Whereabouts Tales | Stories of Belonging and Immigrant Experiences

Paul Puscas | Stories of Belonging and Cultural Exploration

Whereabouts Tales shares the real stories of immigrant experiences, belonging, and global journeys from expats, returnees, and cultural explorers. I'm diving into life between worlds unpacking identity, transformation, and what it means to belong. Each episode is a conversation about chasing dreams, navigating change, and discovering yourself far from home. Tune in for raw, thoughtful, and inspiring journeys across borders. 🎧 New episodes every 2 weeks | 🌍 Real people. Raw stories. Remarkable paths.

  1. 14h ago

    The Illusion of Security: From Six-Figure Burnout to a Camper Van in Hungary

    The Illusion of Security: From Six-Figure Burnout to a Camper Van in Hungary What happens when your body physically rejects the corporate matrix? Angela had the prestigious automotive project manager title, the BMW, and the German corporate lifestyle. But behind the facade, she realized she was operating in a "factory of PowerPoints and Excel without real life skills," ultimately leading to a devastating burnout where she spent three months doing nothing but crying just to reboot her mind. In this episode of Whereabouts Tales, we dismantle the modern safety net. Angela shares her radical blueprint for breaking societal programming and trading "unhappy certainty" for "happy uncertainty". In this episode, we explore: The Systemic Trap: Why traditional education and corporate environments are engineered to breed dependency, strip away real-life skills, and force you into a single-player competition mode. The Breaking Point: How the crushing weight of matrix management—holding massive project responsibility without the actual authority to make changes—forced Angela’s brain to shut down. The Escape Plan: The serendipitous chain of events that led her to shovel horse manure to clear her head, sell her apartment, buy a camper van after just four days of searching, and relocate to Hungary. Redefining Security: Why true safety isn't found in a monthly paycheck, but in the mental and emotional freedom to step out of survival mode and own your time. If you've ever felt the urge to walk away from a life that looks perfect on paper, this episode is your wake-up call.

  2. Aug 5

    The Art of Making a Forgotten Cup of Tea: Post-Communist Psychology

    What happens to a nation's psychology when the government collapses? Author Faizah Mohamed breaks down the brutal reality of the 1989 Romanian Revolution. In this sprint of the Book of Tales, we dissect the psychological hangover of communism. We sit down with Faizah Mohamed, author of The Art of Making a Forgotten Cup of Tea, to analyze how decades of systemic oppression hardwire generational trauma into our daily operating systems—from irrational food hoarding to deeply ingrained institutional paranoia. This is not a polite literary review; it is an autopsy of post-communist survival. We confront the aggressive anti-immigrant prejudice Faizah experienced in the UK, exposing the profound hypocrisy of Western media bias and the "Eastern European" stereotype. We also tear down the gatekeeping of the traditional publishing industry, exploring why independent publishing is the ultimate leverage for protecting your intellectual property and cultural history. Order the book and Connect with Faizah- Read the Book: Get your copy of The Art of Making a Forgotten Cup of Tea by Faizah Mohamed here: https://amzn.eu/d/08wCHyU8- Connect with Faizah: - Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/fazbooks/ - youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@fazbooks  - All the other links: https://linktr.ee/fazbooks [Timestamps for Audio Indexing] 00:00 - The Generational Paranoia of Communism 06:20 - Growing Up Multicultural in Post-Revolution Romania 16:15 - Western Ignorance & The "Eastern European" Stereotype 24:20 - Systemic Media Bias & Anti-Immigrant Hypocrisy 36:40 - The Art of Making a Forgotten Cup of Tea 43:50 - The Paradox of Nostalgia for Ceaușescu 57:30 - Why Romanians Hoard Food (Generational Trauma) 1:07:25 - Why Independent Publishing is the Ultimate Leverage 1:14:50 - Adapting the Revolution for the Big Screen

  3. Jul 29

    Escaping the 9-to-5: Quitting an 18-Year Corporate Career to Travel the World | Jessica Roman

    What happens when you do everything right for 18 years, buy the house, raise the kids, and realize the "American Dream" is just a blueprint for burnout? In this episode of Whereabouts Tales,I'm sitting down with Jessica Roman, a former corporate IT manager who decided she was done waiting for retirement. At 47, Jessica quit her nearly two-decade career, sold her house in six days, gave away her possessions, and bought a one-way ticket to India. This conversation deconstructs the reality of solo female travel in your 40s, the mental shift required to stop "keeping up with the Joneses," and why slow travel is the ultimate antidote to the corporate grind. If you are feeling stuck in your corporate career or wondering if it is too late to completely rewrite your life's trajectory, this is your blueprint. Connect with Jessica:Website: https://beacons.ai/jessicarotravelsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicarotravels/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jessicarotravels Timestamps 00:00 - The Reality of Corporate Burnout After 18 Years 08:04 - The First Solo Trip to Italy That Changed Everything 12:48 - The Courage to Quit a Secure 9-to-5 Job 16:55 - Rejecting the Counter-Offer & Selling the House 24:39 - Overcoming the Pressure to "Keep Up With The Joneses" 33:12 - Tourist Mode vs. The Reality of Slow Travel 48:16 - The Challenges of Solo Female Travel After 40 1:09:39 - Redefining the Meaning of "Home" If this episode challenged your perspective on how you spend your time, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Subscribe to Whereabouts Tales for weekly conversations exploring the philosophical and biographical journeys of the world's most interesting travelers.

  4. Jul 22

    David Deane Haskell: Toxic Shame, Codependency & Inner Child Recovery

    What if positive affirmations are actually disgusting? Author David Deane Haskell breaks down the brutal realities of toxic shame, addiction, and codependency.  In this sprint of the Book of Tales, we pivot from analyzing failing global logistics to analyzing the most complex, easily compromised system on earth: our own psychology. We sit down with David Deane Haskell, author of Wounded Angels, to dismantle the polite myths of the modern self-help industry. David provides a real-time autopsy of his recovery from severe substance addiction and codependency. We trace the origins of "unearned shame" back to childhood trauma and examine how adult triggers expose our buried wounds. We discuss the visceral discomfort of early recovery, the danger of treating your symptoms as proof of your brokenness, and why re-parenting your inner child requires radical self-acceptance instead of seeking external validation. This is not a polished five-step program; it is the raw, unvarnished work of survival. Chapters 00:00 - Why Positive Affirmations Feel "Gross" 01:50 - The Anti-Self-Help Manual: Wounded Angels 06:05 - Anatomy of an Adult Trigger 07:45 - From Substance Addiction to Codependency 12:00 - The "Shame-Shocked" Boy & Scapegoating 15:15 - The Visceral Reality of Toxic Shame 24:25 - Confronting the "Inner Critic" 27:45 - Escapism vs. Real Healing 50:00 - Re-Parenting & Adult Children

  5. Jul 20

    Escaping the American Dream: Danielle Nemesio’s Ego Death in Sicily

    We are often told that the pinnacle of success is found in the relentless pursuit of achievement. But what happens when you reach the top of that mountain, only to realize the view isn't what you expected? In this episode, I sit down with Danielle Nemesio, who traded a high-profile culinary career at Walt Disney World for a life in Sicily. But this is not a romanticized story of La Dolce Vita. Danielle peels back the curtain on the crushing bureaucracy, the abrasive culture shocks, and the profound ego death required to abandon a secure American life for a path where your resume means absolutely nothing. We dissect: The systemic trap of American "burnout culture." The psychological divide between a society built on achievement and a culture built on connection. Why the "demo version" of travel hides the reality of building a life abroad. The difference between "surviving" and actually "living." If you’ve ever felt the urge to strip away your safety net and start over, this conversation is your reality check.

  6. Jul 8

    The Fix by Declan Hill: Organized Crime & The 2026 World Cup

    Is the 2026 World Cup truly clean? We dissect Declan Hill’s "The Fix: Soccer and Organized Crime," exposing how global betting syndicates, corporate logistics, and spot-fixing manipulate modern football. In this solo sprint of the Book of Tales, we pull back the curtain on the invisible infrastructure of international sports corruption. Tying the chaotic events of the 2026 World Cup—from late-stage VAR technicalities to unprecedented presidential phone calls overriding red cards—directly to the dark data models of organized crime, we examine the systemic vulnerabilities of the beautiful game. We strip away the national anthems and stadium lights to reveal a global corporate supply chain managed by underground syndicates. You will learn the mechanics of "shopping money," how "runners" exploit underpaid athletes and referees through psychological grooming, and why the multi-billion-dollar sports betting market relies on spot-fixing corners and yellow cards rather than altering final scores. Finally, we turn the lens on the audience to explore the philosophical burden of the spectacle: Why do fans willingly ignore the obvious rot just to preserve the tribal joy of belonging? The Book of Tales Club: Claim your physical copy of Declan Hill’s The Fix :https://amzn.eu/d/09Q7AwjSSupport the Show: Upgrade your own audio production with our Riverside affiliate link: https://riverside.sjv.io/QYP9A9Chapters00:00 WC 2026 moments05:47 PART ONE: WHEN SUSPICION ENTERS THE STADIUM08:22 PART TWO: THE ARCHITECTURE OF CORRUPTION12:30 PART THREE: THE KFC MEETING14:34 PART FOUR: A ROMANIAN STORY16:05 PART FIVE: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF COMPROMISE18:55 PART SIX: WHY THE ZWAYER MOMENT MATTERS20:33 PART SEVEN: THE FAN’S COMPLICITY23:59 PART EIGHT: CONCLUSIONS

  7. Jul 1

    Asadito: Losing Your Identity in a New Language | Whereabouts Tales #71

    The "English Delusion" & Rebuilding Your Identity in Austria | Asadito What happens when you sell everything you own to move 12,000 kilometers away, only to realize you left your personality behind? In this episode of Whereabouts Tales, we sit down with Asadito, an Argentinian musician who uprooted his family to start over in the Austrian Alps. We deconstruct the harsh realities of emigration that nobody talks about. Asadito shatters the "English delusion" the dangerous misconception that speaking English is enough to survive and integrate in a German-speaking country. We explore the severe sensory culture shock of European bureaucracy, the crushing realization that your sense of humor doesn't translate, and why the loss of cultural identity is a necessary destruction. Ultimately, this is a masterclass in rebuilding yourself: Asadito explains how getting "broken" by his migration allowed him to emerge as a 50% Argentinian, 50% Austrian artist who bridges cultures through multilingual music. Whether you are an expat battling homesickness or simply fascinated by the psychology of starting over, this conversation redefines what it means to find "home." Connect with Asadito: Instagram: https://instagram.com/asadito.live Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2Em9tiI578AfRraP0Elj9y?si=YUqL9IJqSRiT9tIb9tYzBw Website: https://asadito.live/ Support the Show: Record your own high-quality podcast with Riverside.fm: https://riverside.sjv.io/QYP9A9 If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It is the single best way to help this global community grow. Episode Chapters: 00:00 - The "English Delusion" & Surviving in Europe 05:24 - Selling Everything: The Naivety of Emigration 12:37 - Sensory Culture Shock: The Smells and Sounds of the Alps 26:19 - Losing Your Charisma: Becoming a "Boring Person" in German 37:10 - Refusing to be a Stereotype: The Birth of Multilingual Music 45:34 - 50% Argentinian, 50% Austrian 51:57 - Redefining "Home" as People, Not Places 1:05:05 - Why Emigration Has to Break You 1:06:30 - Defining Success on Your Own Terms

  8. Jun 24 ·  Bonus

    Gerrymandering & Big Data: How Software Rewrites US Elections

    What happens when the constitutional baseline of "one person, one vote" collides with highly sophisticated geographic software? In this bonus deep-dive of Whereabouts Tales, we pull back the curtain on the invisible architecture of American political power. Emily Pabst, who previously managed redistricting data for the Kansas Legislative Research Department, joins us to explain exactly how electoral lines are drawn—and how they are manipulated. We trace the evolution of redistricting from hand-drawn maps to the deployment of complex GIS software capable of slicing demographic data down to the city block. We explore the reality of gerrymandering, the loss of professional innocence when data is weaponized for political gain, and how institutions can implement high-reliability design to survive human flaws. Finally, Emily issues a challenge to our listeners: finding media that maps an optimistic, aspirational future instead of a dystopian one. [Chapters] 00:00 - The Architecture of Power (Cold Open) 01:24 - What is Redistricting & "One Person, One Vote"? 07:43 - Inside the Room: GIS Software & City Blocks 12:24 - Wiggle Room: Population Limits & Incumbents 19:24 - From the 90s to Today: The Tech Evolution 24:28 - Weaponizing Data & The Reality of Gerrymandering 36:42 - Independent Boards & Remaking the Rules 42:17 - The Need for Aspirational Futures in Media [Essential Links & Calls to Action] The Assignment: Have a recommendation for a movie, book, or show that presents an optimistic future? Drop it in the YouTube comments or reach out via our website. Emily Pabst’s Work: remaketherules.com Upgrade Your Studio: Whereabouts Tales is recorded flawlessly on Riverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/QYP9A9

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Whereabouts Tales shares the real stories of immigrant experiences, belonging, and global journeys from expats, returnees, and cultural explorers. I'm diving into life between worlds unpacking identity, transformation, and what it means to belong. Each episode is a conversation about chasing dreams, navigating change, and discovering yourself far from home. Tune in for raw, thoughtful, and inspiring journeys across borders. 🎧 New episodes every 2 weeks | 🌍 Real people. Raw stories. Remarkable paths.

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