#62. Imposter Syndrome Abroad — rebuilding Identity After Moving To The USA | Apr 01, 2026

When you move abroad, especially to the USA, imposter syndrome can show up in ways you never expected.In this episode, I sit down with Zainab Ugokwe — scientist, mom, wife — a woman whose story will feel familiar if you’ve ever tried to rebuild your identity in a new country.Zainab talks about returning to the U.S. after spending her childhood in Palestine, navigating homesickness, cultural differences, and the quiet grief of absent relatives in Palestine, and in the USA. She shares what it was like to grow up as the only Black girl in a town that had never seen people who looked like her, and how those early experiences shaped her confidence as an adult.We explore:what imposter syndrome looks like for expat and immigrant womenthe identity shifts that happen when you move abroadthe loneliness of feeling “in‑between” cultureshow to rebuild confidence when you don’t feel like yourself anymorethe emotional work of belonging in a place that wasn’t part of your original storyIf you’re an expat or immigrant woman living in the USA or anywhere abroad — navigating loneliness, cultural differences, or that unsettling feeling of not belonging here or back home — this conversation will meet you right where you are.Zainab’s reflections offer gentle reminders and practical takeaways about finding your voice again, trusting who you’re becoming, and giving yourself permission to grow into this new version of you.If this episode resonates, follow The Places We Call Home on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and share it with another woman who’s starting over in a new country.