Somewhere Unfamiliar

What if you feel more at home somewhere unfamiliar?After nearly 20 years living overseas, Jon Jensen, a senior executive producer and longtime international journalist, moved back to the United States and found himself feeling like a stranger in his own country. Jon has spent much of his life moving between places and starting over. He says he’s more comfortable “off autopilot”.We discuss:• Why “Where are you from?” is the question Jon dreads• What it feels like to return to your own country after nearly 20 years away• Why unfamiliar places can force us to pay attention in a way familiar ones don’t• The instant connection that can happen between people who have lived internationally• The grief and loneliness that come with repeatedly leaving friends and communities behind• Whether being good at adapting can also make it harder to know where you belong• Starting over socially and building a new community as an adult• Why we can carry pieces of every place we’ve called home with youFrom feeling foreign in the country on his passport to finding unexpected moments of familiarity in New York, this conversation gets into the parts of moving we don’t always talk about: what we gain, what we leave behind and how starting over again and again changes the way we relate to people, places and ourselves.

What if growing up between cultures means never having one simple answer to who you are?For years, “Where are you from?” felt like Tala Worrell’s nightmare question. Over time, she became more comfortable with the fact that different places and different people can bring out different parts of who she is — and that she can’t control how other people perceive her.We discuss:• Growing up between cultures• Why “Where are you from?” can feel so loaded• Fitting in and adjusting to different people• How other people shape the way we see ourselves• Feeling at home around people with international backgrounds• How moving changes the way we see the world• Why Tala’s paintings literally change with the places she lives• Relationships when you have a multicultural background• Using art to understand identity when words fall shortThis episode is for anyone who has ever felt different depending on where they are, who they’re with, or how other people see them.Music licensed through Soundstripe.Code: YFFLPOUV0DMEC30Z, WLVIS3F00ZEZWULI, LIQPIOHJA6ISKOM3

What if leaving home is what finally gives you permission to become yourself?Bianca grew up in a small town in Brazil, where an experience in childhood left her feeling like one day, she needed to get out.At 25, she moved to the United States, eventually building a life in Los Angeles that gave her something she hadn’t expected: the freedom to reinvent herself.But years later, going back to São Lourenço changed the way she saw the place she came from, and the version of herself she had left behind.In this conversation, we explore:• How childhood bullying and severe scoliosis shaped Bianca’s desire to leave• Starting over in America with one suitcase and no idea how credit, taxes or renting worked• Why Los Angeles became the place where she felt free to become herself• Trying to lose an accent and adapt to a new culture• The difference between fitting in and actually belonging• Why finding people from your home country can matter when you move abroad• How travel can reshape identity, perspective and tolerance• What it feels like to return home after you’ve changed• Why “Where are you from?” becomes more complicated after living in multiple places• The American dream, opportunity and why Bianca still believes in it• Whether identity is something we inherit or something we buildThis conversation is about reinvention, belonging, and what can happen when you get far enough away from the place that shaped you to finally see yourself differently.

What happens when the conversations you’ve been having start changing you?I started Somewhere Unfamiliar to understand identity, belonging, and what it means to build a life somewhere new. I never expected those conversations to change me.In this reflection episode, I share the biggest lessons I’ve learned from guests who’ve moved across countries, rebuilt their lives, and redefined what home means.In this episode:• Why home can become people instead of a place• What loneliness taught me about belonging• Why one person can change your entire experience• What surprised me most after 10 conversations• The question I still can’t answer: Do we create belonging, or do we find it?

What if moving countries didn’t just change where you live, but who you become?Shruti never imagined she would leave India. But after building a life in Ireland, Finland and the United States, she realised something far bigger had changed than her address.Each country challenged what she believed about success, body image, womanhood, motherhood and belonging until she no longer recognised the person who had left home.In this conversation, we explore:• How moving abroad can completely reshape your identity• Depression, loneliness and rebuilding from scratch• Body image, skin colour and beauty standards in India versus other countries• Women’s roles and how different cultures changed her beliefs about freedom and independence• Raising a daughter between Indian and American cultures• Why trying to fit in made her lose herself• The hidden guilt of leaving family behind• Why home can become a feeling instead of a placeThis conversation isn’t just about immigration. It’s about the powerful ways our environment shapes who we become, and what happens when we finally start questioning those beliefs.

Success changes as you get older.Bob was seven years old when his family left Iran for what was supposed to be a temporary move to the United States. Fifty years later, he reflects on identity, belonging, ambition, family, and how his definition of success has evolved over time.We discuss:• Starting over in a new country• Identity, culture, and belonging• The immigrant experience• Raising children between cultures• Community and finding your people• Why we spend so much of life trying to prove ourselves• Confidence and self-acceptance with age• Redefining success and happinessThis episode is for anyone navigating change, building a life between cultures, or rethinking what matters most.

What if the life you’re supposed to want isn’t the life you actually want?Anya moved from Belarus to the United States twice. The first time, she felt lonely and disconnected. The second time, she arrived with a completely different mindset — and everything changed.We discuss:• Starting over in a new country• Reinventing yourself at different stages of life• Motherhood and raising children across cultures• Finding purpose beyond your career• Redefining success and happiness• Building a life aligned with your values• Finding joy in the small things• Learning to trust yourself when life asks you to take a leapThis episode is for anyone navigating change, questioning their path, or redefining what success means to them.

What does it really take to start over from scratch?In this episode, Fer shares what it was like leaving Venezuela, unexpectedly building a new life in the U.S., and rebuilding his career in New York after arriving with no clear plan.We talk about starting over in a new country, rebuilding confidence, creating community, and the mindset it takes to keep moving forward when everything familiar is gone.A conversation about reinvention, resilience, identity, belonging, and building a new sense of home.

What if the reason you feel different is also your greatest strength?Growing up between cultures can leave you feeling like you don’t fully belong anywhere. But it can also teach you how to adapt, connect, and feel at home in very different environments.In this episode, Aisha shares what it was like growing up between cultures, constantly navigating different identities, and learning to create a sense of belonging without fitting neatly into any one box.We discuss:• Growing up between cultures• Identity beyond labels• The assumptions people make about us• Relationships across different backgrounds• Adapting to different environments• Finding confidence in who you areThis episode is for anyone who has ever felt different, struggled to fit into expectations, or wondered where they truly belong.

Stories about what it really feels like to build a life far from where you started.Through honest conversations about identity, belonging, reinvention, relationships, and personal growth, Somewhere Unfamiliar explores how people rebuild, adapt, and create meaningful lives through change.Whether you’ve moved across the world, across the country, or simply found yourself in a chapter of life you never expected, these conversations are a reminder that you’re not alone.

When you spend your life moving between countries, what happens to your sense of home?In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Eimad Houry, whose life has been shaped by relocation, cultural adaptation, and decades of living between different countries and communities.We talk about:• Identity and belonging across cultures• The loneliness of constantly starting over• Losing childhood connections and ties to place• Building relationships and community in unfamiliar environments• Faith, family, and raising children between cultures• The challenges and opportunities of relocation• How travel, study abroad, and international experiences can transform the way you see yourself and the worldA conversation about home, belonging, resilience, and what happens when a lifetime of movement shapes who you become.⁠Check out How Studying Abroad Changed My Life ⁠by Eimad Houry & Chinekwu Obidoa⁠⁠

What happens when you stop living the life that’s expected of you and start building the life you actually want?Big changes are exciting. They’re also uncomfortable, uncertain, and often lonelier than we expect.In this conversation, Laura reflects on what it means to take a chance on yourself, embrace uncertainty, and create a life that feels more aligned with who you are.We discuss:• Following the life you’ve always imagined• The courage to start over• Building friendships and community from scratch• Why going home can feel different after you’ve left• Reinventing yourself in a new environment• Creating a life on your own termsThis episode is for anyone standing at a crossroads, wondering whether to play it safe or take a chance on something bigger.

What happens when the places that shape you don’t match the place you’re “supposed” to be from?For some people, home is a country. For others, it’s more layered.In this conversation, Ossama from Sultan + Shepard reflects on growing up between cultures, navigating a constantly evolving sense of identity, and learning that the places that shape us don’t always fit neatly into a single box.We discuss:• Why “Where are you from?” can be such a difficult question• Growing up between cultures and identities• The difference between where you’re from and who you become• Changing his name after 9/11 and reclaiming it years later• Why home can be people, not geography• Building a sense of belonging when you don’t feel tied to one placeThis episode is for anyone who has ever felt caught between worlds, struggled to explain where they belong, or discovered that home is more than a location.Sometimes the places that shape us matter more than the place we come from.

What do you do when your life looks good on paper, but something inside you knows it’s not the right fit?Silvina left behind a life she loved in Argentina. Not because she had to, but because she felt pulled toward something bigger. What followed was years of rebuilding, learning a new language, creating community from scratch, and discovering that belonging doesn’t happen by accident.This conversation is about intuition, personal responsibility, friendship, resilience, and the choices that shape who we become.We discuss:• Knowing when you’ve outgrown your environment• Why building a meaningful life requires action• Making friends and creating community as an adult• Learning to trust yourself through uncertainty• Finding belonging in a new place• Taking responsibility for the life you wantThis episode is for anyone standing at a crossroads, questioning what’s next, or feeling the pull toward a different version of their life.

What does it mean to build a life far from where you began? In this podcast, the host interviews people who have moved across countries and cultures, sharing the stories behind starting over. It's the excitement, the loneliness, the resilience, and the unexpected ways we find belonging.

What do you do when life forces you to start over?Whether it’s moving countries, losing a community, becoming a parent, or watching life take an unexpected turn, rebuilding isn’t easy.In this conversation, Nadine shares what starting over taught her about resilience, friendship, identity, motherhood, and creating a life that feels like home.We discuss:• Starting over when the choice isn’t yours• Building friendships and community as an adult• Growing up between cultures and identities• Why resilience comes from continuing to move forward• The loneliness of motherhood and major life transitionsThis episode is for anyone navigating change, rebuilding their life, or trying to create a sense of home wherever they are.