Babes, how did you get here
A podcast hosted by April Jackson, a BBC presenter and former Miss Universe Jamaica, featuring heartfelt conversations with immigrants and global nomads about their journeys to new countries. Each episode shares raw and reflective stories of leaving home, starting over, and building a life elsewhere, with lessons on belonging and transformation. New episodes every Wednesday and Sunday, aimed at inspiring travelers and lovers of human stories.
Episodes
"Google Said Kingston Would Kill Her — She Moved Anyway"
Google told her Kingston was the most dangerous city in the world. She moved anyway — and it changed everything.
Lana, a Lebanese tax professional living the "perfect" expat life in Dubai, got a mysterious call from a UK recruiter offering a job in Jamaica — a country she knew nothing about beyond Bob Marley. Seven years later, she's raising her daughter in Kingston, walks downtown without fear,
American Model Starved to 0% Fat — Now She’s a Crowned Queen Abroad
She was rejected by major modeling agencies in the West, told her body wasn't good enough, and ended up hospitalized alone abroad at age 18. Instead of giving up, Sydney left the United States behind with just one suitcase—reclaiming her identity, shocking international stages, and rising to global royalty.
This is the untold, dark side of international modeling, identity shifts, and the radical
I Lost the Chance to Have Children — Then Jamaica Became My Life
Learn the realities of living abroad and empowering youth in Jamaica with Farnoosh. Gain practical insights on global career paths.
Farnoosh Jhudga, Executive Director of the Lead Outreach Initiative, joins us to discuss her experiences working abroad and navigating different cultural landscapes. We examine the specific challenges of leading community outreach in Jamaica, where she focuses on sup
I Left Palestine for Jamaica — Now I Run a Bean‑to‑Bar Factory
Hear the story behind Liquor More Chocolates as Nadine Biory shares how she builds artisanal chocolate inspired by Jamaican heritage. Discover how personal family history shapes a brand's unique identity.
This conversation explores the creative process of developing artisanal chocolate and balancing business with deep cultural roots. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur or a chocolate enthusi
"Where Are All My People At?" — Why This Black American REFUSES to Move Back to the US
A homeless stranger handed her back her own business cards — and it changed everything. Twani Price left corporate America and South Central Los Angeles to build a Black wine empire in Cape Town, South Africa. From being humiliated at a 5-star restaurant to being featured in The New York Times, from selling out Black-owned winery bus tours in LA to founding Afro Wine Week — this is the story of be
My Fiancé Was a Pedophile—Then I Became an Alcoholic: A Thai Adoptee's Journey to Sobriety
3 weeks before her wedding, Lilly discovered that her fiancé was a pedophile. In this raw and emotional interview, she reveals the devastating moment that changed everything and the incredible journey of survival that followed.
Lilly's story is one of the most powerful adoption stories you will ever hear. Abandoned in Thailand at just 4 years old, she was adopted into a white family in rural Penn
My Fiancé Was A Pedophile: Her Reaction Is Heartbreaking
3 weeks before her wedding, Lilly discovered that her fiancé was a pedophile. In this raw and emotional interview, she reveals the devastating moment that changed everything and the incredible journey of survival that followed.
Lilly’s story is one of the most powerful adoption stories you will ever hear. Abandoned in Thailand at just 4 years old, she was adopted into a white family in rural Penn
Robbed in London, Safe in Africa: Why This Jamaican Left the UK
Why This Jamaican Says Kingston Is Safer Than London | Cheryl Ankra Newton on Moving to South Africa
What if everything you were taught about “safe” countries was backwards?
In this powerful conversation, April Jackson sits down with Cheryl Ankra Newton — a British-born global citizen with Trinidadian and Ghanaian roots who left a successful career in London to build a new life in South Africa.
“I Felt Black for the First Time… in AFRICA?!” Her Story Shocked Our Jamaican Host
A Nigerian woman boards a plane to Lesotho with her husband and twins.
She's not running from anything. She's not chasing a dream.
She's choosing dependence over independence for the first time in her life,
and it terrifies her more than leaving America ever did.
Eight years later, she's still on the continent.
Raising global children in Cape Town,
navigating microaggressions in old money neighbo
I Left a High-Paying NYC Fashion Job to Teach Ballet in Cambodia—My Family Thought I Was Mad!
A corporate fashion designer boards a plane to Cambodia for a one month holiday.
She's not running from anything. She's not chasing a man.
She just Googled "best places for solo female travelers" and Cambodia was number three.
Eight years later, she's still here.
Teaching fashion to the next generation of Cambodian designers,
dancing, modeling, freelancing, and building a life she never could hav
I PREFER South African Racism Over British 'Politeness' | She Left The UK After 7 Years
She left Cape Town for love. 7 years later, she fled the UK and never looked back.
Desmei Collia grew up in a township in Cape Town, South Africa. Her mother worked
as a domestic worker — cleaning white people's houses — just to put food on the
table. Desmei had no money, no university education, and no examples of success
around her. Most of her childhood friends became prostitutes, drug addi
She Left New York's Symphony for Her Husband's Happiness in Jamaica
A professional violinist boards a plane to Jamaica in 1992.
She's not coming for reggae or beaches.
She's coming to teach at a small college, taste her first mackerel rundown,
and discover whether she could build a life on an island she'd never considered home.
Twenty years later, she's raising seven musical prodigies in Kingston,
navigating Devon House attitude, homeschooling through three conti
From Chicago to Kingston: The Violinist Who Chose Jamaica Over Carnegie Hall
A classically trained violinist from Chicago marries a Jamaican man.
She visits the island in 1992 expecting sunshine and opportunity.
Instead, she gets a Devon House ice cream lady who snaps at her,
a healthcare system that airlifts her newborn to Florida,
and a school system that manipulates her son's math scores
to keep the local elite on top.
She stays anyway.
Not because Jamaica was easy, but
Talk With April
LIVE — Talk With April: Living Abroad, Love & Finding Home
Real people. Real journeys. Real lives. This week April Jackson goes live to talk about what it actually feels like to build a life far from where you started — the love stories, the culture shock, and those quiet moments of missing home.
"At 17 She Boarded a Plane Alone and Never Went Home Again"
A 17 year old girl boards a plane from Botswana to Malaysia.
She doesn't know a single person. She's never been to Asia.
At the airport, she breaks down crying.
Two decades later, she's built businesses across three continents,
survived COVID lockdown separated from her partner,
raised a global child who sleeps in her bed,
and found home in a city she once visited on holiday.
Pearl left Botswana
Street Gangs, Cancer & Cambodia: The Story of a Man Who Refused to Quit
A Japanese man dreams of becoming a professional footballer.
A street gang attack derails everything at 17.
He ends up in Cambodia, survives testicular cancer,
navigates divorce, and discovers his life purpose
through photography, community, and human connection.
Shunsuke, known as Taki, was on track to become
a professional footballer in Japan when a random act
of violence shattered his ankle an
Deported, Broke, Alone: How Jamaica Became My Everything (BO)
From Montreal's Michelin Dreams to Kingston's Reality: A Chef's Raw Journey of Sacrifice, Survival & Starting Over In this powerful episode of 'Babes, How Did You Get Here?',
April sits down with Chef Matthew — a celebrated Canadian chef who walked away from TV fame, two thriving restaurants, and financial security in Montreal to rebuild his entire life in Jamaica with just $60,000, a French bul
Didn't Know Jamaica Existed, Now I'm Selling Out Korean Food Pop-Ups in Kingston
What happens when a Korean girl who dreamed of being Oprah lands in Kingston, speaking zero patois, knowing nothing about Jamaica except what Google told her — and decides to stay longer than planned?
📚 To join the Parenting community:
https://april-s-site-fcfd.thinkific.com
In this warm and deeply personal episode of "Babes, How Did You Get Here?", April sits down with Herim — a South Korea-bor
England Saw A Black Man. Africa Saw A Star
He came to South Africa for a wedding.
He stayed for 10 years — and never looked back.
From being invisible in England to becoming a household name across 4 continents, Hakeem Kae-Kazim tells the most unfiltered version of his story yet.
Racism in the UK industry. Surviving a car crash in the Namibian desert. Delivering his own baby at 2AM on his couch. Choosing Africa over Hollywood.
This episode
They Moved to Jamaica at 8 and 9 — Now They're Competing for Jamaica Internationally
Two Canadian kids land in Jamaica at 8 and 9 years old.
No choice. No warning. No idea what was coming.
Ten years later, they're still here — navigating identity,
belonging, and what it means to grow up between worlds.
Alexandra and Scarlett moved to Jamaica from Montreal in 2015.
One day they were eating dumplings in Canada,
the next they were the only white kids at Mona Prep,
getting swarmed by
From Football Dreams to Testicular Cancer: A Japanese Expat's Journey in Cambodia
A Japanese man dreams of becoming a professional footballer.
A street gang attack derails everything at 17.
He ends up in Cambodia, survives testicular cancer,
navigates divorce, and discovers his life purpose
through photography, community, and human connection.
Shunsuke, known as Taki, was on track to become
a professional footballer in Japan when a random act
of violence shattered his ankle an
Kai Charles #2
A Black British woman leaves London with two suitcases,
no job, nowhere to live — and builds an entirely new life in Dubai.
What started as a one-year plan turned into nine years abroad,
multiple careers, identity shifts, burnout, reinvention,
and one brutally honest realization:
“I’d NEVER raise Black children in London.”
Kai Charles grew up in West London, worked corporate jobs
at companies l
Why I’d NEVER Raise Black Children In London
A Black British woman leaves London with two suitcases,
no job, nowhere to live — and builds an entirely new life in Dubai.
What started as a one-year plan turned into nine years abroad,
multiple careers, identity shifts, burnout, reinvention,
and one brutally honest realization:
“I’d NEVER raise Black children in London.”
Kai Charles grew up in West London, worked corporate jobs
at companies l
Best of I Six-Foot-Six, Blonde & British: How I Became Jamaica's Most Unlikely Police Reform Hero
📚 For more details on my parenting method:
https://april-s-site-fcfd.thinkific.com
What happens when a London cop rises through the ranks at Scotland Yard, gets recruited to transform Jamaica's police force, and ends up staying for 20 years — building a life, a business, and a family in a country that wasn't his?
🇬🇧🇯🇲 In this powerful episode of 'Babes, How Did You Get Here?',
April sits down
Best Of - Bajan by Birth, Jamaican by Heart: How I Found Love, Community & My Calling in Kingston
What happens when a Bajan Hindu girl lands in Kingston at 18 to study physiotherapy, falls in love with a Jamaican, and 22 years later is still here — raising two daughters, running a practice, and calling Jamaica home while Barbados stays in her heart?
In this heartwarming and deeply personal episode of "Babes, How Did You Get Here?", host April Jackson sits down with Jivika Lalwani-Chugani (Ji
She Moved to Jamaica With 5 Suitcases & No Plan — And Built the Caribbean's Only Sourdough Bakery
Why she sold a successful business to chase a view
The 2-month move with 5 suitcases for a family of 5
Why everyone — even her best clients — predicted she'd fail
Getting scammed by a French baker hired off Craigslist
The Jamaican concept of "bad mind" and how it broke her team
Being accused of racism in The Observer over a vanilla latte
The WhatsApp group of men who watched her breastfeed
Her new
Part 2 I PREFER South African Racism Over British 'Politeness'
She traded London pounds for Cape Town sunshine — and her marriage has never been better.
In Part 2 of this raw conversation, Desmei Collia goes deeper into what it really cost her to live in the UK — and why coming home to South Africa saved her marriage, her mental health, and her sense of self.
She doesn't hold back about the subtle racism in British salons, the in-laws who didn't approve, the
They Told Me to Leave Jamaica, But I Stayed: From Dancehall Exile to Finding My Home
Babes, How Did You Get Here? | Karina: From Moscow Dance Floors to Kingston Streets – Finding Home After Dancehall Broke Her Heart
What happens when a Russian hip-hop dancer falls so deeply in love with dancehall culture that she moves 6,000 miles to Jamaica—only to discover that the community she worshipped would eventually exile her, leaving her stranded between two worlds, two Jamaicas, and tw
20 Years in War Zones: Timor, Syria, Haiti, Sudan — He Tells It All
From a small New Zealand town with no traffic lights to Antarctica,
East Timor war zones, Syrian roundabouts, and now Cambodia —
this is the story of a simple Māori boy who built a life
everywhere except where he started.
John Cassidy (JC) grew up in Blenheim, New Zealand — population
20,000, zero traffic lights, and enough kids on the street
to fill a rugby team. He worked in a mussel factory, h
20 Years in War Zones: Timor, Syria, Haiti, Sudan — He Tells It All
From a small New Zealand town with no traffic lights to Antarctica,
East Timor war zones, Syrian roundabouts, and now Cambodia —
this is the story of a simple Māori boy who built a life
everywhere except where he started.
John Cassidy (JC) grew up in Blenheim, New Zealand — population
20,000, zero traffic lights, and enough kids on the street
to fill a rugby team. He worked in a mussel factory, h
'My Skin Is The Greatest Sin I Could Have' — A Black Woman in Asia | BEST OF
She got told her skin was "the greatest sin" she could have. 😳
Asian schools refused to hire her. Modeling agencies offered
her $150 while white girls got $1,500. Strangers DM'd her
"go back to Africa with your black self."
Her response? She built an empire anyway. 🎤⬇️
In this BEST-OF cut of 'Babes, How Did You Get Here?',
April Jackson sits down with Abigail — a Trinidad & Tobago
educator who
🔴 LIVE : I PREFER South African Racism | Reaction + Q&A
Join us LIVE for a Premiere + Q&A: we're dropping Desmei's full story —
growing up in a Cape Town township, marrying a white British man, and why
she chose South African racism over 7 years of British "politeness."
April is here live. Drop your questions in the chat — ASK HER LIVE (interracial marriage, moving abroad, UK vs SA, culture shock, apartheid generation, race, identity, what didn't m
I PREFER South African Racism Over British 'Politeness' | She Left The UK After 7 Years
She left Cape Town for love. 7 years later, she fled the UK and never looked back.
Desmei Collia grew up in a township in Cape Town, South Africa. Her mother worked
as a domestic worker — cleaning white people's houses — just to put food on the
table. Desmei had no money, no university education, and no examples of success
around her. Most of her childhood friends became prostitutes, drug addi
Pregnant, No English, New Country: How Jamaica Became Home for 18 Years | Best of
What happens when a Dominican lawyer trades courtrooms for Caribbean vibes, lands in Jamaica pregnant, speaking zero English, and builds a whole new life from scratch?
🇩🇴🇯🇲 In this heartwarming episode of 'Babes, How Did You Get Here?',
April sits down with Ysis — a Dominican Republic-born lawyer turned event planner who moved to Jamaica 18 years ago with her husband, a six-year-old son, and n
Gang Member, TV Chef, he Gives His Life to Jesus
What happens when an Irish boy grows up in England, lands in juvenile detention at 15 after a gang fight that turned deadly, spends a year in custody waiting for a trial that eventually gets thrown out, discovers purpose in a professional kitchen under the mentorship of Michelin star chef Aaron Patterson, learns resilience working for Marco Pierre White at Wheelers in London, climbs the culinary l
BEST OF: Jamaican Girl Goes BROKE in Dubai — Then THIS Happened…
What happens when a Jamaican beauty entrepreneur leaves behind a fully booked calendar, a thriving lash and microblading academy, and everything she's built—moving to Dubai with $700, no clients, and nobody who knows her name, taking a nine to five job for the first time since college, sleeping through jet lag after years of hustle, navigating the bruised ego of being unknown in a city where she o
She Chose Jamaica Over Her Birthplace (Here's Why)
What happens when a diplomat's wife lands in Jamaica with a toddler, three towels, and no plan—discovers she can't find a single pastry she likes, teaches herself French patisserie in three condensed weeks in Montreal, starts a catering business out of sheer boredom, gets approached by the owner of Café Blue to transform Jamaican cocoa into world class chocolate, spends three years learning to ide
She Became Miss PLANET. But First, They BROKE Her. | Sydney's Unfiltered Story.
Nobody talks about what really happens backstage at beauty pageants. The harsh words. The brutal judges. The tears nobody films. Today, Sydney opens up about the constant humiliation, the lack of confidence, and the moment everything changed. She didn't just survive the industry — she became Miss Planet. This is the episode we filmed before she won. Watch it differently.
Babes, How Did You Get He
$700 in My Name & a Prayer: Why I Left Everything in Jamaica for Dubai
Babes, How Did You Get Here? | From Jamaica to Dubai: A Beauty Entrepreneur's Leap Into the Unknown – Starting Over, Ego Checks & Building Dreams in a New City
What happens when a Jamaican beauty entrepreneur leaves behind a fully booked calendar, a thriving lash and microblading academy, and everything she's built to move to Dubai with $700, no clients, and nobody who knows her name—taking a nin
From Booked & Blessed in Jamaica to Sleeping & Starting Fresh in Dubai
Babes, How Did You Get Here? | From Jamaica to Dubai: A Beauty Entrepreneur's Leap Into the Unknown – Starting Over, Ego Checks & Building Dreams in a New City
What happens when a Jamaican beauty entrepreneur leaves behind a fully booked calendar, a thriving lash and microblading academy, and everything she's built to move to Dubai with $700, no clients, and nobody who knows her name—taking a nin
Two White Girls Moved to Jamaica at 8 & 9: Identity, Belonging & What 'Jamaican' Really Means
Babes, How Did You Get Here? | Two Canadian Sisters Who Call Jamaica Home: Growing Up Between Cultures, Identity Crisis, and Finding Belonging in the Arts
What happens when two Canadian sisters, aged eight and nine, move to Jamaica without a choice, spend their formative years navigating the zoo effect at Mona Prep, grappling with cultural identity, building careers in theatre and horseback ridin
From Jamaica to Dubai: A Pastry Chef's Journey of Sacrifice, Motherhood & Finding Her Mark
Babes, How Did You Get Here? | Shauna Silvera: From Jamaica to Dubai – A Pastry Chef's Journey of Motherhood, Sacrifice & Building a Life Across Borders
What happens when a Jamaican pastry chef gets offered an opportunity in Dubai, turns down a promotion at home, leaves her three year old son with her village, boards her first ever flight, and spends the next nine years building a career in recip
Digital Nomad Reality Check: Lies, Loneliness, Car Crashes & the Truth About 'Living the Dream'
Babes, How Did You Get Here? | Janelle Brown: From UK to Thailand – A Two-Week Holiday That Turned Into Seven Months in Phuket
What happens when a British content creator books a two-week Christmas holiday to Thailand, finds an apartment five days after landing, and decides she's not going back—building a digital nomad life as a social media coach, navigating car crashes, client losses, dating di
18, She Chose Rural Cambodia Over College & Never Looked Back
Babes, How Did You Get Here? | Why I Chose Cambodia Over College: A Story of Language, Loneliness & Learning to Belong
What happens when an 18-year-old from Colorado takes a one-month volunteer trip to rural Cambodia, falls in love with the golden rice fields and slower pace of life, and decides to skip college entirely—spending the next six years hand-washing clothes, learning Khmer from childre
What it is like to be a Jamaican in South Africa
Babes, How Did You Get Here? | Marlon Cotterell: From Jamaican Model to South African Reggae Frontman – Fashion Week, Prison, and Finding Home in Cape Town
What happens when a Jamaican model flies to South Africa for a week-long fashion show, decides to stay three months, and ends up living there for 15 years—building a career as the frontman of South Africa's biggest reggae band, spending a week
The REALITY of Being a Jamaican Foreigner in South Africa: Privilege, Prejudice & Finding Home
Babes, How Did You Get Here? | Marlon Cotterell: From Jamaican Model to South African Reggae Frontman – Fashion Week, Prison, and Finding Home in Cape Town
What happens when a Jamaican model flies to South Africa for a week-long fashion show, decides to stay three months, and ends up living there for 15 years—building a career as the frontman of South Africa's biggest reggae band, spending a week
From Dubai to Kingston: How I Found My Home in Jamaica's Warmth & Simplicity
Babes, How Did You Get Here? | Farnoosh: From Iran to Jamaica – A Nurse Who Found Home in the Kids She Never Thought She'd Have
What happens when an Iranian-Canadian early childhood educator takes a two-week volunteer trip to Jamaica, falls in love with the kids in Riverton and Mustard Seed communities, and decides to leave everything behind—her family, her career, her country—to build a life ser
Military Desertion, 8-Hour Interrogations & Sleeping Rough: My Path from Ghana to Cambodia
Babes, How Did You Get Here? | Kofi: From Ghanaian Military Nurse to Street Photographer in Cambodia – A Story of Survival, Love, and Reinvention
What happens when a military nurse from Ghana goes AWOL, books a one-way ticket to Indonesia, gets interrogated at the airport for eight hours, loses his passport in Cambodia, sleeps on the streets for three months, and somehow ends up married to a Kore
Why Jamaicans Are Built Different: Confidence Secret REVEALED! #shorts
Growing up Jamaican gave her a unique confidence. She reflects on how that upbringing helps her navigate predominantly white spaces, unlike what she imagines it might be like in the UK. #JamaicanCulture #Confidence #WhiteSpaces #CulturalIdentity
Abandoned at 12, Sent to Afghanistan… and Ended Up a World-Record Scuba Diver in Phuket
Babes, How Did You Get Here? | Barrington: From US Marine to Executive Chef to Guinness World Record Holder
What happens when a former US Marine, executive chef, and scuba diving instructor decides life is too short to play it safe—and ends up breaking a Guinness World Record by scuba diving across all seven continents in under 20 days?
In this exhilarating and deeply inspiring episode, host Apri
The Truth About Moving to Jamaica: A Russian Dancer's Story of Love, Loss & Starting Over
Babes, How Did You Get Here? | Karina: From Moscow Dance Floors to Kingston Streets – Finding Home After Dancehall Broke Her Heart
What happens when a Russian hip-hop dancer falls so deeply in love with dancehall culture that she moves 6,000 miles to Jamaica—only to discover that the community she worshipped would eventually exile her, leaving her stranded between two worlds, two Jamaicas, and tw
[DELETED ON YOUTUBE] The Truth About Moving to Jamaica: A Russian Dancer's Story of Love, Loss & Starting Over
Babes, How Did You Get Here? | Karina: From Moscow Dance Floors to Kingston Streets – Finding Home After Dancehall Broke Her Heart
What happens when a Russian hip-hop dancer falls so deeply in love with dancehall culture that she moves 6,000 miles to Jamaica—only to discover that the community she worshipped would eventually exile her, leaving her stranded between two worlds, two Jamaicas, and tw
Beyond the Borders: My Escape From a Double Life to a New Self
Babes, How Did You Get Here? | Saiora: From Kazakhstan to Cambodia – Dancing Her Way to Freedom
What happens when a Kazakh dancer realizes that following her passion means leaving behind everything familiar—the conservative expectations, the need to conform, the pressure to be "right"—and building a life 4,000 miles away in a country she barely knew, where she could finally be herself?
In this
[DELETED ON YOUTUBE] Full Edit Pre Prod
Babes, How Did You Get Here? | Katie: From UK Makeup Artist to Male Prison Worker to Solo Fitness Entrepreneur in Thailand
What happens when a 21-year-old British-Indian makeup artist gets tired of playing it safe, calls every MAC store in Australia until someone gives her a job, and ends up building a life that defies every cultural expectation her family ever had for her?
In this inspiring and
I Was Told to Look Unattractive at Work: From Prison to Finding My Paradise in Phuket
Babes, How Did You Get Here? | Katie: From UK Makeup Artist to Male Prison Worker to Solo Fitness Entrepreneur in Thailand
What happens when a 21-year-old British-Indian makeup artist gets tired of playing it safe, calls every MAC store in Australia until someone gives her a job, and ends up building a life that defies every cultural expectation her family ever had for her?
In this inspiring and
Headhunted to Jamaica: How a Random Call Changed My Life & Made Me Stay 7 Years
Babes, How Did You Get Here? | Lana: From Beirut to Dubai to Kingston – Building Home Wherever She Lands
What happens when a Lebanese tax professional gets a random call from a UK recruiter about a job in Jamaica—a place she only knew through Bob Marley—and decides to leave Dubai’s glossy efficiency for an island she’d never even Googled?
In this warm, deeply authentic episode, host April Jackso
Raising a Trans Daughter in a Muslim Country: How My Family Chose Love Over Fear
Babes, How Did You Get Here? | Paz Fourcard: Redefining Solo Motherhood & Finding Love in Bali
What happens when a 22-year-old Filipino beauty industry star gets pregnant, refuses to shrink, and builds a life that redefines what it means to be a solo mom—twice—before finding a love so pure it made her feel like she was finally coming home?
In this deeply moving and powerfully honest episode, hos
[DELETED ON YOUTUBE] 22, Pregnant & Scared: How My Dad Saved Me When I Thought My Life Was Over
Babes, How Did You Get Here? | Paz Forecard: Redefining Solo Motherhood & Finding Love in Bali
What happens when a 22-year-old Filipino beauty industry star gets pregnant, refuses to shrink, and builds a life that redefines what it means to be a solo mom—twice—before finding a love so pure it made her feel like she was finally coming home?
In this deeply moving and powerfully honest episode, hos
Bajan by Birth, Jamaican by Heart: How I Found Love, Community & My Calling in Kingston
18, In Love & Never Looking Back: My 22-Year Journey from Bajan/Hindu Student to Jamaican Mom
Hindu, Bajan & Jamaican by Heart: Raising My Daughters Between Cultures, Continents & Curries
Indian Girls Don't Do This: How I Went from Scared & Shy to Thriving Solo in Thailand
What happens when a shy Indian girl who hated standing out, never traveled alone, and was expected to “settle down by 30”… ends up building a thriving online fitness business from a Thai island—teaching her dad what freedom looks like—and choosing solo beach walks over the life everyone planned for her?
📚 To join the Parenting community:
https://april-s-site-fcfd.thinkific.com
In this deeply hon
Google Said Jamaica Was Dangerous, LinkedIn Said Otherwise: My Year in Kingston
What happens when a Korean girl who dreamed of being Oprah lands in Kingston, speaking zero patois, knowing nothing about Jamaica except what Google told her — and decides to stay longer than planned?
📚 To join the Parenting community:
https://april-s-site-fcfd.thinkific.com
In this warm and deeply personal episode of "Babes, How Did You Get Here?", April sits down with Herim — a South Korea-bor
Dad Was Detroit's Biggest Drug Dealer, Now I'm a Digital Nomad: My Journey from Prison to Freedom
What happens when a kid from Detroit's roughest streets trades corporate Australia for Bangkok freedom, loses friends to violence, builds a six-figure recruitment business from an IHOP booth at midnight, and decides he'll never stop moving?
🌍💼 In this raw and deeply personal episode of 'Babes, How Did You Get Here?', April sits down with Agilon Wallace — a Detroit-born nomad, recruiter, and recr
21, Broke & a New Mom: How I Manifested Time Freedom & a Life Traveling Thailand with My Family
Six-Foot-Six, Blonde & British: How I Became Jamaica's Most Unlikely Police Reform Hero
📚 For more details on my parenting method:
https://april-s-site-fcfd.thinkific.com
What happens when a London cop rises through the ranks at Scotland Yard, gets recruited to transform Jamaica's police force, and ends up staying for 20 years — building a life, a business, and a family in a country that wasn't his?
🇬🇧🇯🇲 In this powerful episode of 'Babes, How Did You Get Here?',
April sits down
Fighting for My Rights in Cambodia: Why I'll Never Cry at Immigration Again
📚 For more details on my parenting method:
https://april-s-site-fcfd.thinkific.com
What happens when a Trinidadian producer trades Caribbean sunshine for Southeast Asian adventure, lands in Cambodia speaking zero Khmer, and builds a whole new life teaching kids from five different countries? 🇹🇹🇰🇭
In this raw and unfiltered episode of 'Babes, How Did You Get Here?', April sits down with Abigail
Why Maddie Refuses to Return Home: The Truth About Expat Life in Thailand
Navigating Life Abroad: From Tourist Tips to Finding Home in Thailand
In this episode, our host discusses with Maddie Hart, known as Yagi in Thai Online, about her journey from a planned one-year stay in Thailand to a long-term residency. They delve into the cultural etiquette she learned, the challenges and growth she experienced living abroad, and how the pandemic played a significant role in he
From UK to Phuket Janelle Brown on Soft Life, Digital Nomad Dreams & Living Beyond the Algorithm
What happens when a two-week Christmas vacation in Thailand turns into a seven-month soft life you never planned to leave? 🇹🇭✨ In this raw and honest episode of 'Babes, How Did You Get Here?', April sits down with Janelle Brown — a UK-born digital nomad, content creator, and social media coach who landed in Phuket on Christmas Day... and simply never went back. From lying on her CV to launch a mar
Pregnant, No English, New Country: How Jamaica Became Home for 18 Years
What happens when a Dominican lawyer trades courtrooms for Caribbean vibes, lands in Jamaica pregnant, speaking zero English, and builds a whole new life from scratch?
In this heartwarming episode of 'Babes, How Did You Get Here?', April sits down with Isis — a Dominican Republic-born lawyer turned event planner who moved to Jamaica 18 years ago with her husband, a six-year-old son, and nothing bu
Grandma's Ghost Told Me to Leave… So I Moved to Cambodia and Started a Hair Empire
From Virginia to Cambodia: How Fear, ADHD & a Ghost Message Built a Raw Hair Empire
What happens when a small-town American with ADHD, no degree, and a dream leaves everything behind for a country most people can't find on a map?
🌏 In this raw, unfiltered episode of 'Babes, How Did You Get Here?', April sits down with Manisha — an American entrepreneur, educator, and raw hair sourcing queen wh
From 9–5 Drone to Bangkok Fitness King: @Darrenliufitness No-BS Journey
If you want to start join the parenting course:
https://april-s-site-fcfd.thinkific.com
📖 Description
Think all fried food is bad for you? Or that seed oils are poison? 💥 Darren Liu says you’ve been lied to.
In this unfiltered conversation, Darren — a Canadian fitness coach turned Bangkok entrepreneur — tears apart the biggest diet myths and shares why “no food is bad food” might just change the
Adopted at 12, Sent to Afghanistan… and Ended Up a World-Record Scuba Diver in Phuket
What happens when a kid who never quite felt at home is adopted, sent to war, burns out in the kitchen as an executive chef… and then decides to break a Guinness World Record underwater in Phuket? 🌊🔥
In this episode, Barrington Scott—Guinness World Record holder for the fastest scuba dive and full-time deep diver in Phuket, Thailand—sits down with April Jackson to unpack a life story that sounds
Deported, Broke, Alone: How Jamaica Became My Everything
From Montreal's Michelin Dreams to Kingston's Reality: A Chef's Raw Journey of Sacrifice, Survival & Starting Over In this powerful episode of 'Babes, How Did You Get Here?',
April sits down with Chef Matthew — a celebrated Canadian chef who walked away from TV fame, two thriving restaurants, and financial security in Montreal to rebuild his entire life in Jamaica with just $60,000, a French bul
Are You Japanese Enough? Harsh Truth behind the scenes
From Japan to Cambodia: Beauty, Identity & Finding Home Through Pageantry.
In this captivating episode of 'Babes, How Did You Get Here?', April sits down with Megumi Wilson — Miss Japan Universe 2022 Second Runner-Up, world traveler, singer, actress, and creative force now thriving in Cambodia.
As a former Miss Jamaica Universe herself, April brings a unique lens to this conversation about page
From Drunk Flight to Bangkok to Full-Time Creator | Keis' Wild Journey
If you to join April's motherhood community:
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Keis_One Youtube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@UCO5IhWS7_CIU1HoAkffBzcg
From drunk spontaneous trips to full-time content creation in Bangkok – Adam (Keis) shares his raw, unfiltered journey of leaving corporate Australia for an uncertain adventure across Asia.
In this epi
Black in Thailand: Smiles, Stereotypes… and the Ugly Truth
🌏 What does it really mean to be Black in Thailand? In this powerful episode of ‘How Did You Get Here?’, Kikombe shares the reality of being an African expat in Phuket – from racism and stereotypes to finding safety, family and a new sense of home.
In this powerful conversation, Kikombe — an African teacher, storyteller, and father — opens up about his life in Phuket. From facing racism and stere
