Since she arrived in New Zealand more than 20 years ago, Nadine Plet dedicated her energy to creating a community around her far-away country - France. In this podcast, she talked about how she started the FRENZ association with a group of French-speaking parents that implemented the first French English Bilingual Education within the Primary Public School system in New Zealand. The first unit opened in February 1996 at Richmond Road School. Since then, it became so successful that three other units opened around the country.

She humbly acknowledges that she couldn’t have imagined how much impact it has on so many family’s lives.

Tune in now! Find out more about me and my goal at melisacohen.com.

Meet Helen Ellis, the author of the book Being A Distance Grandparent, A Book For All Generations. She gives a voice to all the grandparents that have daughters/sons or granddaughters/sons that have decided to live far away from them. She shares true stories that help us understand how the distance grandparents feel and how they experience this decision that is not theirs.

In today’s episode of My Expat Journey, we learn how intention is the key to staying in touch with our relatives. Accepting again is the answer to the Viral War we are in, and that being a Distance Grandparent can be beneficial. Tune in to find out more! Follow my goals, too, at melisacohen.com.

To celebrate Bastille Day, the French National Day the 14th of July, I invited Thibault Beaujot, President of the French New Zealand Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He will discuss how he developed new leadership skills by stepping into the role of president and why he is aligned to the Chamber’s purpose: to promote its members and help French, New Zealand, and French Pacific companies succeed through information, networking and business services.

In today’s episode of My Expat Journey, we learn how contributing and giving back can be a powerful way of integrating a new community. So here is a question for you: how can you take part and develop your sense of belonging in a new country? 

Tune in to find out more! Follow my goals, too, at melisacohen.com.

Bastille week will be welcoming everyone interested in celebrating the best France has to offer from Monday 12th July until Sunday 18th July. https://www.fnzcci.org.nz/events/bastille-week-2021.html

The thrill and intrigue brought about by expatriation initially compelled Taino and his family to leave Sweden and test the waters of life somewhere — like New Zealand. Some years later, armed with decision-making skills, pursuing a passion in an unfamiliar environment, breaking self-imposed barriers, and other personal achievements, he decided to return home again, temporarily.

For today’s episode of My Expat Journey, Phone Smart's founder and workshop facilitator joined us. He animatedly recounts his journey as an expat in New Zealand and the big reason behind the nonpermanent repatriation. Tune in to find out more! Follow my goals, too, at melisacohen.com.

As soon as she finished her last exam for university, Ruby left her home country and flew to New Zealand to start anew and reunite with her entire family. Being competitive and an achiever, she's got no major problems settling in. Well, except for one — communication barriers. She was a direct, task-oriented, rough-around-the-edges kind of person, and Kiwis aren't. Fortunately, she’s able to adapt and learn.

For today's episode of My Expat Journey, a fellow expat, and co-CEO of Joyous shares her experience of what it's really like to live in NZ, on editing her communication language, dealing with cultural differences, learning the values of people and relationships, and the different spectrums of expat life. Does she have any regrets? Tune in to find out! Follow my goals, too, at melisacohen.com.

Alexandra is no stranger to the challenges of living abroad. Having been an exchanged student herself in the U.S in high school, she knows how the cycle works. But when she got married to a diplomat and moved to Germany, she was confronted with significant differences.

For today's episode of My Expat Journey, I'm excited to share the space with the author of "Just a Diplomatic Spouse: A True Story of Life." We had a great time talking about her life as an expat and a wife of a state official, dealing with its prejudices, constant adjustment and self-reinvention, and being more present. Tune in to find out more about her story! Follow my goals, too, at melisacohen.com.

Bridget is a confessed change junkie, which is evident in her expat lifestyle. Her transition from singlehood to becoming a wife and a mother of three all took place during her India-to-New Zealand-to-Singapore-to-New Zealand again journey. She has learned that moving abroad comes with a slew of positive, challenging, and less-than-ideal experiences.

For today’s episode of My Expat Journey, this lively mom, principal, and founder of Mobile Relocation tells us her candid experiences on expatriation and relocation, learnings about the broad context of cross-cultural differences, establishing personal relationships with people, and compromising expectations. And she has essential advice for her fellow expats too. Tune in to find out! Follow my goals, too, at melisacohen.com.

Storytelling is part of my DNA. I find joy in telling stories and creating awareness through short films, series, and documentaries that I produce and edit. But after 18 years of working behind the scene, it's no longer enough. My passion has diminished. I wanted to be a part of the story and make a difference in other people's lives.

I long to share my experiences and valuable lessons as an expat and developmental coach to empower, forge personal ties, and command influence within the global community. I wanted to create a space where my fellow expats could share their experiences too. My Expat Journey was born as a result.

For today's episode, I'll talk more about it, along with other motivations for taking the big leap. Tune in to find out! Follow my goals, too, at melisacohen.com.

For a project manager who’s used to first-world comforts like Stephen, working in a developing country like Papua New Guinea proves to be difficult for many reasons. For one, he has to deal with the frustrations of living in a place with limited resources.

But, this beautiful gem in Oceania has its unique way of getting into your skin that he can’t escape from.

For today’s episode of My Expat Journey, let’s all find out what made Stephen stay, the lessons he learned, and dealing with the challenges of a third-world inconvenience. Tune in to find out! Follow my goals, too, at melisacohen.com.

For today’s episode of My Expat Journey, we’ll talk about something relevant and present in every moving-abroad journey —  the Expatriate Adjustment Cycle or simply Expat Cycle.

Turns out, the excitement, culture shock, homesickness, frustration, and other relatable emotions that every expat experiences have psychological explanations. They manifest in different stages and exist for reasons. How come? Tune in to find out!

Follow my goals, too, at melisacohen.com.

As someone who grew up in the U.S, Kim wants her husband and children to live in a bigger, better world outside her homeland and its political frenzy. And that means New Zealand. The amazing environment, adaptable culture, familiar language, and easy visa procurement make it the best option for relocation.

But, life as an expat in the Land of the Long White is not always sunshine and roses.

For today’s episode of My Expat Journey, this lively mother and moderator of Kimmigration podcast shared about her honest and relatable experiences and struggles as an expat. What could be her takeaways? Tune in to find out! Follow my goals, too, at melisacohen.com.

Uprooted to her motherland as young as seven years old, Aysegul understands that backs and forths are constant backdrops of expatriation — moving to another country, relocation logistics, cultural adjustments, job opportunities, and speaking mother tongue and English. For that reason, a career as a global mobility practitioner easily became a conscious decision.

For today’s episode of My Expat Journey, this empowered woman shares her personal journey from being an expat up to becoming a Relocation Specialist in Brisbane and Melbourne and a member of Forum for Expatriate Management. All that and more!

Don't forget to tune in! Find out more about me and my goal at melisacohen.com.

A strong Bulgarian root and adapted Londoner lifestyle for 18 years, as much as they’re Gergana’s pride, they’re also the same grounds why the idea of moving to a country as small as New Zealand is not appealing. But, the need to raise her children outside Swinging City’s rat race and go somewhere conducive and outdoorsy is the main priority.

For today’s episode of My Expat Journey, this steadfast wife, mother, and a country lead at Big Bloom get real and honest about the struggles of moving overseas — from dealing with distance and guilt of leaving her family behind, embracing the Kiwi life, up to finding true passion in a far, foreign land.

Don't forget to tune in! Please find out more about me and my goal at melisacohen.com.

Driven by the goal to look for a better quality of life, Ondina’s family left Italy and traveled to Australia through a ship in 1959. But as challenging as it was for them to cruise through the continent, embracing both cultures proved to be as difficult for her younger self.

For today’s episode of My Expat Journey, my fellow Meta-Coach, Ondina Gregoric, will be gracing us to share about how rebellion against strict heritage became integral parts of living between two cultures, two languages, and the polarity of freedom and no freedom.

Don't forget to tune in! Find out more about me and my goal at melisacohen.com.

The need to leave the comfort zone, fly from the roost and burst the bubble is a strong calling for Julie, and so off she went. Five cities later, along with learnings about coping with guilt, compromises, resilience, and acceptance, she achieved just that!

For today’s episode of My Expat Journey, this empowered lady is joining us to recount her intention to get out into the world for self-discovery. And how she dealt with the good, the bad, and the in-betweens that come with such a choice.

Don't forget to tune in! Find out more about me and my goal at melisacohen.com.

For Fareeseh, life before expatriation was privileged and comfortable. But when her family moved to Sweden, Northern Ireland, Belgium, up to Dubai, things changed drastically for her as a wife, a mother, and as a person.

For Today’s episode of My Expat Journey, I invited this beautiful soul, a native from Karachi, Pakistan, to keep us company and talk about her journey and reflections after years of living as an expat life and finding a home in different countries. And how such an adventure made her realize that somewhere between those worlds, she continues to exist and finds joy on either side.

Don't forget to tune in! Find out more about me and my goal at melisacohen.com.

There are only a few things in life that can compare to the delight of finally coming back home. But sometimes it doesn't go as expected...

For Today’s episode of My Expat Journey, I invited a good friend of mine, Hannah Caunes, a native from Auckland who called it quits after years of living an expat life. She’ll talk about her experiences, struggles, challenges, and learning when she came back home - to New Zealand.

Don't forget to tune in! Find out more about me and my goal at melisacohen.com.

For today's episode of My Expat Journey, I'm going to get more in-depth about the impact of expatriation on children. 

This time, I asked for a professional's perspective through the help of Juliette Cazabat, a family therapist from Auckland. 

We're going to talk about children as "social beings" and how moving away affects their social ecosystem. 

Plus, some advice on what parents can do to help their children adapt to their new home more easily. 

Don't forget to tune in! Find out more about me and my goal at melisacohen.com

For many adult expats, moving into a foreign country is already difficult. But for an innocent child, the emotional toll can be twice as much. 

For today’s episode of My Expat Journey, I’m going to open up about how expatriation took away my daughter’s safe bubble, my realizations about her struggles, and how we both finally overcame the difficult stage. 

Don’t forget to tune in! 

Find out more about me and my goal at melisacohen.com.

For today’s episode of My Expat Journey, I invited my newfound friend Elisabeth Viljoen, a Public Relations Manager of Toastmasters. 

It will be a quite inspirational session as she’s going to share how the simple intentions of improving her English speaking skills, growing her network, and integrating with people from different cultures have opened many opportunities for growth and development and how Toastmasters is an integral part of it all. 

Tune in now! 

Find out more about me and my goal at melisacohen.com.