In this special episode, part #1 of a new mini-series, "Why Covid Helpers?," Carly talks with Nicki from Denmark and Gwen from France about why they stepped up to help their community in a time of chaos. We discuss Denmark's response to the pandemic, what it's like to answer 1500 birthday messages, and why this couple has rearranged their lives in service of expats.

If you feel as inspired as I do by Nicki and Gwen and want to thank them for their efforts, please join me in donating to the CDC Covid Relief fund: https://www.facebook.com/donate/2969535723372489/

Sigh. This is a tough one. This monologue episode is a "podcast diary" unpacking my complicated and difficult feelings around the attempted coup, and what it means to be an American abroad when horrible things happen. Stay safe, US fam

Ho ho ho! This episode is a short, sweet gift to you from Santa himself! Friends from around the world share their family traditions and spread the Christmas cheer in this very special holiday show. Listen while you wrap gifts, sip on mulled wine, or as a little break from your loved ones ;) AND! As a bonus stocking stuffer, enjoy this Spotify playlist of international Christmas songs, all featured in this episode: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5zTc1GdFlPOnMzK4ojM7QH

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

*Clink clink* This week we're talking booze-cahol! Kasper from Denmark joins Carly to talk about the drinking culture in our home countries. We discuss whether Americans actually wait till 21 to drink (we don't), if Carlsberg is the world's greatest beer (it isn't), what Michael Jackson has to do with all of this, and why drunk Danes love peeing in public so much. So grab a beer from your frat brother or math teacher, and raise a glass to... America, Why? 

This week is all about money in politics. Carly speaks with Vaidotas – a real live master of the financial-political dark arts – about how the US compares to his home country, Lithuania. Topics include how much it costs to run a campaign, why on earth the US allows corporations to finance politics, what the *real* cost of that influence is, and whether the only way out is through...Should we, in fact, ask corporations to save us? Spoiler: I think not. Sit back, count your bills, and enjoy! 

In this special Thanksgiving episode, Carly talks with Silvia from Italy about FOOD! They get into the history of Thanksgiving, which Italian foods Americans totally get wrong, and why a wheel of cheese is more valuable than you might think. Content warning: you will get hungry. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all! 

Eva, a German who comes from a family of gun owners, talks to Carly, an American who is terrified of/baffled by American gun culture. Together, they talk through how many and what types of people in their countries use guns, how they get their hands on them, and how things are changing. Carly surprises Eva with statistics and Eva helps Carly put it all in perspective with an autobahn analogy. 

Anastasia, a Canadian-American-Estonian-Russian with ties to Denmark and Spain (yes, really) talks to Carly about friendship in America and why we can be so weird about it. We ask: how do Americans define friendship, what happens when independence and intimacy conflict, and what does "let's keep in touch" really mean? Thanks for listening. Let's be friends!