2020 was the year I discovered podcasts. Often a late adopter of most things, it took a global pandemic to work this entertainment channel into my regular routine. When Germany went into lockdown in the spring, and we were all home, I needed something to keep my mind busy and distracted. I binged on many news podcasts to keep up with COVID, election nonsense, and all the doings back in the US. However, there is only so much news a person can digest so I added some fun episodes into the mix, something to bring joy and laughter instead of high blood pressure.
My podcast journey all started with Nicole of the The Expat Cast, shortly before I was guest on her show at the end of 2019. From there I began to branching out. In the past year, here are my favorite podcasts which have been feeding my soul with some travel adventure and fun when I cannot get on a plane.
- The Expat Cast
- The Germany Experience
- Extra Pack of Peanuts
- Sporkful
- Two Fat Expats
The Expat Cast
Nicole, an American, moved to Germany about four years ago and launched a new life and her podcast, The Expat Cast. Every week she interviews different people, most living here in Germany as expats, about practical things like: getting married, getting divorced, moving here with very little, paying taxes, dating as a foreigner, the downside to expat life, etc. She also talks about what it’s like to become bilingual or what it’s like when things don’t work. Right before Corona got out of hand, she was featuring different people around Germany who would speak about “their” cities. I really loved this series because it put on the map a few places I would never have visited. I would recommend this podcast for anyone who is living in Germany, considering living in Germany, or who ever lived in Germany.
If you’re looking to try out The Expat Cast, here are a few of my favorite episodes.
- Moving Abroad with Teenagers (This is an interview with me.)
- Solo Female Travel with Zoe
- Travel Germany: Görlitz with Tessa and Lauren
- To Move or Not To Move: The Expat During a Pandemic Question with Emily
- Imposter Syndrome as an Expat with Melissa
The Germany Experience
I found Shaun of The Germany Experience through The Expat Cast. They were doing a friendly rival Germany podcaster episode to see who could donate the most money to a charity. Hey, marketers (oh, that’s me!), cross promoting works! So I started listening to his show.
Shaun, originally from South Africa, has been living in Germany for a long time and covers slightly different topics than The Expat Cast, and with a bit of an edge. I love how different podcasters can cover the similar topics, but their personalities can give you an entirely different viewpoint and take you through a very different journey. I would also recommend this one for anyone with ties to Germany.
If you’re looking to try out The Germany Experience, here are a few of my favorite episodes.
- Teenagers’ perspective: Life in Germany & traveling with family–Anna & Alex from the USA (Interview with my kids)
- Ask a German: Bureaucracy, German pillows, standing in line, and recruitment through fruit (Dominik, Jürgen & Philipp from Ach?)
- Carnival/Fasching in Germany: “pomp and splendor” (Nina from Germany)
- Sandals and socks, making friends with Germans, and “selfishly” staying in Germany (Amy from the USA)
- You go me on the cookie! (Dana Newman from Wanted Adventure)
Extra Pack of Peanuts
COVID lockdown had me looking for more travel podcasts while I cooked my family’s third meal for the day or walked my second long walk. I found Travis and Heather of Extra Pack of Peanuts (EPOP) through a search, and it’s been a great light-hearted journey with them. This husband and wife duo from Philadelphia has traveled a lot! During the spring, they launched their CoronaDiaries series, unedited content chatting for about 30 minutes regarding memories, tips, or just banter on their travels. It was exactly what I needed. And now I’m hooked.
While my kids are much older than their little ones, they have pointed us in some fantastic directions even in the past year and put new places on our bucket lists. I have become a bit more reserved (and maybe jaded as I get older) so I love to absorb their optimism and adventurous spirit. Even better, their gift guide scored me major points with my own husband when I bought two books right from their list. Two books he loved!!
Their site is full-on travel fun. They also have a long list of travel guides and blog posts to complement their weekly podcast.
If you’re looking to try out Extra Pack of Peanuts, here are a few of my favorite episodes.
- Croatia vs. Slovenia
- Only One Country…For The Rest Of Our Lives
- Best Meals: 2019 in Review
- 40 Travel Tips For Our 400th Episode (With The Entire EPOP Team)
Sporkful
I have no idea where I first heard about the Sporkful podcast, but this has become one of my favorite podcasts each week. While not always centered around travel, there is quite a bit of exploring through food on this podcast. Dan Pashman digs into food and eating more than any other media I have found. He’s a great interviewer and I find myself laughing during most of the shows. If you like to eat, you’ll love this podcast. And let’s face it, since COVID came into our world, we have been doing a whole lot of cooking and eating.
If you’re looking to try out the Sporkful, here are a few of my favorite episodes.
- Aleppo Sandwich Pt 1 and 2 (Recap)
- Spicy Doritos and How Foods Became American
- The Great Office Coffee Election
- Hitting The Texas Taco Trail With José Ralat
Two Fat Expats
I found Kirsty and Nikki shortly after getting settled into Germany. These two Australian friends run both a Facebook Group and a weekly podcast called Two Fat Expats. Coincidentally, Nikki lives in Germany and Kirsty is in Australia, but lived in Doha, where we lived years ago. Each week they address four questions on their podcast which seem to be the hot topics on their Facebook Group or in the news. They have 27,600 members of their Facebook group so the topics vary greatly each week. The episodes are very timely.
If you’re looking to try out the Two Fat Expats, here are a few of my favorite episodes.
