Unbecoming: Recent Episodes
Stefanie Baranowski
A visionary expat learning and growing through personal adventure and critically thinking and analyzing life and all its experiences and adventures.
It takes some time when you move to another city to meet new people you connect with who you can call your friends. There is a level of loneliness at first that you have to go through that grows you to become more grounded in yourself. Meeting friends as an expat is not easy at first and requires time to discover who you are, your interests and where you fit in that new city before you can start making connections. Those friends that you do make over time end up challenging you to see new perspectives, new ways of life, making you question what you truly value and where you fit in the world. The friends you meet on your expat journey become the inspiration for your new self as you grow into your new self. You meet these new friends on a deep level you meet yourself on the journey. These new friends become apart of your identity in a way and hold a special place in your heart that leads you to understand yourself, the world and who you are in the world. These friends I met along my expat journey will be my life long friends I look forward to connecting with for years to come.
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Stress is inevitable in our lives as humans. Stress can be good in situations to help motivate us and then sometimes stress can cause adverse affects that has the ability to affect our daily life in negative ways. Over the years I have built up the knowledge and the tools for grounding myself during moments of stress and adversity and conflict. This episode I share with you some of the ways I have learnt how to cultivate the self awareness in myself and engage in grounding as a life practice but also for when I need it in those adverse moments to help navigate those difficult situations by responding rather than reacting.
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The energy you cultivate in yourself is the energy you share outwards. When you cultivate love within yourself, thats the energy you have to share with others. When I reflect back on the day of love that just past, I think about the most meaningful moments of love in my life and how I remember those moments. Jewelry is by far my favourite and the most meaningful gift to me. Not because of it's superficiality but because it's a nice reminder of the love, experience and meaning that person has/had in my life. The earrings I wear are whispers of wisdom from my aunty who has past and the Tiffany's necklace is a reminder of the love for myself that is needed into order to share love with others. Jewelry is a lasting energy.
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A name is really important for setting the stage for how you want your audience to relate to your words. It was important that I chose a name that would reflect myself, what my content was going to include and the way I wanted to brand myself online. I'm no marketing guru, nor do I have a marketing degree but I do know that branding on your socials is important for authentic connection to my audience. It was important to me that my podcast be a passion project that would come from an authentic place in order to connect authentically with those who were meant to listen in on my podcast. A name has just as much meaning as the content it reflects.
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Curious how I do it? I also had to sit back and really think about how I do it. Join me in this weeks podcast as I dive into multitasking at it's finest and the foundational approach I use to be able to still have energy, spirit and motivation to accomplish all the things.
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My family would say I have made school a career. I can't argue with that statement. My curiosity and heart has led me to live a purposeful life. Don't worry, I have stumbled upon some failures along the way but that only taught me how to pivot and find new meaning in something that was more in alignment with myself. I truly adopt a live to learn philosophy to life. Listen in to this weeks podcast as I go over the many different career paths I have taken and how that has shaped the direction I plan to go.
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A car is an extension of your identity. It represents who you are both internally but also externally to the outside world. Growing up around cars, I very much adopted a inner race car drive persona. Having a nice car that represented who I am is so important to me. A car represents freedom but also freedom of expression. You can always tell when girl is going through change when she changes her hair and her clothes. For me, you can always tell I'm going through a major life change when I buy a new car.
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After living abroad for a year and living the expat journey, you realize that when you go back home, you are not going back home to the person you were before you left. You are going back home a new person. I very much felt different and the internal process of transitioning to go back home was not an easy process. It meant I needed to go through grieving my life I lived the last year to diving into the unknown of my new journey ahead back home.
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2023 was my best year yet. As I reflect back on my year, I really think about what 2023 really meant to me and how it has shaped the person I am today moving into 2024.
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A girl can dream of couture and all the luxury materials, the proud look of the displays and the the sparkle and the glamour that lights up your soul and makes you walk with confidence in the direction of your dreams. A girl can dream... or can she envision and make it a reality. I did exactly just that without realizing that I had done it. I had manifested and worked hard only to surround myself in the luxury fashion world of dreams. It's like Barbie's world but a level up in the designer style. It's important to not just dream but when you make you're dreams a reality to also celebrate your accomplishments and the hard work you put into accomplishing those things. Indulging in a capitalist culture of materialism in celebration of your success is a great way to stop and enjoy and to continue to remind yourself how amazing you are and exactly just what you are capable of when you put your mind to something and work hard. Treat yourself girl! Eat the cupcake and buy the Chanel handbag! You have only this one life to live so live it fully!
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A girls night out wouldn't be complete without some dancing. The last weekend I spent in London was a memorable one that made me realize that I did in fact have a community and a group of friends that I would have forever. I had developed meaningful friendships and shared both laughter and tears with them. Salsa night was a must for some good fun and a reminder that dancing is my therapy and having a community of people to share life's experiences with is important.
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Sometimes the best romantic stories are the ones that catch you off guard. The serendipity moments of being in the right place and right time with the most open heart to your environmental experiences. You never know who you are going to meet along your journey and you certainly can't predict when you are going to fall in love. Falling in love is a beautiful thing.
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The healing journey isn't always what it seems. It can be messy and bring up all sorts of emotions. If we got to hard on the healing activities and regret to give ourselves space, we might find ourselves not necessarily healing but just creating more trauma. Holding space for yourself to self-reflect is important along the healing journey to let go of who you no longer are to become who you want to be and are meant to be through your experiences.
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When things don't happen as we anticipate, we have two options. We can either get frustrated and upset or we can find the learning curve and come from a solution based mindset. I look at my journey in London as just that, a big learning curve. I had a preconceived view in my mind as to what my life in London was going to look like but every moment of challenge was a moment of learning and thats what made my story truly a story.
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Join me as I explain how the London transportation system works and how I felt about traveling via public transportation in relationship to me growing up having a vehicle to drive in, in Canada. I dive into explaining the difference between the transportation system in London, versus Europe, versus North America.
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Listen in as I tell my personal perspective and experience working in the London primary school system and how it relates to politics, culture and personal and career growth. I talk about my experience teaching and the differences between the UK curriculum and the Canadian curriculum and my personal experience being a teacher.
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This weeks episode I talk about my first dance experience at Pinapple Dance studio in London England and how it re-inspired my soul. I express my thoughts and feelings about following your heart and how I have always followed my heart on the decisions I have made in life and thats what's led me to thrive a more fulfilled and purposeful life.
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Tune in as I share about my experience navigating on how to handle not being able to transport my dog over to the UK and my stories as I reminisce about the story about how I got my dog.
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Join me as I uncover just how much identity means to me and the cool experience of coming home to myself within Warsaw. It was always on my list of places to go in the world, to go to Poland. I had grown up in a family that was very cultured and embraced our Polish roots with my grandfather being highly active and one of the head people of the Polish community in Winnipeg for years until he passed. The food, the language and the traditions were all part of my upbringing as a child. I always felt like I needed to go to Poland to come home to myself in a deeper way and to really dive deep into understanding my family and my family history. Poland was everything and more that I needed for understanding myself and my identity. I have a changed perspective on my faith and life after visiting Poland.
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Join me in reflecting on my one year anniversary
in London, United Kingdom
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Birthdays to me where never about me. I always saw them as a community activity. A way for friends to all get together and have a good time. In my early 20's there were plenty of times where I would arrange big birthday parties, show up for maybe an hour and then escape my own birthday. In the comedy of it all, I really just wanted everyone to have a good time at the end of the day and a reason for people to get together and have fun. Birthdays then slowly over time became about small celebrations and smaller get togethers until the pandemic hit and changed my perspective on creating joy and meaning. Cupcakes became the new tradition and not just cupcakes but these were connection cupcakes. Join me in exploring my birthday traditions and what they truly mean when it comes to connection.
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I open my discussion with a strong political stance on the Kings Coronation. The topic is deep and somber and I bring into perspective my own thoughts and opinions but also those from around me. I dive deep into the issues of tradition, inclusion, culture, moral code and the monarchy's stance in the world. Being history major and always wanting to be a princess growing up, I had always had a love for the royal family and tradition but as I become more aware and conscious and worldly knowledge, I question my initial perspective and opinion that I had growing up.
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Join me on my adventure as I talk about my travels to Whitby, United Kingdom to explore my family history and meaning in a small town. It wouldn't be an adventure or meaningful if there wasn't some sort of hurdle or challenge on the way. It's the challenges that make us truly appreciate the moment. A spiritual connection and tears brought new meaning to my life moving forward.
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I feel like I have an inner Holly Golightly in me. I'm always scared that someone is going to put me in a box and keep me locked down. I have an inner need to be free but I also have an inner need to feel like I belong somewhere and that I feel loved and with someone who makes me feel safe and calm. Tiffany has been a reassuring theme in my life for over 8 years. I'm always reinventing myself and adventuring but Tiffany's stays constant. Listen in to my story on how Tiffany's has inspired me and has popped up into my life at exactly the right moments in time to inspire me.
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Finding a yoga studio to practice at in London is like finding a needle in a haystack. The yoga studios here lack the yoga vibe. You feel like there is a huge fitness culture here but the yoga philosophy and vibes are missing. Join me in this episode as I explain my journey of finding a yoga studio to both teach at and practice at and my inside experiences and perspectives of the Bikram yoga studios here in London. You will be highly surprised to know that I was fully validated in all the stories on Bikram that I had encountered up until this point.
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I never thought a city could smell so good! The wafting smell of the chocolate and the waffles coming from the open doors of the shops was so magical. It instantly lifted my spirits up and brought me to the present moment in an instant. I was living, eating and breathing completely in the moment. I never thought a city could do that to me. The city was absolutely beautiful with is bright white and gold architecture and its cobblestone walkways. The city was completely walkable. What's a spiritual journey without a spiritual practice? I took two yoga classes that brought me even deeper into the present moment. As much as the city has its beauty, there is also a very red cautious reputation that I didn't realize until I was in the moment where I needed to realize. Living in the moment isn't always as glamorous as the yogi's make it sound but it is completely necessary to experience sometimes in order to gain more wisdom and grow.
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How do I accomplish all that I do? I get asked that question sometimes along side with all the positive vibes and messages of awe-inspiring comments. Why keep the recipe to myself when I can share it and help others accomplish their dreams and create a wave of inspiration. I set my goals with the moon cycle. Every Full Moon I let go of what no longer serves me and every New Moon I set my new goals for the next moon cycle ahead. Well I thought thats what the moon meant to me until I started to dive a little deeper into my spiritual investigations and noticed a trend among the moon and spiritual practices amongst many religions and cultures. The moon is quite special and its something we as people all have in common with each other is sharing the same moon in the sky and not just seeing its beauty but experiencing it. Listen in as I share my knowledge of what I have come to research on the moon and its connection with religion and spirituality.
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Girls nights are for conversations about men, fashion and goals. It's a time to connect over some good food and drinks and just enjoy the feminine energy of communication and understanding. However, this girls night was so much more; it was an experience! Tune in and listen as I take you on a journey through history with prohibition vibes and girly sighs as I spend girls night really living London history in its full cultural awe and presence.
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The most empowering thing you can experience is not to eat by yourself in a restaurant (been there and done that), it's not to go to a movie by yourself (done that as well), and its most certainly not traveling by yourself (people do that on the regular all the time), but instead, try spending New Years Eve by yourself. And I don't mean by yourself in your house watching romantic comedies with a plate full of take out and your cat or your dog beside you. I mean, dress up, look cute and enjoy the New Years festivities by yourself. On the most Hollywood glamorized holidays of the year where the expectation is top spend it at a party with people in hopes you get that New Years kiss, spend it by yourself fully by yourself feeling good with just your own company and presence. Life is happening now and its happening for you, not to you. Fully live this moment and live out your dreams. Don't wait for someone to bring them to you through a New Years kiss and deliver it by mail but really start living presently in the now.
Thats exactly what I did. I have been living and breathing my dream and I didn't come to the realization until my eyes opened to see January 1st on the calendar and my mind went racing... "I live here... I really did it... I live here... no really... what? I live here... I made my dreams a reality!"
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Spending time away from home during the holiday season can seem like a dream if you find yourself in stress and full of family drama but on the flip side when you know you have meaningful traditions and a whole lot of love, it can feel scary, alone and sad. Finding meaning and spiritual connection with one self and having the time and space to do that is special and I did just that during this holiday season and more. I took a deep dive into not just connecting with myself but really understanding and connection with my why behind my spiritual and religious beliefs.
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January 18th 2023 I took my first acting class. I loved it! I really dived deeper into my empathy, my understanding of my emotions and other peoples emotions and how others interact with the world around them. Acting is very much about character building but character building from what you know and understand about yourself. My love for the performing arts just became more enhanced and I very much see myself diving deeper into this world of acting for unbecoming.
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When a woman changes her hair, she is about to change her life. A woman's hair is a reflection of how she feels internally but also what is going on externally. Have you been that woman that changes her hair after a big break up or know of a woman who has?
My hair has gone through so many changes over the last 10 months of being in London. I have gone through so many changes outwardly but also internally that has made me who I am today. At first I was resistant to some changes that were occurring when I landed in London but now I have embraced them fully; humbling myself, going back to my root/core self and embracing my femininity more. I am more open to change and love more than I ever have been.
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Amsterdam is more than just hippie vibes and hallucinogen kinds but really at its core is peace. there is a peaceful undertone to its natural beauty and ambience that completely dove me into a state of flow the entire journey. Listen in to me telling my adventurous story about my experience at the Anne Frank museum and the Love Lock Bridge.
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I dive into the world of dance and find my home of creativity within myself for the first time. Creativity has always been something that brings me happiness and I routinely find myself diving into a state of flow as I work on my many creative projects. Being in London has given me more time and space to creative and I find myself gravitating towards the creative communities to find a sense of belonging.
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In this episode I talk of my AirBnb adventures when I first moved to London and how I very much humbled myself with my very mentally, emotionally and financially challenging situation of being in and out of AirBnb's until I found my place of grounding and long term home in London.
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I take a trip to Paris and discover the true light of Paris that lights me up on the inside with new inspiration. Listen as I tell my view point of the city and my Emily in Paris moment at steps away from the Eiffel Tower.
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I dive into the awakened moment of not only understanding the human need to feel connected to others but to actually live it through first hand experience and gain the valuable wisdom of really understanding it on a new deeper layered perspective. The thought of being alone is a deep and dark fear as a human. The tears that come along with that reality are heart breaking. I open up and tell my most vulnerable story here in London that left me with fractured elbows and a heart so broken that I wanted to do everything in my new perspective to create change and build more meaningful connections with others more than ever.
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My work experience here in London and how landing my job at Lululemon was a blessing that brought me to experience community and London from a. good space that allowed me to find the growth that I needed. When you live in your true core self, everything else falls into alignment with you but everything and everyone also that isn't also falls away from you. Living in your true authentic self allows you to find love, purpose and happiness in life.
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Listen in on my deep thoughts on my work experience and how that shifted my perspective around change and understanding the world around me. I dive deeper into understanding my experience working in London in both the shock of the school system and the bougie boutique high fashion industries. A profound dichotomy perspective of the first hand experience of the economics of the United Kingdom.
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The expat life is more than just diving into the adventure. There requires a lot of preparation in order to make it happen. I talk about my process getting my ancestry visa for the UK as well as what I needed to mentally and physically prepare for to dive into the adventure. I open up about the lesson of non-attachment I learn as I become more aware of what is necessary to let go of in order to full experience the journey unfold.
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This episode I pull you into my thought process of what it was like to land in London on my first day and navigate my feelings of my first week. Listen in as I talk about my moments of regret and my moments of being re-inspired and validated to travel on the expat journey and really dive deep into the process as a whole. Get to know me as I express my authentic thoughts, opinions and feelings as I move through my journey.
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