Packing Up & Peacing Out

When “Where Are You From?” Is Complicated: Third Culture Kids with Veronika Kozel

You know that moment when someone asks "where are you from?" and instead of a one-word answer, you watch someone take a breath and figure out where to even begin? Those people have a name: Third Culture Kids. And their stories are some of the most fascinating ones in the world of living abroad. In this episode of Packing Up & Peacing Out, Taylor and Lili sit down with Veronika Kozel, a true TCK who grew up across multiple countries, fled communist Czechoslovakia, and has lived in 12 countries total, only to find herself back in Prague as a teacher.  Whether you're a TCK yourself, were raised by one, or have literally never heard the term before, this conversation will stick with your PUPO heart! In this episode, we cover: * What Third Culture Kids actually are and why their experience of the world is so different * What it was like growing up across multiple countries with no single "home" * Veronika's story of fleeing communist Czechoslovakia and what came next * Living in 12 countries and what that does to your sense of identity and belonging * The complicated answer to "where are you from?" and why it's so much more than a location * What TCKs can teach the rest of us about adaptability, culture, and building community abroad * How Veronika ended up back in Prague and what it means to return to a place that's changed and so have you If you've ever felt like you belong everywhere and nowhere at the same time, this one is for you. 🌍 Join our community: Dream Life Abroad by PUPO — connect with expats and future expats, ask questions about moving abroad, and chat directly with hosts Lili and Taylor. https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1GJM3RsfRH/?mibextid=wwXIfr [https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1GJM3RsfRH/?mibextid=wwXIfr] 💜 Love the show? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps other Americans dreaming of moving abroad find us. 📸 Follow the hosts:  Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/packuppeaceout/ [https://www.instagram.com/packuppeaceout/]  Taylor: https://www.instagram.com/taylortakesprague [https://www.instagram.com/taylortakesprague]  Lili: https://www.instagram.com/arichwomansworld [https://www.instagram.com/arichwomansworld]

What Nobody Tells You About Doctors and Healthcare Abroad: The Pooh Bear Dilemma

You walk into your first gynecologist appointment abroad, feeling nervous but prepared. Then the doctor gestures for you to undress  (no gown, no curtain, no "whenever you're ready") and suddenly you're going full Pooh Bear from the waist down while she stares at you like this is completely normal. Because for her, it is. Nobody warned us though! In this episode of Packing Up & Peacing Out, Lili and Taylor are getting into one of the most asked-but-rarely-talked-about parts of expat life: navigating healthcare abroad. The admin, the culture shock, the language barriers, and the genuine WTF moments that happen when the medical system you grew up with is suddenly very far away. We break down what healthcare actually looks like day-to-day in the US, the UK, and the Czech Republic — the good, the frustrating, and the genuinely bizarre.. Oh, and we end with a Dumb American Moment involving the word "spunk" that we will not be elaborating on here. You'll have to listen. 📣 We're recording an IRL episode in Prague soon! Got a question you want us to tackle in person? Drop it in the comments or DM us on Instagram — we want to hear from you. 🌍 Join our community: Dream Life Abroad by PUPO — connect with expats and future expats, ask questions about moving abroad, and chat directly with hosts Lili and Taylor. https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1GJM3RsfRH/?mibextid=wwXIfr [https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1GJM3RsfRH/?mibextid=wwXIfr] 💜 Love the show? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps other Americans dreaming of moving abroad find us. 📸 Follow the hosts: Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/packuppeaceout/ [https://www.instagram.com/packuppeaceout/] Taylor: https://www.instagram.com/taylortakesprague [https://www.instagram.com/taylortakesprague] Lili: https://www.instagram.com/arichwomansworld [https://www.instagram.com/arichwomansworld]

Being a Long Distance Mother Daughter Duo: What Happens When Your Daughter Moves Abroad

Your beloved daughter tells you she’s moving 5,000 miles away from home. WTF?! How are we supposed to stay close? Don’t worry, two mother daughter duo’s are here to help! In honor of our 50th episode AND Mother’s Day, we are bringing on our moms to discuss all things being a daughter who moves abroad and how our moms feel about it. Diane (Taylor’s mom) and Kelly (Lili’s mom) share their perspectives and we only make fun of them a little bit.  Enter our Airbnb Giveaway to win a $50 Airbnb gift card (make sure to follow us instagram first to be eligible!): https://pack-up-peace-out.kit.com/airbnbgiveaway [https://pack-up-peace-out.kit.com/airbnbgiveaway] Thanks to all the PUPOers for listening, we are so thankful we wanted to give you a lil gift! We talk about:  * How they REALLY feel about us living abroad  * The BEST and worst parts of having a daughter abroad  * How we visit each other  * If we should do a mother daughter trip for PUPO??  🌍 Join our community: Dream Life Abroad by PUPO — connect with expats and future expats, ask questions about moving abroad, and chat directly with hosts Lili and Taylor. https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1GJM3RsfRH/?mibextid=wwXIfr [https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1GJM3RsfRH/?mibextid=wwXIfr] 💜 Love the show? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps other Americans dreaming of moving abroad find us. 📸 Follow the hosts: Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/packuppeaceout/ [https://www.instagram.com/packuppeaceout/]  Taylor: https://www.instagram.com/taylortakesprague [https://www.instagram.com/taylortakesprague]  Lili: https://www.instagram.com/arichwomansworld [https://www.instagram.com/arichwomansworld]

How to Actually Pack Up and Move Abroad: Suitcases, Shipping, and What to Leave Behind

You've got the visa. You've bought the plane ticket. You've told everyone you're doing it. Now you actually have to pack up your entire life and get it to another country. No big deal, right? In this episode of Packing Up & Peacing Out, Lili and Taylor get into the unglamorous but essential logistics of physically moving abroad — what to bring, what to leave, how to ship the rest, and how to survive the first 72 hours without completely losing it. Whether you're doing a short stint of 6–12 months or making a permanent move, the strategy is completely different and getting it wrong means overpaying, overpacking, or arriving somewhere new without the things you actually need. Lili moved to London with just two suitcases and figured the rest out over time. Taylor shipped belongings from the UK to Prague and navigated VAT mess in the process. Between them, they've made enough moving mistakes to save you from most of yours. In this episode, we cover: * Short-term vs. long-term move: why the packing strategy is totally different * What you should always bring no matter what (documents, medication, sentimental items) * What's almost never worth bringing (furniture, bulky items, anything easily replaced) * How to think about the stuff you're leaving behind  * Why moving is an ongoing process, not a one-time event * Luggage strategy: carry-on essentials, how many checked bags is realistic, and when shipping actually makes sense * How to find a reputable international moving company (and what to watch out for) * The first 72 hours: why your carry-on is your best friend  🌍 Join our community: Dream Life Abroad by PUPO — connect with expats and future expats, ask questions about moving abroad, and chat directly with hosts Lili and Taylor. https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1GJM3RsfRH/?mibextid=wwXIfr [https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1GJM3RsfRH/?mibextid=wwXIfr] 💜 Love the show? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps other Americans dreaming of moving abroad find us. 📸 Follow the hosts: Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/packuppeaceout/ [https://www.instagram.com/packuppeaceout/] Taylor: https://www.instagram.com/taylortakesprague [https://www.instagram.com/taylortakesprague] Lili: https://www.instagram.com/arichwomansworld [https://www.instagram.com/arichwomansworld]

Will Moving Abroad Actually Make You Happier? What the World Happiness Report Doesn't Tell Immigrants and Expats

Finland keeps topping the World Happiness Report. And every time it does, someone (probably you) asks: should I just… move there? In this episode of Packing Up & Peacing Out, we're breaking down what the World Happiness Report actually measures and why a country's happiness ranking might be one of the least useful things to consider when deciding where to move abroad. Spoiler: the USA is #23 and trending downward. The UK is #29, also trending down. The Czech Republic? #20 and climbing. But none of that tells you what it's actually like to live there as a foreigner and that gap matters more than most people realize. World Happiness Report: https://data.worldhappiness.report/table [https://data.worldhappiness.report/table]  What Makes People Happy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KkKuTCFvzI [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KkKuTCFvzI]  Feel Worse Before Much Better: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-dynamics/articles/10.3389/fhumd.2021.688487/full?utm_source=chatgpt.com [https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-dynamics/articles/10.3389/fhumd.2021.688487/full?utm_source=chatgpt.com]  We get into the research: why immigrants consistently report lower life satisfaction than native residents, why moving to a "happier" country can actually make you feel worse before you feel better, and what the 85-year Harvard Study on Adult Development says is the real driver of happiness (hint: it's not your postcode). Moving abroad can genuinely improve your quality of life — but not because of a ranking. We talk about what actually moves the needle for expats, and what you need to be realistic about going in. In this episode, we discuss: * What the World Happiness Report measures and what it leaves out * Why the USA, UK, and Czech Republic rank where they do (and what the trend lines mean) * Why immigrants report lower life satisfaction than natives on average * The happiness factors that rankings can't capture for foreigners: isolation, language barriers, building community from scratch * Why moving to a happier country can raise your expectations faster than your life improves * What the Harvard Study of Adult Development says is the #1 predictor of happiness * How moving abroad can genuinely improve your life — and what that actually looks like in practice 🌍 Join our community: Dream Life Abroad by PUPO — connect with expats and future expats, ask questions about moving abroad, and chat directly with hosts Lili and Taylor. https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1GJM3RsfRH/?mibextid=wwXIfr [https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1GJM3RsfRH/?mibextid=wwXIfr] 💜 Love the show? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps other Americans dreaming of moving abroad find us. 📸 Follow the hosts: Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/packuppeaceout/ [https://www.instagram.com/packuppeaceout/] Taylor: https://www.instagram.com/taylortakesprague [https://www.instagram.com/taylortakesprague] Lili: https://www.instagram.com/arichwomansworld [https://www.instagram.com/arichwomansworld]