PODCAST · society
12 Years Out: With Cole Puterbaugh
by Cole Puterbaugh
Thinking about leaving your home country? 12 Years Out with Cole Puterbaugh explores the real cost, tradeoffs, and consequences of life abroad. With 12+ years overseas, a cross-cultural family, and PhD-level insight, Cole breaks down freedom, isolation, identity, and opportunity beyond surface-level expat stories. Each 15–30 minute episode covers relocation, cultural adaptation, global education, and high-stakes life decisions, all oriented towards helping you understand what trade-offs of living abroad.
Episodes
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A Priest Exorcised a Seizing Girl in My Classroom. Then I Got Fired.
Join the newsletter and read the essays: https://12yearsout.com My first year of teaching in Kentucky involved a student's rumored demonic possession that ended with an exorcism in my fifth-grade classroom. That event became a symbol for the whole experience: a constant state of impending...
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Year 5 is the Real Test
A lucrative tutoring offer in China forces a choice not between jobs, but between the allure of entrepreneurship and the predictability of a system he despises. For Dr. Cole Puterbaugh, that decision revealed a deeper truth about life abroad: after five years, every choice is a trade-off rooted…
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One Ambulance per 40,000 Citizens
There's one ambulance per 40,000 citizens in Shanghai, a stark reminder of the stability Americans often sacrifice for opportunity when moving abroad. Dr. Cole Puterbaugh frames expatriation not as a simple adventure but as a deliberate trade-off. He argues that even a disliked job in your home...
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Driving in China is HELL
In China, you can have a green light and still be found 40% at fault for hitting a scooter that ran a red light. That single event contains a cultural logic completely alien to the West. Dr. Cole Puterbaugh uses the daily act of driving in Shanghai to decode the unwritten rules of Chinese…
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The Instagram Lie About Life Abroad
An encounter with fentanyl users in Philadelphia reveals a hard truth about the idyllic 'life abroad' sold by Instagram influencers. Dr. Cole Puterbaugh argues that the curated perfection on social media is a lie designed to capture your attention. The promise of escape is a fantasy; in reality,...
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Leaving Your Home Country is Overrated
The dream of moving abroad to escape a bad job or a bad boss often ends with a flight home in failure—or worse, a mess for someone else to clean up. Many aspiring expats imagine a new life in Thailand or China will solve their problems, but Dr. Cole Puterbaugh argues this is a flimsy premise for...
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How to Make it Through Your First Year Abroad
How do you survive your first year living abroad? In this episode of 12 Years Out with Cole Puterbaugh, I talk about what actually matters during your first year overseas. Living abroad is not just about opportunity or freedom. It is an emotional shift where everything becomes more intense. The...
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Who You Become When You Leave Home
Who do you become when you leave your home country? In this episode of 12 Years Out with Cole Puterbaugh, I explore how living abroad reshapes identity over time. You don’t just relocate—you begin to evolve into something different. Some people become builders, creating a new life in a new place....
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What Culture Shock Actually Feels Like (After Year 1)
What does culture shock actually feel like after the first year abroad? In this episode of 12 Years Out with Cole Puterbaugh, I explore the deeper reality of cultural adaptation once the initial excitement fades. Culture shock isn’t just about confusion or discomfort—it’s about realizing that…
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U.S. vs China Education Is the Wrong Question
Stop comparing education systems. Start analyzing incentives. In this deep-dive episode, Cole Puterbaugh argues that framing the discussion as U.S. vs China education is a fundamental mistake. Instead, we use a powerful organizing lens—Stakeholder Incentives leading to Educational...
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Should You Leave Your Home Country? (What No One Tells You)
The Trade System Shift: Why Leaving Your Country Is Not an Upgrade (A Full Framework) In this deep dive, we challenge the popular narrative that moving abroad is the easy solution to dissatisfaction. Drawing on years of experience living in a foreign country, we argue that international…
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Why Every Marriage Is a Cultural Clash (10+ Years Later)
What if every marriage is a cultural clash? In this episode of Leaving Home, I reflect on 10+ years of cross-cultural marriage and what it reveals about relationships more broadly. Conflict isn’t just about personality differences—it’s about values, assumptions, and ways of thinking that shape…
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The First Year Abroad is Misleading
The first year living abroad feels perfect—but appearances can be deceiving. In this episode of Leaving Home, Cole Puterbaugh examines why year one can be misleading, exploring subtle changes in relationships, identity, and belonging that quietly begin to shape your life overseas. If you’re early...
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The Hidden Cost of Living Abroad (You don't learn this until it's too late)
What does living abroad really cost? In this episode of Leaving Home, I explore the hidden tradeoffs of expat life—beyond the surface-level benefits. Drawing on over a decade overseas, I break down the realities of freedom, isolation, identity change, and distance from home that come with…
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Why People Think Life Is Better Abroad
Why do so many people believe life is better abroad? In this episode of Leaving Home, I explore the illusion behind that belief—and what’s actually happening beneath the surface. Drawing on 12+ years living overseas, I break down how travel, novelty, and selective experience shape our perception…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Thinking about leaving your home country? 12 Years Out with Cole Puterbaugh explores the real cost, tradeoffs, and consequences of life abroad. With 12+ years overseas, a cross-cultural family, and PhD-level insight, Cole breaks down freedom, isolation, identity, and opportunity beyond surface-level expat stories. Each 15–30 minute episode covers relocation, cultural adaptation, global education, and high-stakes life decisions, all oriented towards helping you understand what trade-offs of living abroad.
HOSTED BY
Cole Puterbaugh
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does 12 Years Out: With Cole Puterbaugh have?
12 Years Out: With Cole Puterbaugh currently has 15 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is 12 Years Out: With Cole Puterbaugh about?
Thinking about leaving your home country? 12 Years Out with Cole Puterbaugh explores the real cost, tradeoffs, and consequences of life abroad. With 12+ years overseas, a cross-cultural family, and PhD-level insight, Cole breaks down freedom, isolation, identity, and opportunity beyond...
How often does 12 Years Out: With Cole Puterbaugh release new episodes?
12 Years Out: With Cole Puterbaugh has 15 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to 12 Years Out: With Cole Puterbaugh?
You can listen to 12 Years Out: With Cole Puterbaugh on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts 12 Years Out: With Cole Puterbaugh?
12 Years Out: With Cole Puterbaugh is created and hosted by Cole Puterbaugh.
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