Climbing Gracefully

Elena Zhiludko and Tal Aizikovich
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to Climbing Gracefully with Elena and Tal. We are two international women in Vienna, navigating careers, culture, and connection. In each episode, we share our stories, lessons, and little wins as we build a life abroad — one graceful climb at a time 🤍 Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/climbing_gracefully/

Episodes

  1. Episode 6. 2026: How We Set Goals

    Feb 15

    Episode 6. 2026: How We Set Goals

    In this episode, we move from reflecting on the past year to gently looking ahead. After our 2025 recap, this conversation is about how we approach 2026, not with pressure or perfect expectations, but with curiosity, honesty, and ambition. We talk about different ways of setting goals and why there is no single correct method. From vision boards and written lists to choosing key life areas and asking how we want to feel in the future, this episode explores what meaningful goal-setting can actually look like in real life. How do we define goals like career growth, financial stability, and education, while still finding time for ourselves and our personal satisfaction? How do we balance discipline with self-compassion and flexibility? Let’s dive into these topics together 🤍

    23 min

  2. Jan 26

    Episode 5. 2025 Recap: Lessons, Growth & Letting Go

    Today’s episode feels a little different: slower, warmer, and more reflective. We’re recording this at the beginning of 2026, with some distance from last year and finally enough space to look back at 2025 honestly. Not just at what happened, but at what it taught us. In this episode, we’re doing a personal recap of the year that was. We talk about lessons learned, wins in disguise, patterns we broke, and patterns we want to carry forward. Tal, for example, learned how to sit with discomfort and handle it, and discovered how important curiosity and saying yes to things are to her at this stage of life. Elena experienced that sometimes things don’t work out the way they were planned, even when you do your best, and that all you can do is keep going and believe in yourself, no matter what. From career moves and personal decisions to emotional shifts and changing priorities, this episode is an honest recap of where we were and who we’re becoming.If you’re also closing one chapter and stepping into another, this episode is for you 🤍

    24 min

  3. 12/15/2025

    Episode 4. Dating Series: Are We on the Same Level?

    Does the degree really matter when it comes to dating? And how much does education, career path, or “professional compatibility” influence attraction and long-term potential? In this episode of our Dating Series, we dive into one of the most debated topics in modern dating: education, ambition, and whether being on the same “level” actually matters. We talk about age gaps, life stages, admiration-based attraction, and why sometimes dating someone older, younger, or from a completely different field can feel exciting… or deeply misaligned. We share personal stories, unfiltered opinions, and the questions many of us quietly ask ourselves: Do I need to admire my partner professionally? Can different life rhythms really work? Is it about the degree, or about mindset, curiosity, and growth? As always, this conversation reflects where we were at that moment in our lives — honest, evolving, and very real. Some thoughts might change, some might stay, but that’s part of the journey. This episode is part of our Dating Series, where we explore dating, relationships, and personal choices as an essential part of building our lives as young women abroad — alongside career, professional connections, and integration. Who we choose to date shapes how we grow, what we learn, and how we see ourselves. Enjoy the episode, question your assumptions, and keep climbing! ⭐️

    25 min

  4. 12/14/2025

    Episode 3. Dating Series: Acceptance & Non-Negotiables

    Dating often brings us to one of the hardest questions: what do we accept, and where do we draw the line? In this episode, we dive into the delicate balance between accepting a partner as they are and knowing when something simply doesn’t work for you. We talk openly about personal experiences, dating “characters,” and the moments when it’s easy to confuse cultural differences with personal red flags. Together, we reflect on how living abroad sharpens this confusion even more, especially when you’re still learning what’s cultural, what’s personal, and what’s simply not for you. This episode explores: The difference between acceptance and trying to change someoneHow to define your non-negotiables without guiltWhy not every habit, interest, or lifestyle choice needs to be shared in a relationshipThe importance of having different people for different parts of your lifeHow dating teaches you things about yourself that friendships or career never couldThis conversation is honest, reflective, sometimes funny, and very real: about learning where your boundaries are, what you can live with, and what you shouldn’t try to “fix.” This episode is part of our Dating Series, dedicated to our experiences around dating and relationships. As we talk about building our lives as young women abroad, personal life is just as important as career, professional connections, and integration. Dating, relationships, and the way we navigate them shape how we grow, what we learn, and who we become.  Enjoy the episode — and take a moment to reflect on your own non-negotiables 🤍

    19 min

  5. 12/07/2025

    Episode 2. Dating Series: Expectations in Dating (Austrian Edition)

    This episode is part of our Dating Series — a series dedicated to our dating experiences, because as we talk about building our lives as young women abroad, our personal life is just as important as our career, professional connections, and integration. Dating, relationships, and the way we navigate them are a big part of how we grow, what we learn, and who we become. In this episode, we dive into expectations in dating, especially when dating abroad and navigating cultural differences in Austria. Tal interviews Elena about her dating journey as a Russian woman who moved to Vienna, and together we unpack how culture, upbringing, and personal values shape what we look for in relationships. We talk about: ✨ the contrast between progressive career views and more traditional dating preferences ✨ what Austrian and European men often expect when dating foreign women ✨ how stereotypes, fantasies, and “the Russian girl image” influence dating dynamics ✨ emotional depth, effort, and what actually sustains a connection (vs. surface-level attraction) ✨ red flags like men who want the idea of someone, but not the emotional work behind it ✨ why consistency matters more than fireworks ✨ how our roles in relationships evolve as we grow more independent abroad Elena also shares stories about three “main characters” of her Austrian dating experience — Mr. L.A. 🌴, Mr. Technician 🔨, and Mr. Cheese 🧀 — and what each of these connections taught her about needs, expectations, and emotional compatibility. We reflect on how cultural background shapes dating styles, how quickly things can burn out, why slow and stable is underrated, and why not every exciting start leads to a meaningful relationship. This is just the beginning of our Dating Series, and trust us, there is so much more to uncover 🤭

    24 min

  6. 11/19/2025

    Episode 1. First Steps at a New Job

    Being new at a job — we’ve all been there. Especially when you are starting your career in a new country. Your first day, a new office, new colleagues… you are introducing yourself while still remembering everything it took to get here. In our very first episode, we share our personal experiences and thoughts on taking your first steps in climbing the corporate ladder. This episode was recorded a while ago, back in summer, so some things have already changed in our lives (and we’ll tell you all about that in our next episodes!). But the emotions with which we recorded this one were very real. The recording has some flaws, as it’s our first episode ever, but that’s exactly how we learn. Nothing first is ideal. So, enjoy the episode and keep climbing the corporate or whatever-else ladder (and the cringe ladder too!). ✨

    30 min

  7. 11/08/2025

    Pilot Episode

    Pilot Episode: Why We Started "Climbing Gracefully" Welcome to Climbing Gracefully! In our very first episode, we are opening up about why we decided to start this podcast, and what it truly means to us. Two international women in Vienna, two different backgrounds, one shared journey: navigating careers, cultures, and connections while building a meaningful life abroad. We talk about where this idea came from, the challenges that pushed us to grow, and how taking imperfect first steps (like recording this episode!) can lead to the best adventures. Because it doesn’t have to be perfect, you just have to start!

    13 min
  • 7 Episodes

About

Welcome to Climbing Gracefully with Elena and Tal. We are two international women in Vienna, navigating careers, culture, and connection. In each episode, we share our stories, lessons, and little wins as we build a life abroad — one graceful climb at a time 🤍 Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/climbing_gracefully/

Information

  • Creator
    Elena Zhiludko and Tal Aizikovich
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Elena Zhiludko and Tal Aizikovich
  • Show Website
    Climbing Gracefully