No Normal Way

Nate Jagger

No Normal Way is a new, DIY podcast from Nate Jagger. Like his weekly email newsletter, Secrets of the World, Nate bring forth topics and most of all reflections and lessons learned from his life in Japan and his quest to become a full-time writer and independent artist. Maybe one day guests will come onto the show for interviews. For now, hope you take away some value (even if it's just entertainment) and revel in the reality that there is truly no "normal way" to go about life, with this podcast and Nate's life being a prime example.

Episodes

  1. 17h ago

    #9: Why Do Americans Study Abroad In English (In Non-English Speaking Countries)?

    Having been living abroad in Japan for over two years now, I think a lot about language. I realize how fortunate I am to have grown up in an English-speaking country. To no fault or merit of my own, I just happened to be born into a society and culture that pretty much exclusively speaks the world's most global language. Given the prevalence of English throughout the world, I think that often times native English speakers can take it for granted. Sometimes there is an expectation that everyone speaks English. After all, English is what I call "the subtitle language" and usually the second-most popular language in countries throughout the world. The vast majority of study abroad programs for students feature courses entirely in English, and most of the people I know who have studied abroad have taken an all-English course load. I, myself, have studied abroad twice in Luxembourg and Japan and all of my courses were in English, save mandatory beginner Japanese courses in Japan. Even if I go to graduate school, no matter where I go, I would plan to take courses in English, given that it's my native language and the one that I can best articulate myself in. So many thoughts have come up when thinking about language and my own place as a native English speaker from the United States. I feel spoiled. I feel like I am "cheating the system" by getting the chance to take courses in English, write to a global audience in the world's lingua franca, and make friends from all over the world who speak English natively or fluently in addition to their own native tongue. Yet I can't help but also concede that it makes sense for Study Abroad and International Studies courses to be in English. It makes sense that English should be the top choice for second language education. And if you can reach the most people with English, doesn't writing, performing, and speaking in English check out? I am quite positive that I did not cover every single one of my thoughts about English, language, culture, and international exchange. But this is the tip of the iceberg, and an entertaining solo debate that doesn't really have an answer. Let me say this: As a native English speaker, I fully intend to capitalize on the opportunities I have to make friends, write, and take courses in English. But as a citizen of the world and someone who has been fortunate to live and travel abroad, I revel in the joys and challenges of learning a new language and communicating with people from different nations and cultures in their native tongues. I hope you enjoy the episode! My gear:Software: ZencastrAudio: Blue Yeti Nano with pop filterVideo: iPhone 12 Pro (Continuity Camera thru Zencastr)FOLLOW ME:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenatejagger/Newsletter signup:https://thenatejagger.substack.com/p/77-a-deep-reflection-on-language?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=webMy Links:https://linktr.ee/natejagger

  2. Oct 27

    #8: Taking the Myers-Briggs 16 Personalities Test (MBTI)

    *I apologize for the lack of video for this episode. I'm not sure if it was a Zencastr or Spotify for Creators issue, but after multiple upload attempts I was only able to upload an .MP3 file. If you'd like to watch the episode with video, please visit my YouTube and watch there this week: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdrVMG0jg9A0&si=dsC5AX10bYKuj5hp Anyways... Have you heard of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)? Have you taken the 16 Personalities test online? I can recall taking the test two times (years apart) and getting the same result both times. In today's episode, I took it again, sharing the questions and my answers as well as why I answered each one in the way that I did. I found this really interesting and if you are curious to get to know me better then I think you will too! Here is the test that I took: https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test My gear: Software: Zencastr Audio: Blue Yeti Nano with pop filter Video: iPhone 12 Pro (Continuity Camera thru Zencastr) FOLLOW ME: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenatejagger/ Newsletter signup: https://thenatejagger.substack.com/ My Links: https://linktr.ee/natejagger

  3. Oct 20

    #7: 24 Thoughts on 24 Countries I've Been To Series Finale (Asia)

    It's time for the series finale of "24 Thoughts On 24 Countries I've Been To!" I had initially wanted to do this in one video...then two videos...and then I realized that I had more than one thought on each of the countries that I'd been to. Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, China and most recently Thailand. Wow! What awesome places. I wish I could spend even more time in each one. For now, I hope you find my thoughts and reflections on each place interesting and at the very least entertaining. Maybe they will even determine your next trip... Camera: iPhone 12 Pro (Continuity Camera) Mic: Blue Yeti Nano w/ pop filter Software: Zencastr Interested in sponsoring this podcast? Email please.contact.nate@gmail.com if so! FOLLOW ME:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenatejagger/Newsletter signup:https://thenatejagger.substack.com/My Links:https://linktr.ee/natejagger

  4. Oct 14

    6: 24 Thoughts On 24 Countries I've Been To (Part 3) | East Asia, Central America, & Western Europe

    It's time for Episode 6 of No Normal Way! Episode 6, Part 3 of the "23--now 24--thoughts on 23--now 24--countries that I've been to" series! Did you know that my first time in Japan actually was NOT when I moved to rural Japan and became an English teacher? Want to hear the craziest part about Costa Rican customs? And how did I like my time in Western Europe visiting friends of mine that I met during my exchange in Japan? All will be revealed alongside a host of observations, memories, and takeaways from Countries 13-18. Hope you enjoy! Camera: iPhone 12 Pro (Continuity Camera) Mic: Yeti Blue Nano (USB Microphone) Software: Zencastr (00:00) Reflecting on the Routine(03:52) Recapping the Journey(07:16) The Origin of No Normal Way(12:55) The Japan Staircase Phenomenon(19:24) Why I Returned to Japan(24:31) First Impressions of Seoul(35:55) Central American Adventures42:49 Winter Travels in Europe

  5. Oct 6

    #5: THE MIDDLE EAST | 23 Thoughts On 23 Countries I've Been To (Part 2)

    In today's episode I will continue to share my thoughts on the 23 countries that I have been to thus far. In today's [shorter] episode, I'll discuss just two countries and some of the wild experiences that entailed there. First time's, Covid-riddled stories, observations and reflections to come! I'm excited to continue this series of shorter episodes for the time being as I continue to put out new episodes. Podcasting Software: Zencastr Camera: iPhone 12 Pro Continuity Camera Microphone: Blue Yeti Nano USB Mic + pop filter Follow me! https://www.instagram.com/thenatejagger My work: https://linktr.ee/natejagger

  6. Sep 29

    #4: 23 Thoughts On 23 Countries I've Visited (Part 1)

    I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have visited 23 countries over the past six years of my life, including living in three of them (USA, Luxembourg, and Japan).  In today’s episode, I’ll talk a bit about the first 10 countries I’ve been to, starting with my home country of the United States of America and expanding into the nine countries that I traveled to while studying abroad in Europe (this includes a country that I had the chance to travel back to three years ago). Sometimes I spent days or weeks in a place. Other times a few hours. Planes, trains, and automobiles. Stay tuned for Part 2 next week! I have been experimenting with different podcasting platforms over the past few weeks, and this week I ended up just recording the video on my iPhone 12 Pro in 4K, trimming the beginning and end, and uploading the file from DaVinci Resolve. Here’s the equipment I use: -Blue Yeti Nano USB microphone (with a pop filter) -iPhone 12 Pro camera (4K 30fps)

  7. Sep 22

    #3: Living in Japan Long-Term

    I have lived in Japan for over two years now, namely in the countryside through my work as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in public high schools. My ALT contract has a maximum of five years, but am I hoping to live in Japan...forever? In today's episode, I'll break down what I love about living in Japan. Coming from rural/suburban USA, the things that I love the most about living in Japan may not seem as interesting as you'd think, but these aspects of Japanese society and culture never cease to impress me. In fact, the things that come to mind when I think about living in Japan long-term are much different than what piqued my interest in coming to Japan in the first place, and I'll start today's podcast by talking about what led to my initial interest and desire to move to Japan. While I love living in Japan, there are still some drawbacks. I'll touch on those at the very end, bringing forth a devil's advocate against my growing interest in living in Japan long-term. This episode is a pretty accurate reflection of the debate that takes place in my mind every day, and I hope you'll find it interesting, entertaining, and maybe even helpful in your own debate of whether to continue living abroad or return to your home country. Or move elsewhere in the world. Enjoy!

  8. Sep 15

    #2: Honesty

    To be honest? Honestly? I'm going to be so real with you? I'm going to give it to you straight? Today's episode is all about honesty. Whether honesty is truly the best policy, whether 100% honesty matters 100% of the time, and the situations when honesty is most important to me (preview: it involves tennis, dating status, and writing feedback).

  9. Sep 8

    #1: Welcome to the No Normal Way Podcast! | Q&A Session 1

    Welcome to the first episode of the No Normal Way Podcast! To kick things off, I had my OG newsletter subscribers send in their burning questions for a full-on Q&A session. Enjoy! Chapters: (00:00) Welcome to NNW! (14:21) Barbie (18:07) Movie I cry in (10:45) Halloween costume (23:24) Worst injury (31:22) Random choice (39:58) Teleport (41:24) Living abroad dealbreakers (52:36) Moving back to USA? (57:11) First time (again) (59:19) Disney parks (1:02:03) Safety in Japan (1:08:25) Teaching English takeaway (1:12:34) Full-time writing (1:17:46) Collab with any artist FOLLOW ME: https://www.instagram.com/thenatejagger/ My Links: https://linktr.ee/natejagger

  • 9 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

No Normal Way is a new, DIY podcast from Nate Jagger. Like his weekly email newsletter, Secrets of the World, Nate bring forth topics and most of all reflections and lessons learned from his life in Japan and his quest to become a full-time writer and independent artist. Maybe one day guests will come onto the show for interviews. For now, hope you take away some value (even if it's just entertainment) and revel in the reality that there is truly no "normal way" to go about life, with this podcast and Nate's life being a prime example.

Information

  • Creator
    Nate Jagger
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    9
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Nate Jagger
  • Show Website
    No Normal Way