaching platform to help people transition their lives to where they dream of being.

Traveling the world and still working and sustaining your financial needs with this lifestyle is a dream for a lot of us. However, for Annette, this is her reality - living life as a digital nomad. To define a digital nomad, these individuals travel regularly and do technology-based jobs through personal online business or virtually working for employers.Annette is originally from Germany, and her first step to establishing this lifestyle as a digital nomad is to work in Australia with a working holiday visa. Time passed, and she had the opportunity to move to New Zealand, and from there, her adventure furthered.When Annette reached her bank account's extent, she went back to Germany, but another opportunity greeted her when she got a job as an online freelance life coach. After just a month in Germany, Annette successfully left her country again, and this time, she could freely go from one country to another without worrying about her career.As a digital nomad, Annette still had battles of her own. She shared how as a digital nomad, finding a balance between work and traveling has left her confounded in the beginning because who wants to travel while working, right? Adjusting to a new place could be overwhelming; moreover, there are many distractions you can't easily ignore. To Annette, leaving Germany was a breath of fresh air. What made her commit to a digital nomad lifestyle is her mindset that life is simple but must be lived to the fullest.

Dorit Sasson, the author of two memoirs entitled Accidental soldier, and Sand and Steel, shared her incredible journey as an emigrant who moved to Israel and served in the Israel Defense Forces. Though Dorit's father is an Israeli, Dorit was raised in a hugely different environment from Israel, the US. Dorit's desperation to move out of the US got reinforced by her will to escape from her mom - who, at that time, negatively contributed to Dorit's inner maturity as a teenager.Despite the fears presented upon her by her mom, Dorit was persistent in pursuing a volunteer spot in the Israel Defence Forces. We all might portray living in Israel as scary because of how the media present, but for Dorit, living in Israel and interacting with her fellow Jewish people made her feel alive, passionate, and safe. Everything was a blast compared to her life abroad.While leaving the US was her escape as a teenager, Dorit had to escape again from Israel after eighteen years due to the economic mindset of the country - keep their citizens poor. Now, building a new life was the US is the start of Dorit's reverse culture shock experience. The attachment she created within the eighteen years of living in a country like Israel did not quickly fade and forever lives in her heart.

Daniel De Biasi, the Emigrant's Life Podcast voice, grew up in Italy, a country visited by thousands of tourists every year because of its rich culture and history. While many would wonder why Daniel decided to leave his beautiful country, he recounted how Italy's economic and political imbalance led him to the path of being an emigrant. With absent knowledge of speaking in English, Daniel bravely began his journey as an emigrant in the Land of the Long White Cloud - New Zealand. Living in New Zealand was Daniel's eye-opener to the world outside of Italy. There he learned how to speak English and meet impeccable people that showed him New Zealand's distinct culture. Despite being absorbed and slowly adapting to the country, Daniel had to leave New Zealand as he could not get a visa to stay there permanently. Instead of living again in Italy, he made his way to Canada - a move he thought would be more relaxed. Contrary to Daniel's expectations, moving to Canada was a dreadful obstacle he had to face. Despite these, his perseverance and strong determination led him to finally getting a permanent residency visa in the country. When COVID happened, Daniel started his podcast, Emigrant's Life Podcast - a platform for fellow emigrants to share their wondrous emigration stories.

Zara was born in Armenia, and not long after, her family moved to Ukraine in search of a better life. Though spending her entire childhood growing up in Ukraine, Zara's Armenian roots lived firmly within their family. They would often visit Armenia, which helped her become immersed in her motherland. What makes her consider Armenia as her true home is the feeling of comfort and peace when she visits it. Zara had her first experience with different cultures when she went to study English in London. She was so fascinated by the beauty of different cultures that, after she came back, Zara decided to move her life somewhere where she could be in that environment again, leading her to get a student permit to Canada. After four years of studying, working her way to get a visa and stay permanently in Canada, Zara successfully built a new beginning in the new country. She has also started a coaching platform named The Great Move, which helps women living abroad overcome challenges and reach their life's goals.

Growing up in an environment where she got used to living alone, Katrina left her home country, the Philippines, with a determination to succeed and permanently stayed in Canada.At the age of twelve, Katrina's parents decided to send her to a city far away from where they lived to study. Katrina considered that as a preparation for her future – becoming an emigrant.Katrina arrived in Canada with a permanent residency visa through working with an agency in her country. Although starting in a new country with a huge advantage, she also had to start from scratch to get a decent job as all other emigrants did. She finished a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering and a Master's in Technology Management, which led her to a position in a food manufacturing company.Katrina recalled her greatest struggles on moving abroad, one of which is finding a new community in a foreign place. Thankfully, she was able to immerse herself in various organizations, mainly Dress for Success Vancouver, for which she now serves as an ambassador. Through these groups, Katrina built herself a network of people who served as her family in her new home, Canada.

Growing up amid the civil war, Jadranka grasped how tough life is. While typical children would play by trading stickers, Jadranka reminisced how she and her friends were trading bullet shells for fun. As citizens of a country who went through war for four years, their educational opportunities are strictly limited. But it was also this moment where Jadranka took the opportunity to learn English, proving how bitter moments of our lives are still meant for a good purpose if we stay optimistic. Jadranka shared that her move to Canada was a way for her to escape the country that she knew was not excellent for raising a family. As a parent who wanted a safer space for her growing kids, Jadranka bravely entered a new environment that forced her to change for the better. Currently, Jadranka is part of a blog called The Practical Immigrant, where and her partner, Sylvia, a fellow emigrant, imparts their knowledge on moving to Canada.

Tim Jones, popularly known as the Grow Good guy, is originally from the UK but is now living on the other side of the world - New Zealand. When Tim encountered a heavy rejection from the army, he was determined to leave the UK and prove his self-worth.Feeling undermined in the UK, Tim went to Australia and hoped for a fresh start with different people. While he wanted to get away from the old group of people who made him feel disheartened, Tim found himself ironically interacting with Australian army people, the reason why at some point of his stay in the country, he tried of applying to the Australian army. Ultimately, when Tim decided to follow his girlfriend in New Zealand, that led him to a new chapter of his life.Encountering the destructive earthquake in Christchurch was his turning point to reflect on his life decisions and purpose. Tim and his family decided to leave Christchurch because of the fear of calamities. Still, they ended up moving there again after a few years after his realizations and desire for further success.Now, Tim's inspirational journey is his tool to spread positivity and encouragement to more people. With his program, Grow Good, he works as a motivational speaker and coach that supports people in achieving their life goals and discover a purposeful meaning to life.

Being raised in a mixed culture, Fiona grew up welcoming both France and England as her home. While Fiona lived in France during her childhood, she was still aware of her English background and culture through her mom. When Fiona entered university, she decided to leave France and pursue her studies in the UK instead. Fiona felt more comfortable living in England than in France, but things startlingly shifted when she had kids. With the social and political issues England faced, like racism and the Brexit vote, Fiona chose to leave the country and go back to France. This significant change was not easy to make, acknowledging their kids' reaction and willingness to do so. Moreover, moving back to France was a choice that Fiona is so grateful for. Despite her doubts along the way, Fiona and her family got welcomed with positive outcomes and a more settled home that gave them security and satisfaction.

Ruairi is the founder of Moving 2 Canada, one of the leading websites to find the resources you need to move to Canada. Ruairi is originally from Ireland and moved to Canada in his 20s for a job opportunity for a company based in Vancouver. Despite his experience of moving across the ocean was very easy; in fact, the company he worked for took care of everything, many of his friends in Canada had to leave the country. Lack of planning and poor information on the immigration process available were the causes of so many of his friends leaving. Ruairi then decided to use his skills and knowledge to build a website and help his fellow emigrants moving and stay in Canada. Find more about Ruairi, links, transcript, and more in the show notes. 

Leaving Poland when she was only fourteen years old, Joanna grew up in an environment where she got required to adjust massively. Besides the culture shock, integrating into the new country as a teenager was very tough for Joanna. Around when she moved to Ireland, the country saw an increase of people coming in, which lead to discrimination against immigrants like herself. Even after living in Ireland for sixteen years, Joanna didn't feel at home. She knew she belonged somewhere else. Joanna was blissful amidst the new and exciting moments in the Land of the Free when she managed to join an exchange program in the US. This experience of hers motivated her to pursue living in America, which she did after finishing her college degree in Hospitality Management. But, not all our plans go right where we want them to be. We'd always have to face some rejections along the way as Joanna had. After not being able to renew her visa in the US, Joanna went back to Ireland, where she met her husband. A few years later, they decided to emigrate to Canada, a country closer to her dream.In this episode, Joanna shares lots of information on applying for the International Experience Canada visa, which you might be considering too.

Emigrating with someone exposes you to various circumstances that will test your relationship's foundation. It's tough yet exciting to imagine a new chapter of your life with someone you love. In this episode, our guest Sarah moved to Sweden with his boyfriend to support his career advancement. When Sarah's boyfriend got offered a promotion abroad, she realized her craving for a new adventure in life. Working for the Hilton headquarters seemed like a routine for Sarah; therefore, throughout the pandemic, she built a brand of her own, You Love And You Learn, where she coaches individuals on building and managing their relationships. Sarah had a lot to share about moving abroad with her partner. With Sarah's personal experience of moving abroad with her boyfriend, she has a lot to impart to those couples who emigrate together. Sarah shared how she, also, was not exempt from the hurdles of being an emigrant. They had the usual relationship difficulties of going through a challenging situation, but how they managed to stay together amid the unknown is something that we could all learn from Sarah's wisdom. The journey is uncertain, but as Sarah said, you can't always look at what could go wrong; you also have to look at what could go right.

Whether you're an expat, an immigrant, or just aspiring to be one, you need to understand the importance of resiliency as an individual.In this episode, Jamie, the author of The Role of Resiliency in a Global Lifestyle and the founder of Cultural Mixology, shares with us how individuals go through multiple cycles in their lives as they start living in an unfamiliar place far from home.Jamie has such a complex understanding of how our brain adapts to change, and how we build the value of resiliency, an essential attribute for everyone who wants to start an afresh chapter in a new country.With her knowledge of these fields, Jamie helps people by coaching them on adapting to a new country and culture.Under her Cultural Mixology platform, she eases the complicated journey of surviving in an unfamiliar culture around foreign people, which constitutes one of the most challenging parts of moving abroad.This episode was originally hired in 2020, and the audio quality has been improved. 

Borjana is originally from Sarajevo, Bosnia. In one night, her life totally changed when war broke out in her country. Being a refugee was huge unbelief for Borjana, who was 17 at the time of war. She decided to leave her mom and go back to their home in Sarajevo, where the painful reality hit her. After giving birth to her first child while being a refugee, Borjana decided to leave her beloved country to give a better future for her child. Five years and many applications later, she managed to emigrate to the United States. In the US, she was able to finish a medical geography degree, which she used to understand her country's locality. In 2017 Borjana went back to her country to conduct a research study with the refugees. There, she was welcomed by overwhelming stories of people who need help and hope. This moment kept Borjana motivated to spread awareness to the world and be a means to bring help to her fellow citizens.

Rafael is originally from Brazil and decided to go to New Zealand for a year to learn English for better opportunities in his country. He quit his job and, with some friends, went to New Zealand. Rafael left Brazil without a visa and just a bit of money. He soon managed to find a job that would sponsor him so he could make some money and stay longer in the country. Instead of stay for a year, as he planned, Rafael stayed for two, and when he moved back to Brazil, he quickly realized that he missed the New Zealand lifestyle. Rafael moved back to New Zealand, this time on a working holiday visa, which allowed him to work and travel around the country. Through a friend, Rafael found a job that could sponsor him to get a work visa. So he moved to Christchurch, where a few years earlier have been damaged by a big earthquake. The city had to be rebuilt, and people like Rafael were desperately needed. This opportunity and his humility to adapt to jobs made it “easy” for him to get a work permit and later become a Permanent Resident. Years later, he became a New Zealand citizen.

Ashlee is originally from the United States. In her early 20s, she decided that she wanted to move to a new country to start fresh without her family's pressure.Her way to move abroad was through an Au pair experience in Paris, France. She wanted to learn French, and she found a family host that was right for her. She liked it so much that she Au pair for three years. Last year she decided to move to Barcellona, Spain, to try something new and be closer to the sea. By moving abroad, she found herself and what she wants in life.

Growing up in Australia, Louise got surrounded by people her age that immersed themselves in exploring the world. At 22, Louise left Australia for the US. While the majority of her peers went for Europe, Louise's mindset was to take another path.From the US, she reached Canada, then Mexico, and finally London, where she worked as a chef in a ski resort. After eight months, Louise wanted to continue her studies, which led her back to her home country. However, the urge to explore the world tormented her, so after finishing one semester in Australia, Louise hopped off to Colorado.The moment she stepped into the departure gate, she knew that home was not in Australia. After 27 years in the US, Louise moved to Portugal and has been working on her book, which shares immigrants' stories.At 50 years old, Louise still plans to leave Portugal and move to another country, which she can soon hopefully call her home.

Being a student abroad is a big challenge, but our guest Mo has proved that nothing is impossible. Not only did he was able to study overseas, but Mo also got accepted at Oxford University! Despite the difficulties he experienced from studying in Nigeria, where resources are not advanced, it is incredible to witness how Mo's perseverance and determination led him to great heights. Mo is now living with his wife and kids in Paris. There, he commutes to England to study at Oxford, and with just a year left, Mo will finally complete his masters there. Studying abroad has opened unbelievable opportunities for him, but his dream to help his country's development one day is something that makes him more admirable.

Daniel lived in New Zealand and moved to Romania with his wife and son to live with his wife's sick grandparents. Daniel shared how he fell so in love with the country but sadly, his negative experiences while living in Romania has painted a painful image of it in his memory. He and his wife got divorced not long after moving to Romania and giving up their booming business in New Zealand. Daniel experienced very challenging situations because of not knowing how to speak the language and adapting to the Romanian culture. Amidst these discouraging moments of his life, Daniel has learned to sympathize and be aware of people's humble lives. Daniel is still currently in Romania to be close with his son, whom he considers as his life's primary focus.

Eleonora was born in Italy and first left for the United States in 2017. Her first trip away from home left her so homesick, but this impression didn't stop her from leaving her country again for the US. With Eleonora's impressive 3D fashion designing skills, a company abroad noticed her through an Instagram page she set up for her designs. Currently, Eleonora is eagerly waiting for her visa to be processed by her company. With high hopes, she would be able to leave Italy soon and begin another journey abroad to reach her dreams.

We often hear great stories of people who moved to the US, but Americans immigrating to other countries, especially Asia. This week, we listen to Amanda's story, who first experienced a new life abroad when she studied in Paris. After graduating from university, Amanda didn't feel the spark to go back to her country, which is why she was easily encouraged to move to Thailand by someone she just met. Amanda and her boyfriend arrived in Thailand with no job and expectations from the country. Some may see this move negatively, but it's a story that we should also learn from. Life may go well when planned, but there's nothing wrong with letting yourself explore life and enter into the unknown. Either way, you become a better person when you free yourself from fear and choose to follow your dreams.

In Australia, moving abroad after finish high school is the norm. Our guest, Kimberley, left a bit later, after finishing her degree in the country. At 27, Kim got an Au pairing job in Italy. The diverse culture of Italy made her love the place and stay longer. As an English teacher, Kim got herself a job, more effortless than any other immigrants might do. In Italy, Kimberley met her husband and followed him to France, where she worked as an English teacher in Paris for 2 years. After giving birth, they decided to move back to Australia as they believe it would be a more suitable place for their child to grow up. A few years later, Kim's husband got a job offer in Canada. Just as they were hustling to leave, COVID decided to intervene and block their plans of moving out. Though disappointed with the situation, Kim realized that this was actually a blessing in disguise as life would be harder if ever they did go to Canada in the midst of a pandemic.

One of our previous guests, Craig, is back on the show to share with us the result of his long-awaited visa application. As his wife and kids have a UK passport, Craig struggled alone to apply for a visa in the UK. A lot may think that the process would be less complicated for Craig because of his family's situation, but it was the other way around. Craig got denied a visa to the UK, had to go back to New Zealand, and wait till his visa got granted. Find out Craig's crazy journey from New Zealand to London and listen to the challenges of emigrating during this pandemic.

This is a special episode with some of the most inspiring, motivating, and funny segments from this year's interview. I just want to use this opportunity to thank you for listening to the Emigrant's Life podcast, it's been a great first year and I look forward to delivering to you more great stories in 2021. Feel free to reach out to me at daniel@emigrantslife.com and I hope we can meet at some point.I wish you a happy new year, stay safe, and keep dreaming big!Daniel De BiasiYou can find the show notes with the comment section in the link below

Mubs is originally from Pakistan, but he immigrated with his family to England at the young age of four.As a child, he was fond of making things and working with computers, which led him to pursue a degree in software engineering.Having a stable job at Oracle wasn't Mub's ideal life. Instead of choosing what's comfortable, he decided to leave his home and work in the US with a tech startup company.With an H-1B visa, the immigration process wasn't difficult for Mubs, but living with an H-1B in the US was.After marrying his wife, Mubs finally got his green card and became an American citizen. Interestingly, a one phone call from a friend made Mubs leave his life in San Francisco and move to New York.Now, Mubs is a well-known person in the tech industry because of his almost 100 side projects, including Pod Hunt and Founderpath.

Arif Rahman is a research scientist from Bangladesh. His immigration journey began when he made a plan to study for his Ph.D. outside of his country. Arif believed that there are larger opportunities abroad, so he persevered to apply to numerous schools outside Bangladesh. After writing hundreds of emails, Arif was finally recognized by an Italian professor willing to sponsor him to study abroad. With his intelligence as a scientist, Arif was able to win the Best Young Scientist award, which opened an opportunity for him to move to the US. Arif recognizes himself as lucky because of how easy his immigration journey was compared with the fellow immigrants he met while he was in Italy. It was this humbling experience that fostered Arif's compassion for people and his dream to give back to his home country, Bangladesh, in the future. Arif's story is a great way to remind us that life is a series of unstoppable challenges. Evading it would only make it worse. Learn to embrace the difficulties of your path, get up, and show that you're far stronger than whatever life throws at you.

Herve is a scientist who lived in France and took his Ph.D. in Switzerland. Because of his profession and competency in his field, he had acquired opportunities to work in different places.For some, it may sound like an easy decision to grab right away, but for Herve, he had his family to consider.Amazingly, Herve got gifted a wife that had the same mindset as him. Herve shared how her wife Jana had supported him in conquering the privileges offered to him.

Sylvia began exploring the world outside Brazil when she decided to get her master's degree in psychology in Australia. A whole new adventure welcomed her, and there, she met her also Brazilian husband-to-be.After years of living in Australia, they decided to go back to Brazil because of homesickness.Afterward, Sylvia got married, and they both agreed on building their life outside of Brazil. Still, the process of leaving didn't go easy on them.After years of processing their visas on their own, along with Sylvia, bearing their first child, Sylvia and her partner got granted a permanent residency in Canada.With their newborn, just less than a month old, Sylvia and her husband were able to leave Brazil and finally start a new life in Toronto.

Tanya has had the unique experience of moving to different countries as she was growing up. Even as the point in her life where she started building her own family, Tanya continued to move around countries, now, with her kids. From living in Ontario, Canada, with her kids, they moved to Barcelona, Spain as a family. Although moving with kids is a big challenge, Tanya treasures the fact that her children could experience life in different countries, which not a lot can have. Her children may not realize it now, but they will surely grow up thankful for the wonderful experiences they were able to have as they were growing up.

Whether you're an expat, an immigrant, or just aspiring to be one, you need to understand the importance of resiliency as an individual.In this episode, Jamie, the author of The Role of Resiliency in a Global Lifestyle and the founder of Cultural Mixology, shares with us how individuals go through multiple cycles in their lives as they start living in an unfamiliar place far from home.Jamie has such a complex understanding of how our brain adapts to change, and how we build the value of resiliency, an essential attribute for everyone who wants to start a fresh chapter in a new country.With her knowledge of these fields, Jamie helps people by coaching them on adapting to a new country and culture.Under her Cultural Mixology platform, she eases the complicated journey of surviving in an unfamiliar culture and foreign people, which constitutes one of the most challenging parts of moving abroad.

Ray is one of those 'Third Culture Kids' who grew up with a diverse family culture. He grew up in Turkey, and he spoke Tagalog, English, and Turkish. Ray's immigration journey officially started when his parents decided to send him to the US to study. It was then when he began to live alone for the first time and got enlightened with the cultural differences between the US and his hometown. Ray made an effort to adapt himself to the American culture to interact with people his age. A few after he graduated from college and started living the life "he was supposed to live," Ray realized that there's more to life than just working in a cubicle. That realization led him to join the Peace Corps and move to Mexico.

Ran was born and raised in China, where the educational system is stricter than most of us would expect it to be. Her urge to move to Canada started when she failed to enter her desired university. Instead of going back to Grade 12, which is the Chinese education system's rule, Ran decided to go to Canada and study there. She experienced struggles of not being able to speak English and, along with that, overcoming her character of being socially reserved. Ran eventually encouraged herself to learn and live a life with less fear of making mistakes. Looking back on her journey, Ran was grateful for the opportunity of being able to start a new and better life in a country where she felt free. Currently, Ran is working in Canada and has received her permanent residency earlier this year.

In this episode, I am fortunate to talk with Alex Khadempour, a licensed immigration advisor and the Managing Director of CICS Immigration Consulting Inc. His association with the topic of immigrating goes further into his background as an immigrant himself from Iran. When they moved to Canada, his father went to Dubai to seek a better job. After building relationships with foreigners as they converse about immigration topics, his father went back to Vancouver and established his immigration firm. It was then when Alex got engaged with his father's firm. He started helping minimally through marketing until his dad offered him a job, and his desire to become an immigration advisor ignited. You can find a lot of really reliable information and resources throughout this episode. As licensed immigration himself, Alex will share with us the system around Canada's immigration process, costs of immigrating, and where to start as an aspiring immigrant.

Lori is originally from Canada, but her grandfather was born in the UK. Because of that, she was able to apply for an ancestry visa, which allows you to stay in the UK for five years, and if you meet the requirements, you can stay permanently.Her journey started a few years ago when she traveled around Australia and New Zealand for almost two years. Going back home to Canada left a void in her heart, and she knew it was not the place for her.Although having it easy to acquire a visa and staying in the country, Lori did encounter various struggles, too, especially when COVID struck. Being an events planner, she was forced to find a new job to sustain her needs while the country was in lockdown. It definitely took a toll on her career, but obstacles always result in fantastic progress. Currently, Lori is working on her own online business, which is one of her biggest dreams.

Jana Dietsch Wingels is the author behind a children's book entitled 'Jana and the Big Move.' This book is sparked by her experience of moving out of her country, along with her two young daughters. In my conversation with Jana, she tells the important steps and measures to use when emigrating with children and how to help them cope with this life-changing experience. If emigrating seems so challenging for adults, it also impacts children who demand their parents' attention and understanding.Enjoy the episode!

In this week's episode of the Emigrant's Life podcast, I got the chance to talk to our guest Maggie, who's not an emigrant yet, but is someone who worked in another country as an Au Pair. Many people might not be familiar with the term 'Au Pair', which simply refers to a young adult who travels in another country to live with a host family and take care of their children. Considering Au Pairing as a job may not be ideal for some because of the little money you could earn. Still, it could be a huge help to make your first step into a new country, especially if you do it alone. Enjoy the episode!

Anu Wat, the woman behind Wings Education, a platform intended to help immigrants move out of their country, shares with us her story of rising from poverty. She was a woman who had all odds against her. You would think she couldn't be able to lift herself up because of her excruciating life buried in poverty, along with her country, disparaging the role of women in society. Here is a heart whelming journey of a woman who took chances because she knew that there is a whole new world out there that's willing to let her be the great and empowered woman that she is.Enjoy the episode!

Yuvika's story was invigorated by her parents' stern ambitions and it was to study overseas to free Yuvika from her country's discrimination towards women. Unlike most emigrants, Yuvika didn't struggle with communication because of her strong foundation with English. After studying college in the US, Yuvika faced a lot of challenges in finding a job and that was the start of her realization with the difficulties of every emigrant that's why she started her own platform "Ports of Entry", to spread awareness and compassion to her fellow emigrants.Enjoy the episode!

Unlike most teenagers nowadays who are living their life freely, Felipe was someone who let himself experience the struggle of emigrating at the young age of 16.After finishing high school, Felipe decided to leave his country to learn English in the US. He went back to Colombia six months later and started his college education, but then, a financial crisis happened, and he decided to take a chance and continue his education in the US.Upon studying college, He was able to obtain scholarships but to sustain his personal and daily expenses, Felipe needed to work while studying.Years passed, and Felipe finished his studies, and he faced a decision where he was struggling to either go back home or to stay in the US. When the company he worked for as an intern offered him a job, Felipe decided to go for it. It was a decision he made after contemplating the greater opportunities these two countries could offer. Meeting a woman who then became his wife played a crucial part in his decision to stay.Looking back to where he is now as a successful engineer in New York, Felipe remains grateful for the support system his family have given though they were miles apart from each other.Being a young man who took a huge jump and moved to another country in search of greater opportunities, it was definitely challenging for Felipe.Nevertheless, the journey was worth it for him.In the end, all that matters is what's waiting for you at the end of the road which is totally worth it either for Felipe or to any emigrants who might be reading this. It is worth it so keep on going.Enjoy the episode!

The Soviet Union was then a country that deprived its citizens of freedom and the right to go beyond their borders. Eva Sigaev was born in Ukraine, which was then part of the Soviet Union, experienced the period where there was a limited opportunity for the citizens to reach their dreams. They were prohibited from learning a new language and living in another place besides their country. Their life was like a painting deprived of colour. When Eva started living in Kiev to study for college, she was cast as a model, and her knowledge about the world outside Soviet grew wider. She was able to perform all over the world, and be on the cover of an Australian magazine. Along with these accomplishments, Eva was able to graduate with a bachelor's degree in construction engineering. After the Soviet Union collapsed and Ukraine became an independent country, Eva, along with her partner, moved to the United States where she started a new life away from her established career back in Ukraine. With the long wait for her green card, Eva was not able to work, and this made her pursue different careers.Now, Eva is working on a new business, which will open more opportunities for her and also help other women pursue a better life. Eva Sigaev's story is something rare. It is a story of a woman who chases freedom and finds it in a place unknown to her. Eva did not let herself be comfortable with the many achievements she had. Instead, she took the bravery to enter a new world and find how far her potentials can go. Eva was able to turn her black and white life into something more colourful, something that she is proud of and would never regret doing.