In moments of drastic change, life can feel completely turned upside down. From daily meals to sleeping habits, everything is forced out of its familiar rhythm when you move abroad. Today, I invite you to reflect on the small things that made this transition a little easier. What do you appreciate? Now, think back to a time when you faced a similar major shift. What new insight do you see now, looking back at a younger version of yourself? I’m so grateful for every one of you listening, and I’ll talk to you all very soon. :)

Buongiorno from Milan, Italy! The past two days in Italy has given me more culture shock than I have expected. What do you mean you don't sit down at a cafe? Why are Italian men so flirty? Gym culture in Italy? Um hello bakery store, google maps said you are open, but why aren't you?? Here are some of my unfiltered thoughts as a Chinese-American exchange student.

Two diasporic girls unpack their complicated relationships with wealth through reflections on their lived experiences in Fuzhounese-American ethnic enclaves. How does the “American Dream” shape taboos around inheritance and conversations about money? How do these silences surface in elite environments, cultural crossroads, and within the financial capital of New York City? In this episode, Wena and I explore alternative relationships to work and life among Chinese, Americans, and those who exist somewhere in between. We do so by asking a pressing question of our moment: what does it mean to “labor” in an era increasingly shaped by AI and job augmentation?