Show Host Yolanda
My Story
I’ve relocated six times: as a child at age 10, back and forth to Paris as a young adult, as a single professional, to the USA as a newly married woman, and again in this middle‑aged space with a family. Yep. I did all that. On purpose.
My first move was at age 10, leaving St. Vincent & The Grenadines for England. Just imagine how that played out. I always say I cried for three years. My sister and I arrived with our suitcases and our summer dresses — completely unprepared for the British “summer.”
My head was full of sunshine, colorful houses, skipping friends, weekends on the beach, boats, my mud‑pie shop, and more sunshine. And then reality hit. Issue one: the giant escalator at the airport. Naturally, I said, “Nope. I’m not getting on it. Not moving an inch.” My poor sister made multiple trips carrying each suitcase. Then came the punk rockers — men in high‑heel boots, black outfits, piercings, and makeup. I was petrified. No colorful homes, just brown houses with chimneys coughing out grey smoke. Culture shock was real; I just didn’t know its name yet. And the couples “getting off” in public? What was that about. You can imagine the strength of my homesickness.
And yet, somehow, it went well. Eventually. My family was there. We had each other. We slowly built a community — hit‑and‑miss at first — but school was fun, and I made friends. We wanted to make our relatives proud, and I feel we have. We built a sense of belonging, even in a place that didn’t look or feel like home at first.
All of this — the moving abroad, the cultural differences, the identity shifts, the grief, the rebuilding — shaped me long before I had the language for it. These experiences taught me what starting over in a new country really costs, and it gives back.
This podcast is my first. It’s a steep learning curve. But it’s also a calling. I’m creating something for women who relocated or those thinking about it. So we'll share how we;re navigating expat life in the USA (for the moment), and WHO AM I SINCE I LANDED. Well, that's a deep one. identity abroad is a prickly subject.
I want to offer the emotional tools I wish I had — the ones that help you make sense of the emotional impact of migration, the loneliness, the confusion, and the quiet courage it takes to rebuild your life.
We’re also building a platform that changes the narrative about the people who immigrate — through our own stories. Immigrant women stories told with honesty, dignity, and depth. Stories that help you feel seen. Stories that remind you that you’re not starting from scratch. You’re starting from experience.
Hear what we achieve. See how we impact our community. And join us as we create a home — wherever we land.