Welcome to this special episode featuring some of the best moments from the episodes that were published this year. I selected highlight from the conversations I had with 15 women living abroad that are truly inspiring - and can help you to set the tone for the new year!
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Why the name “Transplants”?
I've always loved the meaning this word can have. To be a transplant is to carry one life while learning to live another.
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Connect with Transplants:
Follow on IG https://www.instagram.com/transplants.pod
Substack/newsletter - https://wearetransplants.substack.com/
Laura's IG https://www.instagram.com/laura_peruchi
Follow on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wearetransplants
Marion Müller is originally from Switzerland and now calls Singapore home. What was meant to be a temporary move for her boyfriend’s job became a life-changing decision - even after their relationship ended. Yes, Marion decided to stay in Singapore, far away from the place she used to call home, to start a new life, by herself.Previous to the move to Asia, her life back in Zurique was pretty good and she was convinced she would spend the rest of her life there - she was finishing her Master's in Political Science and the her plans after that included finding a job, getting married and starting a family.
But when she arrived in Singapore, it was almost like love at first sight. And everything changed... In this episode, we talk about her decision of staying abroad alone - and how she did that - cultural differences between Europe and Asia, how moving abroad changed her life, and how she built a new career as a content creator in Singapore.
Connect with Marion:
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Why the name “Transplants”?
I've always loved the meaning this word can have. To be a transplant is to carry one life while learning to live another.
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Connect with Transplants:
Follow on IG https://www.instagram.com/transplants.pod
Substack/newsletter - https://wearetransplants.substack.com/
Laura's IG https://www.instagram.com/laura_peruchi
Follow on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wearetransplants
When Olga Kudrick took a 36-hour bus from Lithuania to London, she was just a young woman looking for new opportunities and hoping to support her family. Sleeping on the floor, nearly becoming homeless, and being harassed were definitely not on her bingo card — but little by little, after overcoming a series of obstacles, she began building a new life. Olga met her husband, they had their daughter, bought a house, and everything finally felt settled… until another big move happened, and the whole family relocated to Jersey City in the United States.
In this episode, we talk about her life in Lithuania, the struggles of her early years in London, why the move to the U.S. was such a difficult decision for her, and how she has been dealing with her evolving identity as a mother. You’ll see that sometimes we don’t have everything figured out — and that’s perfectly fine, as long as we allow ourselves to keep trying.
Connect with Olga
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Why the name “Transplants”?
I've always loved the meaning this word can have. To be a transplant is to carry one life while learning to live another.
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Connect with Transplants:
Follow on IG https://www.instagram.com/transplants.pod
Substack/newsletter - https://wearetransplants.substack.com/
Laura's IG https://www.instagram.com/laura_peruchi
Follow on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wearetransplants
From a 21-year-old English teacher in rural Japan to 15 years on a Thai island and now a future in Valencia, Kaila Krayewski has been chasing belonging across continents.
Being originally from Canada, Kaila's first experience abroad was in Japan - moved by the belief that Canada was not the right place for her and inspired by her parents, she thought that living in Japan to teach English would be a great idea.
And although her experience was not the greatest, that gave her the opportunity to visit Thailand, where she fell in love with Koh Phangan, a tropical island. And then, after backpacking in South East Asia and meeting her husband, they moved to that magical island for good. Kaila created different businesses, she had her son and built a whole life in that tropical paradise... until, she felt literally trapped.
In this episode, we talk about some highlights of her story: her move and adventures, relationship struggles, dealing with lost of both her parents while living abroad and the reasons why she finally decided to leave Thailand.
Connect with Kaila:
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Why the name “Transplants”?
I've always loved the meaning this word can have. To be a transplant is to carry one life while learning to live another.
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Connect with Transplants:
Follow on IG https://www.instagram.com/transplants.pod
Substack/newsletter - https://wearetransplants.substack.com/
Laura's IG https://www.instagram.com/laura_peruchi
Follow on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wearetransplants
In 2012, Celia Alves was a math teacher in Portugal: her life was stable; she had a house, a husband, and two kids. But Celia was pretty tired of her career; she felt burned out, and she knew that being a teacher forever was not something she was excited about.
Then, while some European countries were facing an economic crisis, her brother invited Celia and her husband to attend a job fair focused on immigration - specifically for New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. There, they discovered there was demand for her husband’s skills, and they decided to take the leap and move to Canada.
Although the beginning of this new life was not easy, they eventually settled and were happy - until circumstances changed and they were suddenly facing a deadline to leave the country. Since going back to Portugal was not an option for Celia and her husband, she went all-in on a study permit, started from scratch in a new field, and began rebuilding everything.
In this episode, we talk about the real cost of immigration - the fear, the paperwork, the setbacks - and the story behind Celia’s new career. While taking freelance jobs to help support her family, she honed her Excel skills and reinvented herself as an Excel specialist and community leader, which later landed her a job.
Connect with Celia
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Why the name “Transplants”?
I've always loved the meaning this word can have. To be a transplant is to carry one life while learning to live another.
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Connect with Transplants:
Follow on IG https://www.instagram.com/transplants.pod
Substack/newsletter - https://wearetransplants.substack.com/
Laura's IG https://www.instagram.com/laura_peruchi
Follow on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wearetransplants
When she was a kid, Karen Bussen always dreamed of moving to New York City. Eventually, that dream became reality: she moved to the Big Apple and built a successful, creative career. After more than two decades working as a wedding planner and even creating her own startup, she truly believed she would live in the city forever.
Until Paris happened. Led by her love for the French capital and the French language, Karen decided to spend some extended time in Paris to live like a local and practice her French. And after a friend convinced her that going on dates could be a great way to practice the language, she gave it a chance — and met the man who would become her husband.
In this episode, Karen shares all the details of that story, as well as how she integrated herself into Parisian life, put herself out there, and built an entirely new life.
Connect with Karen
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Why the name “Transplants”?
I've always loved the meaning this word can have. To be a transplant is to carry one life while learning to live another.
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Connect with Transplants:
Follow on IG https://www.instagram.com/transplants.pod
Substack/newsletter - https://wearetransplants.substack.com/
Laura's IG https://www.instagram.com/laura_peruchi
Follow on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wearetransplants
When Fernanda Santos first moved to the U.S., she had a clear plan: study journalism and return to Brazil. But everything changed after a chance encounter at a job fair. She met the love of her life, decided to stay, and built an extraordinary career, becoming the first Brazilian staff writer at The New York Times, contributing to major publications, publishing a book, and now serving as Editor-in-Chief at The 19th News.
But Fernanda's story is not just about professional milestones; it’s also about navigating love, loss, and identity as an immigrant. After losing her husband to cancer, she found herself starting over again - this time as a widow and single mother, raising her daughter, and searching for a new sense of “home” in another country.
In this episode, we talk about how Fernanda rebuilt her life, how she found confidence in her voice, how grief reshaped her story, and how she eventually found love again - without losing herself in the process.
Connect with Fernanda:
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Why the name “Transplants”?
I've always loved the meaning this word can have. To be a transplant is to carry one life while learning to live another.
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Connect with Transplants:
Follow on IG https://www.instagram.com/transplants.pod
Substack/newsletter - https://wearetransplants.substack.com/
Laura's IG https://www.instagram.com/laura_peruchi
Follow on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wearetransplants
Aneri Desai was born and raised in India, and expected to follow a path shaped by tradition, including getting an arranged marriage. When she went to London to study abroad for a while, she discovered another world - and then she decided to pursue an MBA in the United States. And her arranged marriage… turned toxic. But Aneri had the courage to walk away - with nothing. With no money - and no choice - she rebuilt her life from scratch in the U.S. Today, Aneri is a career coach, immigrant women advocate. In this episode, we talk about reinvention, resilience, and how she landed her job after 300 job rejections and, later, launched a coaching business for immigrant women.
Connect with Gabu:
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Why the name “Transplants”?
I've always loved the meaning this word can have. To be a transplant is to carry one life while learning to live another.
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Connect with Transplants:
Follow on IG https://www.instagram.com/transplants.pod
Substack/newsletter - https://wearetransplants.substack.com/
Laura's IG https://www.instagram.com/laura_peruchi
Follow on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wearetransplants
Gabriela Dutra landed her dream job as a fashion designer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, before even turning 30. But she soon realized that path wouldn’t be enough. Inspired by her grandmother, travel blogs, Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, and even pineapple plantations in Hawaii, she made a bold decision: she moved back in with her parents to save money, grabbed her backpack, and left everything behind to begin a global journey with no fixed plans.
The original idea was to travel for just one year. For a while, she followed that vision - drifting to wherever destiny led her, living off her savings, and volunteering in exchange for food and accommodation. But then, life took a turn: she met the man who would become her husband, and they eventually settled - at least for now - in Thailand.
In this episode, Gabriela shares insights on solo travel, redefining freedom, money strategies, love on the road, and what it really means to live a life true to yourself, even while in a relationship.
Connect with Gabu:-
Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@Noplansfortomorrow
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/noplansfortmr/
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Why the name “Transplants”?
I've always loved the meaning this word can have. To be a transplant is to carry one life while learning to live another.
_______________________________________
Connect with Transplants:
Follow on IG https://www.instagram.com/transplants.pod
Substack/newsletter - https://wearetransplants.substack.com/
Laura's IG https://www.instagram.com/laura_peruchi
Follow on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wearetransplants
Kimberly Anne always dreamed of living abroad, and while she only made it happen at 56, she had already lived quite a life before moving solo from the U.S. to Portugal.She walked away from a 20-year abusive marriage, recovered from addiction, and navigated a complicated family dynamic, especially with her father.In this episode, Kim opens up about her path to Portugal: her journey of healing, the year she spent exploring the U.S. in a van, the decision to leave everything behind, the myths of the “glamorous expat life,” why she’ll never return to the U.S., and how she sustains herself today as an expat on a budget.Whether you’ve dreamed of moving abroad or just need proof that it’s never too late to start over - this one’s for you.Connect with Kim:Instagram @expat.onabudgetSubstack https://expatonabudget.substack.com/Youtube @expat.onabudget
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Why the name “Transplants”?
I've always loved the meaning this word can have. To be a transplant is to carry one life while learning to live another.
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Connect with Transplants:
Milena Berry is originally from Bulgaria and she is the co-founder and CEO of PowerToFly - a platform that connects underrepresented talent to inclusive companies, helping women, LGBTQIA+ folks, and people of color find jobs, up skill, and thrive in tech and beyond. She first moved from Bulgaria to Netherlands and then to New York City, as an international student, right before 9/11.
Milena built a career in tech as an immigrant woman, and raised four kids with her wife. In this episode, we talked about her beginning in the Big Apple as a student, how she started her career in tech, the creation of her company, PowerToFly, the reality of parenting, and being a two-mom family amid today’s culture wars among with advice for immigrant women.
Due to a video recording issue, this episode is audio-only.
Connect with Milena:
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Why the name “Transplants”?
I've always loved the meaning this word can have. To be a transplant is to carry one life while learning to live another.
Connect with Transplants:
Carolina Malis is from Chile. She studied acting and dreamed of moving to London - that eventually happened, but it took a 10-year detour.
Imagine yourself just chilling at your house when a friend casually stops over and invite you to join a spontaneous trip to New York City. That's exactly what happened with Carol and she said yes.
What was supposed to be a 3-month adventure turned into a 10-year chapter filled with reinvention, resilience, and growth. From working as a babysitter to co-founding a social media agency, Caro built a full life in NYC - and then, life took an unexpected turn, when she met the person who would lead her to London.
In this episode, we talk about identity, career pivots, making friends abroad, navigating long-distance relationships, and the grief that comes with letting go of a place you called home. Caro’s story is a beautiful reminder that sometimes saying yes - even impulsively - can change everything.
Connect with Carol:
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Why the name “Transplants”?
I've always loved the meaning this word can have. To be a transplant is to carry one life while learning to live another.
Connect with Transplants:
Aisha Ba is a model, dancer, content creator, and immigrant mom living in South Korea - and the path that brought her to Asia is a story in itself. Let's start by talking about her roots: she grew up in South Tyrol, Italy, a region that once belonged to Austria, with a German-speaking Italian mother and a Pulaar-speaking Senegalese father. Can her story give more melting-pot vibes than that? Well, it can… she found her soulmate in South Korea and started a family with him.
In this episode, Aisha shares what it was like growing up in Italy, how she went from pursuing a PhD in economics to chasing her passion for dance, and what ultimately brought her to Seoul. We cover topics like identity, risk-taking, love across cultures, struggles, and what it really means to create a home abroad.
Connect with Aisha:
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Why the name “Transplants”?
I've always loved the meaning this word can have. To be a transplant is to carry one life while learning to live another.
Connect with Transplants:
When Raquel Paiva learned about the Au Pair Program, she realized it would be the perfect opportunity for her to improve her English to them chase her dream of traveling the world, by traveling in cruises. It was her first time traveling internationally - and she couldn't imagine how that step would change her whole future. After completing the program and failing in love with NYC, she decided to pursue her dream of studying Fashion in the Big Apple. Between that until she graduated from college and later started to work as an stylist with names like Anne Hathaway, she supporter herself with nanny gigs and influencer work. Also, Raquel faced so many personal challenges: coming out, healing from heartbreak, and opening herself up to new love. Her story is about resilience, identity, and what it really means to create your own path abroad.
Connect with Amby:
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Why the name “Transplants”?
I've always loved the meaning this word can have. To be a transplant is to carry one life while learning to live another.
Connect with Transplants:
After ending a long-term relationship, Ambika Mathur found herself back at her parents’ house, wondering what her next step would be. As a model with a flexible career, she impulsively bought a ticket to Paris while binge-watching Emily in Paris between takes on a shoot. She couldn’t have imagined how much that trip would change her life. Amby met the man who is now her husband and eventually moved to Naples, Italy, to start a new life. The path wasn’t linear, and the move came with real challenges. In this episode, Amby opens up about the breakup, her adventures across Europe, the chain of events that led her to meet her husband, the decision to relocate to Italy, and the realities- both struggles and joys - of building a life in another country.
Connect with Amby:
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Why the name “Transplants”?
I've always loved the meaning this word can have. To be a transplant is to carry one life while learning to live another.
Connect with Transplants:
Adalia Aborisade is an American (from Texas) living in Mexico City. Former public teacher, she did everything society expected her to do it - she got married, she had kids, she worked hard... until she got tired. In her 40s, after a divorce, she decided to seek an old dream: living abroad. On this episode, Adalia shares more about her decision, her plans, how she became financially independent (she doesn't come from a wealthy background!), and her views on society's expectations I had such a great time with Adalia and I hope you enjoy our conversation!
Connect with Adalia:
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Welcome to TransplantsHosted by Laura Peruchi, a Brazilian journalist calling NYC home since 2014 .Each episode, we unpack the transitions, culture shocks, setbacks, and joys of starting a new life in another country—so you can learn from their insights and make your own bold move. Because I truly believe real stories are the strongest way to spark real growth.
Why the name “Transplants”?
I've always loved the meaning this word can have. To be a transplant is to carry one life while learning to live another.
Connect with Transplants:
I figured a solo episode would be useful - nice to meet you! I'm Laura Peruchi, a Brazilian journalist based in NYC and your host!
On this episode, I share my transplant story - how I moved to NYC in 2014 and how I built my career as a content creator. I also share more about this project, what led me to this idea and also the meaning behind the name.
Connect with Transplants:
Hosted by Laura Peruchi, a Brazilian journalist calling NYC home since 2014 .
Each episode, we unpack the transitions, culture shocks, setbacks, and joys of starting a new life in another country—so you can learn from their insights and make your own bold move. Because I truly believe real stories are the strongest way to spark real growth.
Why the name “Transplants”?
I've always loved the meaning this expression can have. For me, it reflects both the idea of living far from home and carrying part of your roots into a new life - much like a transplant surgery, you know?
Connect with Transplants: