Transplants by Laura Peruchi - Conversations With Women Thriving Abroad

Laura Peruchi
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Personal Journals
  • Updated Weekly

A podcast featuring interviews with women thriving in new roots abroad. Each episode, we hear perspectives from women taking leaps of faith, chasing dreams, and building a life on their own terms. Living abroad is often the backdrop, but these conversations go deeper: into identity, reinvention, relationships, and the courage it takes to start over. These are real stories from real and incredible women.

  1. 4d ago

    #50 How to Adapt Without Losing Yourself | Alexandra Popkova | Russia → Colombia

    Alexandra Popkova grew up in Russia, and she learned early on how places can impact and shape behavior when her parents moved from Vladivostok, in Russia’s Far East, to Saint Petersburg. It was a huge shift, even though it was within the same country. And that was only one of several moves she would go through in her life: she lived in India, Bahrain, and Nicaragua, and now she is based in Colombia. Besides moving between countries, she also went through career transitions. While she was still at university studying Art History, Alexandra started working with AIESEC, the international youth and leadership organization, and eventually pivoted into coaching and organizational consulting, which is what she does now. In this episode, we talk about culture shock, identity, intercultural relationships, the invisible mental load of starting over, and the challenge of adapting without feeling like you are betraying yourself. Alexandra shares many examples from her own journey, especially the cultural shocks she faced in Nicaragua, as well as her learnings and advice for navigating an intercultural relationship. This is a thoughtful conversation about change, belonging, and learning how to grow without losing yourself along the way. Connect with Alexandra: Alexandra's website https://www.alexandrapopkova.com/ Instagram ⁠@empower_leaders Connect with Transplants: Follow on IG https://www.instagram.com/transplants.podSubstack/newsletter - https://wearetransplants.substack.com/Laura's IG https://www.instagram.com/laura_peruchiFollow on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wearetransplantsQuestions, suggestions, or random thoughts you’d like to share? Or maybe you’d like to pitch yourself for the podcast or suggest a guest? Send me an email at laura@lauraperuchi.com.

    #50 How to Adapt Without Losing Yourself | Alexandra Popkova | Russia → Colombia

  2. Aug 25

    #49 Moving abroad as a woman after your 40s/50s

    No matter how old a woman is, we all know there’s a fear around aging. Whether it’s because our society glorifies youth and looks, because of our biological clocks, or because we’re somehow supposed to have everything figured out within an impossible timeline. Then there are those intrusive thoughts: “I’m too old to do XYZ” or “I’m running out of time for XYZ.” For this new themed episode, I bring you three perspectives from women who completely changed their lives in their 40s and 50s. They come from different backgrounds and have very different journeys, but they all have something in common: the desire to do something different with their lives. These are highlights from previous episodes — and if you’re interested in hearing their full stories, check out the complete episodes. Adalia - Episode 1Karen - Episode 11Kim - Episode 7 Connect with Transplants: Follow on IG https://www.instagram.com/transplants.podSubstack/newsletter - https://wearetransplants.substack.com/Laura's IG https://www.instagram.com/laura_peruchiFollow on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wearetransplantsQuestions, suggestions, or random thoughts you’d like to share? Or maybe you’d like to pitch yourself for the podcast or suggest a guest? Send me an email at laura@lauraperuchi.com.

    #49 Moving abroad as a woman after your 40s/50s

  3. Aug 18

    #48 From Au Pair in Germany to Grad School in Ireland | Brittany Brooker | USA → Ireland

    Brittany Brooker grew up in a small town in Virginia, in the U.S., but from an early age, she was already dreaming about a life somewhere else through reading fairy tales. Although she stayed close to home for college, Brittany eventually had the opportunity to study abroad in Sweden — and something shifted. When she got back to the States, she was determined to leave the country as soon as possible. So, at 21, after graduation, Brittany moved to Germany through the au pair program — and later on, she transitioned into her field, navigated visas, relationships, the pandemic, and built a life in Hamburg. But after almost five years abroad, she made a decision that many people might misunderstand: she moved back to the U.S. Brittany then spent a few years in Los Angeles, reconnecting with creativity, career goals, and parts of herself that needed space. And then, it was time to move again, now with her husband. They both went through a decision-making process with specific criteria — and the path Brittany chose was through grad school. That’s how they landed in Ireland. In this episode, we talk about how Brittany pivoted from being an au pair to working in her field in Germany, how returning to the U.S. became a necessary pause and creative reset for her and what it means to go to going to grad school and start over abroad in your 30s. Connect with Brittany: Brittany's Substack: Thriving Elsewhere Instagram @brittany.brooker Connect with Transplants: Follow on IG https://www.instagram.com/transplants.podSubstack/newsletter - https://wearetransplants.substack.com/Laura's IG https://www.instagram.com/laura_peruchiFollow on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wearetransplantsQuestions, suggestions, or random thoughts you’d like to share? Or maybe you’d like to pitch yourself for the podcast or suggest a guest? Send me an email at laura@lauraperuchi.com.

    #48 From Au Pair in Germany to Grad School in Ireland | Brittany Brooker | USA → Ireland

  4. Aug 11

    #47 Raising Kids Abroad: The Reality of Motherhood Away From Home

    For this themed episode of Transplants, I’m bringing together perspectives from three previous guests — Mary Vass, Asia Dawn, and Maria Sakr — to talk about motherhood away from home. I know there are tons of experiences of mothers abroad — and I’m sure these perspectives don’t cover everything — but I think they are a great starting point, and sometimes it’s all about knowing you are not alone and that you’ve got this. But these are not the only guests who are mothers - we have so many other incredible episodes that you should check! For reference, these are the episode numbers: 1, 4,6,9, 12, 13,14, 26, 28, 33, 35, 36, 40, 41, 44, 45. Connect with Transplants: Follow on IG https://www.instagram.com/transplants.podSubstack/newsletter - https://wearetransplants.substack.com/Laura's IG https://www.instagram.com/laura_peruchiFollow on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wearetransplantsQuestions, suggestions, or random thoughts you’d like to share? Or maybe you’d like to pitch yourself for the podcast or suggest a guest? Send me an email at laura@lauraperuchi.com.

    #47 Raising Kids Abroad: The Reality of Motherhood Away From Home

  5. Jul 28

    #46 Leaving the Comfort Zone, One Country at a Time | María Gómez Otero | Spain → Bulgaria

    What if fear never goes away and, instead, you just learn to bring it with you in order to take big steps and bet on yourself? Well, that’s what María Gómez Otero has learned throughout her journey living abroad. And what a journey! María has lived in Germany, Australia, Barcelona, and now Bulgaria. But if you’ve pictured her as someone who has always been “brave,” you would be wrong. In fact, her story starts with fear. As a child, she was terrified of anything unfamiliar — new people, new places, new situations. But when she was around 12, traveling with her family awakened a curiosity that changed the direction of her life. Because of those trips, María decided to study Translation and Interpreting, seeing it as a passport to travel and explore the world. In this episode, we talk about her Erasmus experience in Germany and the second time she moved there as an au pair — an experience that led her to change her career path and pursue Spanish teaching instead. We also discuss how her third time living in Germany, during the pandemic, taught her how to be alone. María also shares what it felt like to finally make a childhood dream come true by living and working in Australia for a year — a dream she had kept alive for more than a decade after hearing her family's stories about the country. Finally, we talk about why coming back to your home country is not a failure, how she found peace in that decision, and what eventually led her to build a new life in Bansko, Bulgaria. Connect with María TRIBIA Online Spanish School Instagram: @maria.tribia.spanishPodcast: Tribia Spanish for Women — in Spanish, for women learning Spanish. Connect with Transplants: Follow on IG https://www.instagram.com/transplants.podSubstack/newsletter - https://wearetransplants.substack.com/Laura's IG https://www.instagram.com/laura_peruchiFollow on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wearetransplantsQuestions, suggestions, or random thoughts you’d like to share? Or maybe you’d like to pitch yourself for the podcast or suggest a guest? Send me an email at laura@lauraperuchi.com.

    #46 Leaving the Comfort Zone, One Country at a Time | María Gómez Otero | Spain → Bulgaria

  6. Jul 21

    #45 Turning Her Story Into Confidence | Beatrice Kabutakapua | Italy → UK

    Beatrice Kabutakapua was born in Italy to Congolese parents — her father moved there to study, a pattern that Beatrice would later repeat herself. She grew up surrounded by Congolese culture, and, for much of her life, she was asked to fit into boxes that never fully made sense: Italian or Congolese? Quiet or shy? Visible or hidden? Belonging here or there? Eventually, Bea moved to the UK to study journalism. That led her to explore African migrant communities around the world through a documentary she produced — and also made her reflect on her own story when, during the production, someone asked her, “Why you?” From journalism, Beatrice pivoted her skills and became a storytelling coach and speaker, and founded The Business Storytelling Centre. In this episode, we talk about how family stories gave Bea a sense of roots, identity, and belonging, and about her work helping leaders and entrepreneurs become more visible and clear without becoming someone they’re not. We also talk about what immigrant women can do when they feel lost, out of place, or not confident — and how to use their story as an anchor instead of seeing it as a limitation. Connect with Beatrice Instagram @bea_storytellingcoachLinkedIn Beatrice's bookThe Business Storyteller Centre Connect with Transplants: Follow on IG https://www.instagram.com/transplants.podSubstack/newsletter - https://wearetransplants.substack.com/Laura's IG https://www.instagram.com/laura_peruchiFollow on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wearetransplantsQuestions, suggestions, or random thoughts you’d like to share? Or maybe you’d like to pitch yourself for the podcast or suggest a guest? Send me an email at laura@lauraperuchi.com.

    #45 Turning Her Story Into Confidence | Beatrice Kabutakapua | Italy → UK

  7. Jul 14

    #44 How She Belongs on Her Own Terms | Saadia Khan | Pakistan → USA

    Settling down in the United States had never been part of the plan for Saadia Khan. She moved from Lahore, Pakistan, with her husband, who had been accepted to MIT. Recently graduated, young, and ready for an adventure, she saw the move as an opportunity to experience up close a place she had heard so many great stories about from her father. But when they arrived, America pulled them in, as Saadia describes. Between visa constraints and an atmosphere weighted by fear, suspicion, and anti-Muslim sentiment in the post-9/11 era, she faced anxiety, disorientation, and microaggressions. In the midst of all that, Saadia and her husband decided to start their family — and that’s when they realized they would probably not go back to Pakistan. In this episode, we talk about her first years as an immigrant, the impact of visa dependency, and what it felt like to have her career paused before it even had the chance to begin. She also shares more on how she switched from business to human rights, and how she created Immigrantly media, plus her takes on belonging and identity, and how her journey inspired her to create the app Belong On Your Own Terms. Connect with Saadia: Immigrantly podcastsDownload Belong on Your Own Terms AppInstagram @itssaadiak My episode on Saadia's podcast Connect with Transplants: Follow on IG https://www.instagram.com/transplants.podSubstack/newsletter - https://wearetransplants.substack.com/Laura's IG https://www.instagram.com/laura_peruchiFollow on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wearetransplantsQuestions, suggestions, or random thoughts you’d like to share? Or maybe you’d like to pitch yourself for the podcast or suggest a guest? Send me an email at laura@lauraperuchi.com.

    #44 How She Belongs on Her Own Terms | Saadia Khan | Pakistan → USA

  8. Jul 7

    #43 Self-Talk, Failure & the Stories We Tell Ourselves | Solo Episode

    In this solo episode, I’m sharing some recent experiences and reflections around the way we talk to ourselves — especially when we’re overthinking, doubting ourselves, or being much harsher on ourselves than we would ever be with someone we love. I also talk about quitting, failure, and the fear of feeling embarrassed when something doesn’t go the way we hoped. Since self-discovery, confidence, courage, and life advice are recurring themes in my conversations with guests, I thought it would be interesting to bring those reflections into a solo episode. This is a personal one — about learning to be kinder to yourself, reframing failure, and remembering that trying something that doesn’t work does not make you a failure. Links/ References: Book - Let Your Mind RunBook - Atomic HabitsBook in Portuguese - VertigemMy Substack article about inner conversationsEpisodes mentioned: #38 & 41 Connect with Transplants: Follow on IG https://www.instagram.com/transplants.podSubstack/newsletter - https://wearetransplants.substack.com/Laura's IG https://www.instagram.com/laura_peruchiFollow on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wearetransplantsQuestions, suggestions, or random thoughts you’d like to share? Or maybe you’d like to pitch yourself for the podcast or suggest a guest? Send me an email at laura@lauraperuchi.com.

    #43 Self-Talk, Failure & the Stories We Tell Ourselves | Solo Episode
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About

A podcast featuring interviews with women thriving in new roots abroad. Each episode, we hear perspectives from women taking leaps of faith, chasing dreams, and building a life on their own terms. Living abroad is often the backdrop, but these conversations go deeper: into identity, reinvention, relationships, and the courage it takes to start over. These are real stories from real and incredible women.

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