Expecting Expats

• Building your community abroad

  CJ and Amanda shares their personal experiences and best tips for building your community abroad. Here’s the main takeaways: 1. Put yourself out there — community starts with brave first stepsBoth hosts emphasize that building a village doesn’t happen passively. You need to take initiative:* Say yes to “blind-date” coffees* Join meetups (e.g., InterNations, “new to Frankfurt” events)* Attend language classes or pregnancy/parent groups* Accept invitations even when it feels awkwardAlmost every friendship they formed began with taking a small social risk.2. Shared experiences create the strongest connectionsThe transcript shows that community abroad often forms fastest around common life phases or needs, such as:* Being new to the country* Learning the language* Having pets* Pregnancy classes or young-kids groups* Being an international living far from homeThese “we’re all in the same boat” situations naturally bring people together and make it easier to bond deeply.3. Build both international support and local integrationA balanced community abroad includes:* International friends who offer emotional familiarity, understand holidays, and “adopt” you like family* Local connections that help you integrate, navigate bureaucracy, learn the language, and support your kids in schoolEven though connecting with locals can be harder (language barriers, established circles), both hosts agree that learning the local language and making some local ties helps you feel truly rooted.

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  31:26

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  31:26
• THANKSGIVING SPECIAL!

  Amanda and CJ checks in, with a surprise recording from thanksgiving morning, where they talk about the different holiday traditions and why they find it important to keep them going, while living abroad. They also share what they are grateful for, and invite all their listeners to do the same.Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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  14:59

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  14:59
• Breastfeeding Abroad

  In this episode of Expecting Expats, CJ and Amanda share their weekend experiences, discuss the complexities of family life, and delve into their breastfeeding journeys. They explore the emotional and physical challenges of breastfeeding, the societal pressures surrounding it, and the importance of support systems for new mothers. The conversation also touches on cultural differences in breastfeeding practices and the resources available in Germany to assist mothers in their breastfeeding journeys.Resources:Le Leche League The Womanly art of breastfeeding Your baby’s microbiome Podcast recommendations:Therapy Talk (Johanne Svensson)The Longest Shortest Time podcast (by Hilary Frank)

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• Kari’s birth story of baby number 3!

  In this episode of Expecting Expats, Amanda and CJ welcomes back Kari to share her recent birth story of baby number 3! Kari discusses her experience giving birth to her third child, Solveig, where she barely made it to the hospital, and didn’t have time to get any pain medication. The conversation touches on the logistics of managing multiple children, answering work emails while having contractions, and the emotional aspects of childbirth, and the importance of advocating for oneself.

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  49:36

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  49:36
• Cultural surprises during pregnancy in Germany

  CJ and Amanda share the funny, shocking and emotional cultural surprises during their pregnancies in Germany. Podcast recommendations: The Positive Birth Story Podcast

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  38:30

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