expats, immigrants and migration

expats, immigrants and migration

the cities we live in were not always cities. they weren’t always this packed, this urbanized. and some of the most xenophobic, most close-minded people i’ve ever come across, anywhere, including back home and including here in bahia, have no idea that a few generations ago their own people were pushed out of somewhere. forced into dense, overpopulated places because there wasn’t another option. this isn’t a brazil problem. it’s not a usa problem. it’s everywhere. people defend borders and identities and national stories while knowing almost nothing about the migrations and displacements that built the place they’re standing on. and yeah, you can blame the schools for that. they leave a lot out. but at some point you gotta ask yourself, where does this worship of patriotism even come from? why do so many people defend the exact systems that historically wrecked people who looked just like them? and who benefits from everybody staying confused about this? usually not the people doing the actual work. the ones who benefit stay clean, stay comfortable, and let someone else do the dirty work of keeping people in their place. then they look down from above like they had nothing to do with any of it.,,, you find all you need to know about me at faafo.app [http://faafo.app] and listen to this podcast and my other chats on all major podcast platforms.

real digital nomads and chameleons - YouTube Live Video Sunday May 31, 2026

this episode came from my live youtube video recorded on sunday, may 31, 2026: “real digital nomads and chameleons - https://www.youtube.com/live/9Phy4V2wGz0?si=3opFMupNDMfTEkW0 [https://www.youtube.com/live/9Phy4V2wGz0?si=3opFMupNDMfTEkW0].” i’m talking about the difference between looking location-independent online and actually building the kind of work, documentation, income, and discipline that can support life abroad. this is not a cute influencer fantasy about palm trees, views, and beach content. this is about digital nomad visas, client income, self-employment, documentation, and why follower counts do not equal freedom. i also get into what it means to be a chameleon, a polymath, and a multi-skilled person in a world that keeps trying to flatten people into one niche. from podcasting to private communities, from the tap and the porch to respite, from spiritual work to digital strategy, this episode is part rant, part reintroduction, and part reminder: you do not have to make yourself small to make money online. this one is for the people who are tired of being sold shortcuts by people who are not telling the whole truth. listen before you buy another masterclass, copy another influencer, or assume someone’s public numbers tell you the full story. hear all my shows at faafo.app/radio. topics: * - digital nomad reality vs. influencer fantasy: i break down why being popular online is not the same thing as having the income, paperwork, client structure, or visa status to live abroad legally and sustainably. * - visas, documentation, and income: i talk through the practical side of digital nomad life, including income proof, client letters, bank statements, notarization, apostille steps, and why people often leave countries when their visitor time runs out. * - follower counts are not a business model: i challenge the assumption that views, subscribers, and social media visibility equal financial freedom. * - chameleons, polymaths, and refusing the box: this episode speaks to people with multiple gifts who are tired of being told to niche down, shrink themselves, or perform one identity for the algorithm. * - ownership over platforms: i explain why podcasting, websites, email lists, private spaces, and owned digital homes matter more than chasing approval on platforms that can censor, limit, or disappear. * - the larger mindset shift: this is not only about moving abroad. it is about asking better questions, building real skills, understanding systems, and refusing to outsource your freedom to people selling shortcuts.

hair and nails recommendation: language barrier? no problem!

finding your people in a new country is hard enough. finding someone who can do your hair AND your nails AND figure out what you mean even when you don't have the words? that's a whole thing. i've been going to the same salon in bahia, brazil for months. they do my hair, they do my nails, and not once have they made me feel like the language barrier was my problem to solve alone. three people, one phone translator, and i left with the best blow-dry i've had in over a year. if you're an american living abroad and you're still nervous about trusting someone with your hair --- this one's for you. follow them: https://www.instagram.com/cresposecachosoficial [https://www.instagram.com/cresposecachosoficial?igsh=MXF6aTljeXBmc3V3Mw==] IMPORTANT: if you go to get your nails done ask for Brenda. she is the only one that I can recommend. to learn more: faafo.app

quiet debts, revoked passports, and the lies in between

on may 8, 2026 the u.s. state department started revoking active passports from americans who owe back child support. they began with people owing $100,000 or more --- about 2,700 americans --- but the program is set to expand to anyone owing more than $2,500, the threshold from a 1996 law that has barely been enforced. no expansion date has been announced. in this episode, sisi breaks down what actually changed, what happens if you're abroad when your passport is revoked, what to do if you owe back support, and where you can still travel without a u.s. passport. she also names a pattern she has been watching in the relocation and wellness space: people who position themselves as guides while curating their stories, then rewrite the ending when they need community sympathy. straight talk, real resources, and the part nobody else is saying out loud. -- blog posts: https://foolaroundandfindout.com/quiet-debts-revoked-passports-and-the-lies-in-between/ [https://foolaroundandfindout.com/quiet-debts-revoked-passports-and-the-lies-in-between/] -- all podcasts: https://faafo.app/radio [https://faafo.app/radio]

transparency - get to know me

audio from a 2 hour youtube live i did on april 20, 2026. i woke up annoyed and didn't know why, shuffled some playing cards, pulled the one that said transparency, and went live. this is what came out. what i actually get into: * - the people i come from. my grandmother who kept a pistol and a vibrator in her nightstand and would throw a knife if you came at her sideways. my great-grandmother who was a businesswoman and a madame. why nobody who knows my lineage is surprised i moved to bahia alone with no support system * - the lie about how digital nomads actually make money. who has a side job they don't tell you about. who lives off social security, child support, a spouse, military benefits. who's trying to sell you a course on something they had handed to them. and who's actually doing the work * - retainers. why one-off contracts almost broke me. why retainers are the only model that ever gave me consistent income. why people stay scared of the word because they think only attorneys use them * - the real cost of being a true digital nomad. domain names, hosting, software subscriptions, the things that quietly add up to a car payment every month. why i didn't get a manicure for seven years. why i'm explaining all this instead of selling you a course * - the gap between how people fashion brazil online vs. how it actually is when you live here. the 2 hour bus commutes service workers do every day. catcalling in nyc vs. walking around safely here. dating as a gringa and the propane-tank-money game * - what master craftsmanship looks like in the interior of bahia. men who can mix gravel into a fence and climb a tree to bring you fruit. ingenuity that you can't fake. why these are my people and why my mom said "i always knew you'd find your tribe one day" * - visa types nobody explains properly. digital nomad vs. work vs. student vs. residency vs. citizenship. what it actually costs to do this without getting hustled * - aging at 52 as a black woman in tech. why i'm not 100% confident about my looks or my work and i still show up. why insurance vs. assurance is a real conversation. why i think people stay stuck in jobs that stress them out specifically because they can't imagine not having medical insurance a heads up: i forgot i was live for a minute and a few words slipped through. consider this a flag for sensitive ears or kids in the car. if anything in here lands visit faafo.app [http://faafo.app]. and if you want the rest of what i make: i host other podcasts on the faafo network --- you can find all of them on your favorite podcast app.