Away From Home

Conversations with unusual people
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Places & Travel

In this podcast, I interview people who live (far) away from home. Some are friends, others are strangers, and a few are strangers on the road to becoming friends. In these conversations, I get to ask interesting people all sorts of questions about their lives and the decisions they've made. My parents are from Shanghai, I was born in Chicago, and I've lived in Spain, China, Ecuador, and a few other places. I've always been drawn to the stories of people who have a complicated relationship with home. My hope with this podcast is to better understand the immigrants, expats, and foreigners of the world, including myself. zhoubro.substack.com

Episodes

  1. Florencia en Ecuador

    06/17/2025

    Florencia en Ecuador

    Florencia came to Montanita, Ecuador for a visit of 10 days and ended up staying over twenty years. During that time, she has raised a daughter, built a house, run a successful clothing business, and hosted visitors from all over the world in her home. Florencia is from Argentina and doesn’t speak English, so interview is conducted entirely in Spanish. If you speak Spanish, enjoy the episode and please forgive any mistakes in my speaking. If you don’t speak Spanish, I guess you could listen to it as background noise. Either way, enjoy! Get full access to Elaine's Substack at zhoubro.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 12m

  2. 05/15/2025

    Ali in Colombia

    Ali was born on the border of Iran and Iraq, literally on the road as his family fled war through Armenia, Germany, and the Netherlands, eventually settling in a small suburb of Amsterdam. The two of us met at a permaculture hostel in the north of Colombia, which is where this interview takes place. In this episode, we discuss a memory from when Ali was one years old, what material possessions he actually needs, maintaining friendships while traveling long term, and much more. Get full access to Elaine's Substack at zhoubro.substack.com/subscribe

    52 min
  3. Alec in Shanghai

    09/25/2024

    Alec in Shanghai

    Alec was born and raised in Utah, but he is not Mormon. His dad is from Belgium, he speaks French, and he has been living in China for around 5 years. We met working at the same high school in Shanghai and bonded over board games. In this interview, we talk about buying a one way ticket to New Zealand, advice for aspiring travelers, and the wonder he still feels walking down the street in China. Get full access to Elaine's Substack at zhoubro.substack.com/subscribe

    22 min
  4. Nini in Taiwan

    08/14/2024

    Nini in Taiwan

    Nini is originally from Taiwan and has lived in Australia, New Zealand, California, and Finland. Right now, she is back in the country of her birth, in the midst of figuring out what's next. I met Nini in Helsinki only a few months ago, and we've had a rollercoaster of a friendship. Now, I'm visiting her in Taiwan and asking all sorts of questions, like what it was like to grow up in so many different places, why she needs time to be alone, whether she's good at performing for others, and much more. Get full access to Elaine's Substack at zhoubro.substack.com/subscribe

    47 min
  5. Brent in Shanghai

    08/10/2024

    Brent in Shanghai

    Brent was born in North Carolina and lived most of his life there before moving to China. The original plan was to teach for 10 months and then leave. It has now been 10 years, and he is currently living in Shanghai with his wife and two kids. In this episode, we discuss how China has changed him, what it's like to be visibly foreign on the metro, the sense of home he wants his children to have, and much more. Get full access to Elaine's Substack at zhoubro.substack.com/subscribe

    40 min
  6. Stefan in Finland

    07/31/2024

    Stefan in Finland

    Stefan was born in the States, grew up mostly in Spain, and has lived in Thailand, the UK, and now Finland. I met him just over a month ago in Helsinki through our mutual friend Alex, star of the previous episode. In this conversation, we discuss how changing locations can both stimulate and stymie growth, what it is like to maintain long distance friendships, and, as always, what home means. Get full access to Elaine's Substack at zhoubro.substack.com/subscribe

    46 min
  7. Books in London

    06/25/2024

    Books in London

    Books is an old friend from college who I happened to meet up with in London. They are originally from Berkeley, California, but they have had many homes outside of the US, including Paris, Japan, Beijing, and Stockholm (not a complete list). In our conversation, Books reflects on how they became a world traveler, how they’re currently building a more stable home base, and what sort of advice they’d give to those using travel as a means of self discovery. Get full access to Elaine's Substack at zhoubro.substack.com/subscribe

    37 min
  8. Alex in Finland

    06/08/2024

    Alex in Finland

    Alex is originally from Louisville, Kentucky and has lived in Montreal, South Korea, and now Helsinki. We met in Kentucky 8 years ago through a teaching masters program, and now he is practically a part of my family. In fact, this interview was conducted on the very couch I’ve been crashing on for the past week. In this episode, we discuss the loneliness of moving to a new place, the benefits of setting a time frame to travel, the differences between each move away from home, and much more. Get full access to Elaine's Substack at zhoubro.substack.com/subscribe

    55 min
  9. Sol in Colombia

    02/14/2024

    Sol in Colombia

    I met Sol at a beautiful hostel and eco farm in the mountains of Colombia, near Palomino. She was volunteering there and I was a guest for two weeks. On my last night, she asked if I could be on her travel podcast, Piedra, Papel o Cabra. I said of course, but only if I could interview her back! Here is our conversation, where we discuss her love for Uruguay, her home country, her experience living alone in Europe in a commune, the benefits of traveling slow, and much more. Get full access to Elaine's Substack at zhoubro.substack.com/subscribe

    28 min
  10. Justine in Chicago

    12/13/2023

    Justine in Chicago

    In this episode, I interview my mom! I suppose she is technically the first person I ever met. She was born in Shanghai but has lived more than half her life in Chicago, the home she chose. In many ways, she is more proud of being American than I am. We discuss why she chose to leave China, how it was like raising kids in a new place with a new person, what advice she has for those seeking a new home, and much more. Get full access to Elaine's Substack at zhoubro.substack.com/subscribe

    33 min
  11. Camila in South Korea

    08/24/2023

    Camila in South Korea

    Camila was born in Colombia, grew up in Florida, and has been living in South Korea for the past five years. We've been friends since 2016 when we met in Louisville, Kentucky. We were both undergoing an intense teacher training program, and unexpectedly ended up as both roommates and coworkers. In this conversation, we discuss why she moved to South Korea, her biggest fear in moving, the discomfort she felt living in the US, and much more. Get full access to Elaine's Substack at zhoubro.substack.com/subscribe

    22 min
  12. Intro to Away From Home

    08/01/2023

    Intro to Away From Home

    A brief introduction to my podcast. Get full access to Elaine's Substack at zhoubro.substack.com/subscribe

    1 min
  • 12 Episodes

About

In this podcast, I interview people who live (far) away from home. Some are friends, others are strangers, and a few are strangers on the road to becoming friends. In these conversations, I get to ask interesting people all sorts of questions about their lives and the decisions they've made. My parents are from Shanghai, I was born in Chicago, and I've lived in Spain, China, Ecuador, and a few other places. I've always been drawn to the stories of people who have a complicated relationship with home. My hope with this podcast is to better understand the immigrants, expats, and foreigners of the world, including myself. zhoubro.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Conversations with unusual people
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Elaine
  • Show Website
    Away From Home