Elise Maclin was living a good life in Chicago, in the US, when a random encounter switched something in her mind and her plans for the future. She met a Brazilian - and no, this is not a love story - and hearing him speaking about life back in Rio de Janeiro just hit her differently. Some people would call it destiny, others would call it craziness, but after that chat, Elise decided she would move to Rio. And nope, Elise had never visited Brazil before.

This episode was truly special for me because I'm Brazilian and I think it’s fascinating to see our country through the eyes of an outsider.

Elise's journey moving abroad is very admirable. Not only she was the first in her family to ever do that, she also went against their advice telling her not to do it and encountered some obstacles that delayed her dream, but she persisted.

In this episode, we talk about how it feels to trade a fast-paced, achievement-driven life in the U.S. for a culture centered around community, connection, and presence.

Connect with Elise:

• Substack
• YouTube
• TikTok

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
• Questions, suggestions, or random thoughts you’d like to share? Or maybe you’d like to pitch yourself for the podcast or suggest a guest? Send me an email at laura@lauraperuchi.com.

Monica Morales was encouraged to dream bigger from an early age. Growing up in Colombia, she heard from her parents that there were better opportunities abroad — and they made sure she was prepared for them. She learned English and was inspired by family members who had already left the country to pursue a life internationally.

When the time came, Monica decided that studying abroad would be her path. She did her research, improved her English, worked on her applications — and eventually landed in Manchester, in the UK, where she built her life on her own terms.

But, of course, not everything was perfect along the way.

In this episode, we talk about the emotional reality of migration — the loneliness that shows up in unexpected ways, and the distance from family that never really gets easier… it just changes.

Monica also shares how she learned to face her fears instead of fighting them, and how living abroad pushed her to develop resilience, flexibility, and a completely new relationship with uncertainty.

We also talk about identity, culture, and what it means to hold on to your roots while building a life somewhere new.

Connect with Monica:

• Substack - English
• Substack - Spanish

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
• Questions, suggestions, or random thoughts you’d like to share? Or maybe you’d like to pitch yourself for the podcast or suggest a guest? Send me an email at laura@lauraperuchi.com.

• In this solo episode, I reflect on my recent trip back to Brazil, and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with it. The familiarity, the distance, the memories that resurface, and the strange in-between feeling of belonging to two places…

  I reflect on my point of view and experience on how environments shape our mindset, why going back doesn’t feel like a vacation, and how places can hold both comfort and unresolved emotions. This episode is an honest look at what it means to live between worlds and about the trade-offs we make along the road.

  If you’ve ever lived abroad, missed home, or questioned where you truly belong… this one might hit close.

  
  

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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
  • Questions, suggestions, or random thoughts you’d like to share? Or maybe you’d like to pitch yourself for the podcast or suggest a guest? Send me an email at laura@lauraperuchi.com.